This post was originally published back in 2019; however, given the toll the pandemic has taken on our collective mental health, I think it’s worth a refresh.

Meditation offers a number of benefits that we need now more than ever: it can help us become more mindful and aware in the moment; it helps reduce stress and anxiety; it improves blood flow to the brain and makes it age more slowly; it can help improve your relationships with the people around you; and it can even help you sleep more soundly.

For me, I know that I feel calmer after even a few minutes of meditation, and my brain no longer tries to run a mile a minute while I’m sitting still. That by itself makes the process worth it for me. If you’re interested in trying out meditation, here are a few tips to help you get started.

Get Comfy

Choose a position that you can comfortably remain in for the duration of your meditation. This can be cross-legged, seiza (aka thunderbolt pose, aka vajrasana), lotus pose, lying down on your back or even sitting in a chair. The important thing is that you are comfortable enough to focus on the task at hand, but not so comfortable that you run the risk of drifting off to sleep or slouching into poor posture.

As for what to wear, the answer is kind of “whatever you want.” I say “kind of” because you ideally won’t wear things that are restrictive, like a tight belt, tie or shoes. So yeah, don’t meditate in a 3-piece suit I guess.

Start Small

The thought of sitting still and doing nothing for 30 minutes is more than most people can stomach, and often puts people off the idea of meditating before they even begin. Let me tell you a little secret though:

You don’t have to meditate for 30 min at a time to benefit from the process.

There, I said it. Consistency is way more important than duration in terms of how long you meditate for. I meditate for only 5 minutes a day, and I still feel amazing after. Of course, you can work your way up to 30 min at a time if you want… I’m just saying you don’t need to.

Set a Timer

The goal of meditation is to focus on your breathing, and nothing else. If you’re constantly checking a clock to see how long it’s been, you’re defeating the purpose of your meditation. Just use your phone’s timer and set it to however long you’d like to meditate for (may I suggest 5 min if you’re just starting out?).

Minimize Distractions

Trust me when I say that you’ll have enough distractions going on in your own mind, without having to worry about external factors on top of it all. Try and find a place with minimal background noise so that you can really focus and sink into your meditation.

Got all these things planned out? Awesome! Time to get down to business.

How to Meditate

Different resources will offer up different flavours of advice, but it ultimately comes down to this: your focus during meditation is on your breathing.

That’s it.

You can choose to leave your eyes fully open, half-open, or closed (my preference). You can breathe normally, or take deeper, more controlled breaths (also my preference). You can chant something, or you can just be quiet (yep, this is my reco).

Whatever you choose, be prepared for your mind to wander… because it definitely, 100% will. The lives we live are just too fast-paced today, and what happens when you meditate is that you start to become aware of just how fast your mind tries to race at a given moment. It’s disturbing at first… but it’s completely normal.

When that happens, gently bring your focus away from the train of thought and back to your breathing. Your mind will wander again, and attempt to hop aboard another train of thought. Again, gently pull it back to focus on your breathe. Don’t be hard on yourself, and don’t let the wandering get you down.

Think of it this way: by focusing on your breathing, you’re building an internal muscle: your focus. Every time your mind wanders and you bring it back, you flex that muscle. Over time, your mind will start to wander less often, and you’ll be able to more quickly recognize it when it happens. This is your focus muscle getting stronger and stronger.

Carrying the Benefits Beyond Meditation

One of the main goals of mindfulness is to improve your ability to be aware and present in the moment. You can make this process easier by remembering that this awareness and presence can and should extend beyond just when you’re meditating. So next time you’re with your family, significant other or group of friends, try to flex that focus muscle some more.

This time though, focus on listening to what others are saying and being present in that moment. If you notice your mind wandering to other areas of your life, gently bring it back, just like you would when you’re meditating.

Wrapping it Up

Meditation isn’t a silver bullet to cure all your life’s woes and concerns. When practiced regularly though, it can offer a host of subtle, yet powerful benefits that work together to improve your overall well-being and quality of life.

If you want to check out some other resources on meditation, I highly recommend these pages:

• Meditation for Beginners: Headspace Blog
• Everything you Need to Start Meditating: A Life of Productivity Blog

Do you have any other meditation tips you’d like to share? Share some advice with us in the comments section!