The 7 simple steps to start your meditation journey

Meditation is one of the most ancient practices to calm the body and mind that is still being used today. In fact, it does not just calm the mind, but also gives you clarity, heals you from within, makes you emotionally strong, and thus helps in maintaining a healthy life. The few minutes of meditation that people do everyday helps them have some moments of calm and peace where they can center themselves, focus on their energy, and give their mind a break from the constant chatter. And if you are someone who wishes to start meditating, here are some steps that will put you on the right track.

The first step to a successful meditation is to find a space where you can be perfectly calm and rested. It should be silent, there should be no distractions, and not to forget, it should feel safe and familiar to your mind and body. Why? Well, when you are in a calm, familiar space, it is easier to put your body in resting mode and dive right into your meditation. So, find a room or a spot outside where you will not be disturbed every 2 minutes, keep all your devices away, and start.

Once you have found the sweet, undistracting spot, now settle in. Sit comfortably and in the right posture and slouching and bending too much will put a strain on your body which will not let you focus on the meditation. Sit in a way that makes your body relaxed, and yet completely in attention and in control. One of the best tips is to keep your back straight and your legs criss-crossed.

The next step is to focus on your breath. Breathing techniques are a very important part of meditation and by focusing on the breath you can be calm, centred, and present in the moment. So, once you sit down comfortably, close your eyes and start breathing deeply, and as you do, focus on how your body feels and reacts when you inhale and exhale. Focus on how it makes your body contract and expand, and how the deeper you breathe the calmer the mental chatter gets.

Now, it is natural to get distracted and think about the next things you have to do once your meditation period ends. But, try to remain mindful and as soon as you realise that your mind has wandered away, bring it back to square one and focus on breathing again. Remember that it is natural for your mind to drift, and thus it is important for you to learn how to center it again.

If silent meditation makes you feel bored and you cannot control the thoughts during silence, take the help of chanting. The chanting could be of a mantra, a hymn, the simple chant of OM, or whatever you like. When you meditate on the sound of ‘OM’, you will see that a certain vibration and energy passes through your body, almost as if it is spreading around you. Embrace this feeling as it helps calm you down overtime, and continue with the chant of OM if it makes you feel more in sync with the energies in you.

Another important step and part of the meditation journey is that you need to give yourself, your mind and body, time to adjust to it. Start meditating 5-10 minutes everyday, be it mindfulness meditation, or chanting meditation, or Trataka meditation. It is important to not exert yourself in the first few days, and then as you become more comfortable with meditation, you can slowly increase the time for which you meditate.

Meditation is a very simple, yet powerful way to calm yourself down. But, people can feel overwhelmed even when they meditate. The simple vibrations that spread through the body during the OM chant, the silence that is all around you when you are trying to meditate, and the likes can make people emotional and yet feel positive. So, once your meditation session ends, give yourself a minute or two to open your eyes and come back from the feeling. Take a few deep breaths, stretch a little, rub your hands together and keep them on your eyes, and then slowly open your eyes.