Welcome to part one of your how to meditate guide.
Firstly make sure you are in a safe space free from distractions and noise.
Find a quiet place away from animals,
Children,
The TV or radio.
Make your space a tranquil,
Peaceful environment.
Now bring yourself into a comfortable position.
Make sure you are feeling warm enough.
This may be seated,
If so you may wish to sit on a cushion or bolster to ease your lower back.
If you feel more comfortable laying down come onto your back with your legs flat on the floor or your heels coming in towards your bottom.
Have your hands resting in your lap if you are seated or on your abdomen or down by your side if you lay on the floor.
Once you are comfortable let's ensure your spine is in alignment.
Make sure your spine is straight and your neck is long and the crown of your head reaching towards the ceiling.
Make sure your shoulders are coming away from your ears and your shoulder blades are dropping down your back.
Taking a moment to check you are fully comfortable and there is no sign of discomfort or tension.
If you notice anything simply readjust yourself until you feel fully comfortable.
Now let's bring your focus inwards and start to bring attention to your breath.
If you wish to release your breath a few times to arrive in your meditation space I invite you to take a deep long inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
Breathing up from your belly,
Through your chest,
Your lungs,
Inhaling through the nose and taking a full exhale through the mouth.
Releasing and letting go with each exhale.
Repeat this several times or longer if you're feeling tense or stressed.
When you're ready start to bring your breath back to its normal rhythmic state,
Flowing with ease.
Begin to breathe in through your nose and out through your nose.
This is nasal breathing.
Nasal breathing helps to create emotional balance through calming the central nervous system.
Allow your breath to flow.
Breathing in through the nose and exhaling through the nose.
If you're feeling anxious or need to calm make your exhale longer than your inhale.
Breathing in for two,
Exhaling for four will help to calm and soothe.
If you're feeling lethargic and your mood is maybe low,
Make your inhale longer than the exhale.
So breathing in for four,
Exhaling for two.
This will energize you.
Once you begin to breathe and focus your mind inwards you will probably start to become aware of your thoughts.
That's okay and perfectly normal.
It does not mean you can't meditate.
Simply acknowledge the thoughts,
Observe the content of the thoughts and then let the thought go,
Allowing the thought to float by like a cloud in the sky.
Spend some time practicing this process of releasing your thoughts.
All the time you are inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the nose.
As you breathe bring your awareness and focus to your brow,
The space above your eyebrows.
Continue with these steps and eventually you'll start to feel your mind becomes calmer and your thoughts quieten.
With time and practice it is possible to slip between the thoughts and connect with the place inside you that there is nothing.
No sound,
No movement of peace and space but it's your innate happiness,
Joy and place of peace.
This is the ultimate place to connect with.
However it takes time and practice so please don't give up if you feel you are not connecting with this place.
Just by taking the time to sit and be will ensure a beautiful state of peace and calm which floods into your day and helps to create a relaxation response to help you sleep better at night too.
Meditation can be practiced at any time to suit you.
Start off small,
Even five minutes a day will make a difference.
The recommended daily practice of 20 minutes has incredible evidence benefits.
Given the time you'll find yourself meditating for much longer periods of time.
You'll even ensure you get out of bed earlier in order to do your meditation.
It's my favorite time of the day.
So choose a time that works for you and commit to practicing if not every day at some point in your week and trust me when I say your life will never be the same again.
Life is about to change in a beautiful way.
