Chances are slim that you will become a truly enlightened being through meditation alone, though that should not stop you from trying. Meditation is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself that can help you grow. Millions of people do it every day. It is also completely free to do and pretty easy to get started.
Continuing your meditation practice is the hardest part of mediating, and the longer you do it, the more problems you will run into. If you are interested in receiving the benefits of meditation for yourself or you are already on board and you are looking for some ways to improve, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some of my favorite tips and tricks to boost the benefits of your meditation practice.
Start Short And Sweet
When you think of meditating, you probably picture someone sitting, legs crossed, eyes closed on a fancy pillow for hours upon hours, gazing into themselves and the infinite. That may be something you can strive towards, but it is far from necessary to receive the benefits of mediation practice.
Start out with a small goal. Say, two minutes. That’s right. Anyone can sit still for two minutes. If you’ve found that sitting for an hour, half an hour, or even ten minutes is just two frustrating, go back to the start. Set a timer and get good at sitting for two minutes. Once that feels good. Try three. There is no rush to the top because there is no top to mediation.
Meditate First Thing In The Morning
It is super easy to get swept up in the action of the day, with the good intention of mediating. Time and time again, the workload never ceases and the days come and go. All without you meditating. There is a simple solution. Carve out some time, first thing in the morning. Before you brush your teeth if you have to. Get out of bed and take a seat, or even lay in bed, and get to it.
By getting it out of the way first thing, it won’t constantly be getting shoved to the end of your list of priorities. And, you may find it easier to meditate first thing in the morning without the baggage of the day clouding your mind. This way, you also get the benefits of mediation right at the start. You’ll think more clearly, be more patient and the weight of the day’s tasks might seem a little lighter
Or Meditate Right Before Bed
Everyone’s rhythm is different and if you find yourself drifting back into sleep when you meditate first thing in the morning, maybe practice after you’ve had your coffee. Or, switch to a pre-bedtime routine. Whether you’re a night owl or not, the night might just be a better time for your mind. Right before bed, works just as well for some.
The day is over, the wind-down has begun and there is nothing but a bed, sleep, and meditation. This practice can also give you the added bonus of relaxing the body and mind and preparing you for sleep. It gives you a buffer of sorts, a disconnect from the world, that you can really lean into – given that bedtime is right around the corner.
Be Kind To Yourself, You’re Doing The It Right
If you’re doing it at all, you’re meditating correctly. Don’t beat yourself up if you can seem to make it past the ten-minute mark, or even the two-minute mark. You will if you are kind to yourself and you keep trying. One of the best feelings that you will get from a solid mediation practice, is the feeling of improvement.
When you do get past that two-minute mark it is just as much of a reward as getting past ten. You are doing something good for yourself, and by extension, good for the world. So be nice to you. Meditation can be frustrating. It’s not your fault that you were born with a finicky human body with a distracted human mind. Remember, every single time you sit down, you are improving, whether it feels like it or not.
Grow Slowly
Hey, this isn’t a tip to improve my mediation instantly! it is, though. You can watch the grass grow all day and you won’t be able to tell the difference. But, let the grass do its thing, safe in the knowledge that it will indeed grow with light and water, and when you come back a few days later, it will need to be cut.
Mediation grows with you slowly. Sure, you will see some benefits almost straight away, but pressuring yourself with constant goal setting and wishes for improvement will only slow you down. It’s just like staring at the grass.
Knowing this will make your meditation easier, as you are safe in the knowledge that you are growing, whether you can see it or not. Cut yourself some slack.
Sit How You Want To Sit
Again, we return to the image of the guru on their cushion, legs folded with feet atop the thighs, fingers making rings on top of the knees. This is not a requirement for getting started. If you find that sitting on the floor, on a mat, or even on a cushion causes you pain and discomfort, it is going to be difficult to get anywhere with your practice.
As a beginner, you should make it as easy on your body and mind as you can. So sit in a chair, or on the sofa, or lay down if you have to (just watch out for the sandman). Keep your back as straight as you can and you’re hands on your lap or at your sides.
That’s it. Now meditate. Having some good posture, like a straight back, can help with your focus, but again, it’s not entirely necessary. You may find that by sitting in a chair, a daily practice will also help you limber and strengthen some muscles that will make it easier to sit for longer, and eventually, sit on the ground or on a cushion.
There are a plethora of cushions and mats and stools available for purchase that can help you find a comfortable way to sit.
Stretch Beforehand For Added Comfort
Once you’ve gotten into the flow of meditation and become more aware of your body, you may begin to feel discomfort. Sometimes, a lot of discomfort. You might not realize just how tight your muscles are until you sit and become aware.
Going through some simple stretches can help to loosen up those sore spots by activating the muscles and increasing blood flow to the problem areas. Adding a bit of flexibility can help you sit more comfortably and for longer.
A lot of people need to focus on areas around the pelvis, the thighs, the lower back, and the neck and shoulders. It really can add to the relaxing effects of your meditation when you are loosened up before you get to work.
Try Guided Meditation And Apps
There are a bunch of these and more coming out all the time. There is something for everyone out there, so if you find that you need a little motivation, a little guidance, you might be pleased with some guided meditation. Guided meditation can be a great set of training wheels for those of us just starting mediation, but it can also be a useful tool that practitioners use in the long run.
