Meditation has been a hot topic recently. It could be because Meditation has many benefits for you mental health: it helps with depression, anxiety, stress, and your quality of life. If you have not tried meditating yet, read below to learn a few different ways to start your meditation practice.
1-Guided Meditation
This is a really simple way to start meditating. A guided meditation involves listening to someone guide you while sitting with your eyes closed. You can find these on Youtube, Gaia, Calm, or Headspace (check out our Mental Health Resources Page for direct links).
2-Breath-Focused Meditation
Play some meditation or nature music in the background, sit or lie down in a comfortable position, and close your eyes. Here is a video of the kind of breathing you have to do, diaphragmatic breathing.
3-Mantra Meditation
This is when you focus on one word during the meditation. For example: you have been really stressed out at work and you want to try meditation to feel better. In this case, you would sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed while you repeat the word ‘peace’ in your head. The point is to focus on your breathing as you say the word in your head.
4-Intention Meditation
This is when you have an intention for the meditation like in Yoga (if you’ve been to a hip yoga class). Let’s say you have been anxious about a family situation, your intention can be ‘guidance on how to proceed in this family matter’. You would then sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. Think about your intention, focus on your breathing, and have a pen and notebook nearby to jot down ideas that may come to you during the meditation.
5-Chanting Meditation
This is when you chant or sing during your meditation. Some people use 'Om' or other sounds. This can be soothing and help you feel more calm.
If you are new to meditation, you can start with 2-5 minutes and work your way up to 20 minutes. Be patient with yourself, it takes time to learn how to let go of intrusive thoughts during your meditation, the more you practice you, the better you’ll be at it.
Happy Meditation!
