A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation

There are two primary types of meditation, complete with various subtypes: concentration and mindfulness meditation. The chosen practice depends on your unique needs.

Concentration meditation might sound complicated, but the point of it is quite the opposite. It doesn’t involve super-deep thinking, as the name might suggest. Rather, concentration meditation revolves around focusing on a singular object or idea. The principle behind it is to train your mind to go back to that base thought when distractions arise, boosting overall concentration. A few strategies include:

• Mantra - Focus on repeating (aloud or internally) the same word or sound.
• Breathing - Turn your attention to your breath sounds and heartbeat.
• Point of focus - Choose an object such as the flame of a candle or a pen.

Deeper meaning comes from practicing mindfulness meditation. Think of it as appreciating the small things and understanding thought patterns. In this mode of meditation, your goal is to transform your mind and ways of thinking. Take a breath. Notice the sounds of your own body. Observe that you’ve been stressed. Determine thought patterns as predominantly positive or negative.

In mindfulness meditation, you observe the small physical and mental things surrounding you in order to gain self awareness. The important thing here is that this mode of meditation is centered on observation, not overthinking or judgement. So, if you note that you’ve been stressed, don’t ask why or think about how to change it. Let the simple fact wash over you and move on to a new observation.

How you practice meditation is unique to your needs, level of experience and even how much time you have available. One of the first questions to ask yourself is whether to go it alone or follow a program, that is to say unguided or guided meditation. The former allows flexibility in terms of how the session unfolds, while guided meditation is usually with a recording or in-person trainer following a specific path. The rest of the process falls in line with what you want and can feasibly get out of the session, like when and how long to meditate.

Just like time, duration for meditation sessions is a matter of comfort and room in your schedule. Because doing it requires practice to tune out (or tune in, depending on the method) the outside world, pros recommend starting your sessions at about 10 minutes and working up to 20 as time goes on. Try it two or three times a week before eventually integrating the practice into your daily routine.

Meditation is unquestionably good for you, with science backing up the claim. You already know that practicing meditation leads to enhanced concentration and awareness, but practitioners are dedicated to it because of so many other physical and mental benefits. For instance:

• Decreased anxiety
• Improved circulation
• Improved relaxation
• Decreased heart rate
• Increased positivity
• Decreased impulsiveness and better emotional control

What’s not to like? Better focus at work, positive thinking and appreciation for your world all enhance your being. Bonus points: it’s safe and easy to do.