Think You Can’t Meditate? 3 Simple Practices to Get You Started

If you think that you cannot meditate you are not alone. Countless people have given up in frustration saying, “I just can’t seem to quiet my thoughts!” Well, please take a deep breath and relax because trying to quiet your thoughts is not the goal. This can only end in frustration. The purpose of meditation is to achieve a state of pure awareness.

One of the first things that meditation will teach you is that you are not your mind. If indeed you were your mind you could control it completely. When you say, “silence,” it would become silent. But when at first you sit or lay down with the intention of meditating, your mind will have other plans and you will find yourself almost breaking a sweat trying to quiet that “monkey mind.” So don’t even waste your energy trying.

Try one of these beginner meditation practices. You can begin at five minutes and then slowly work your way up to 45-90 minute sessions.

1. Simple Breath Counting Meditation
This meditation has its origins in the Zen tradition. It helps to train your mind to focus on one thing at a time improving concentration and your powers of observation. It calms your mind and lowers stress levels.

1. As you inhale notice the feeling of the breath as it moves through your nostrils.

2. Count ONE as you exhale.

3. Follow step one and step two until you reach exhalation number four.

4. Begin again with step one.

2. Mantra meditation
With this meditation you choose a mantra, which a simple word or sound to repeat while you meditate. The traditional sound for mantra meditation is OM, but you can choose a positive affirmation, such as “I am peace,” or a sacred phrase from your own faith tradition.

Simply repeat your chosen mantra either out loud or silently in your head. Focus your attention on the sound and allow your breathing to fall into a deep, rhythmic pattern. Repeat your mantra for however many minutes you have chosen. Start with just a few minutes and then slowly work your way up to longer meditation sessions.

3. Object gazing meditation

This meditation exercise is done with eyes open with a relaxed but steady gaze at a particular object. You can choose a tree, a flower a candle or whatever stationery object you choose.

Gaze at the object without thinking about the object. When your thoughts begin to wander away gently bring your attention back with no judgment to focus on the object.

So, you see there are all kinds of meditative practices available to you. Try one of these simple practices and set aside a time each morning and/or evening to do your practice. If you can do it in the same place at the same time each day you will find that you are forming a positive habit and soon you will not quite feel yourself when you miss a meditation session.

Reference:
Integrative Meditation: Towards Unity of Mind, Body and Spirit, James Wyche Green, Ph.D. Self Published