Most apps offer some sort of free trial and have pretty minimal fees for a subscription-based service. This article shows off some of the most popular apps on the market right now.
I’ve personally used a few guided meditation Apps for about 6 years now and I love them so much. However, my absolute favorite one is the Waking Up App by Sam Harris. I am not sponsored nor affiliated in any way to say this! I just love that App so much —I clocked in over a thousand hours in it. Would highly recommend it to anyone with no prior experience in meditation, as it’s a great place to start.
There are also free resources available online. There is a treasure trove of guided meditation videos on youtube, like this one from Boho Beautiful that are available for free. And if that one isn’t your style there are hundreds of other options to dig through.
Make It Part Of A Daily Routine
Behind many successful people, there is a strict, daily meditation routine. Making meditation part of your daily routine is one of the best things you can do to strengthen your ability to meditate and to really get the most benefits from the practice.
Sitting down and closing your eyes at around the same time every day gives you not only better quality meditation, but a better ability to stick with it.
Once you’ve made it a habit, the day doesn’t feel right without it and you are less likely to skip or miss it. But, it is important to remember a previous tip. Be kind to yourself and don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. So what, big whoop, you missed a day. Start again tomorrow.
Don’t Worry About Style Too Much
When you’re starting out, it is important not to overcomplicate things. There are a lot of different methods to meditate, but that doesn’t mean you need to try them all right away. First things first, you should be focusing on routine, repetition, and getting used to sitting.
Once you are confident in your abilities to meditate past the 10-minute mark, you might consider looking into the many different styles of meditation. But, if you are content with your method and you don’t feel the need to change, don’t worry about it. If that is the case, it would seem that you’ve already found a style that works for you.
Use Aromatherapy
Lighting a stick of incense and letting the fragrant smoke fill your meditation space feels ancient and mystical, and it might just help you in your meditation. Scented candles, essential oil diffusers, incense sticks, and cones are all ways for you to bring aromatherapy into your practice.
Not only does it smell great but the aroma gives you something to fall back on when you find yourself losing focus. When you come back to your breath you have the scent as a calming marker. It can make your breathing fuller, richer, and more tenable.
Come Back To The Breath
Your mind will want to wander. You don’t want to fight against it, just observe it, but let it wander too far and wide and you are no longer meditating, but ruminating on the past, present, or future.
When you become aware that you’ve drifted off and your mind is thinking about what it wants for dinner, or what chores you still need to get done, just remember the breath.
Focus back on your inhalations and exhalations, letting your thoughts cover the entirety of the breath. This way, you’re not fighting a ceaseless battle against your mind’s wanderings, but gently coaxing it back to the breath and the calm focus of meditation.
Do A Full Body Scan
For some, following the flow of the breath can actually cause a bit of anxiety. Something to remember is that you never need to be tied to one method. So, for another refocusing technique, you can practice doing a full-body scan.
Start on one end, either the tips of your toes or the top of your head and just scan your body with your mind. Feel the spots where tension resides, where the soreness and aches are, feel hot and cold, and feel the tingling from a foot falling asleep.
Feel it, note it, and use those sensations to focus your mind. When you feel your mind once again wandering into the dark forest, coax it back by performing a body scan.
Recognize What Appears
A lot of people have this idea that the point of meditation is to clear your mind so that there is nothing inside. Just a blank, darkness. This is just an oversimplification of the goals of meditation, if there are any to begin with.
No matter how long you practice meditation, no matter how good you are at the practice, thoughts, emotions, and feelings are going to creep into your mind’s eye while you sit.
You don’t need to force these things out of your mind as if you are shooing a fly from the room. You only need to recognize these feelings, note them, and watch them as they go on their merry way.
By recognizing these intrusive thoughts, we’ll find that oftentimes, they dissolve and disappear just as quickly as they came when you recognize them for what they are. Only thoughts.
Find Your Meditation Place
In your office, on the bedroom floor, in the backyard, maybe even in a closet. You should be able to find someplace in your home, or nearby where you can expect regular peace and quiet in which to meditate.
It should be somewhere where you can sit comfortably and undisturbed, by spouses, children, or animals. Preferably, for your own sake, somewhere with a door. When you sit in this place, it should feel natural, and familiar.
You don’t need to completely shut out the world either. So, if there are sounds that creep in from the outside world, you don’t need to worry. Traffic, birds chirping, and dogs barking are going to be heard, and that’s ok. Just like errant thoughts and feelings, observe the sounds as they come and watch them go.
Make That Place Your Own
Once you’ve found your spot, make it your own. If you make sure the area is prepped with your meditation supplies you will be able to better stick to a routine.
If you can have a place in your home or room where you keep your chair, cushion or mat you can add other tools like your incense or diffuser, and blankets and cushions for uncomfortable days, maybe a speaker for guided meditations or music.
Keep the space neat and tidy, as if it were a space that was sacred to you. Make that place off limits to the others in the house. It’s your space.
Eat The Right Stuff
Try to avoid food and beverage that can affect you in ways that can make the practice difficult. High sugar, and high carbohydrate foods can make you feel sluggish and tired, and sometimes when we meditate when sluggish and tired, we fall asleep.
If you’ve got a particularly active mind, you might need to avoid caffeine and other stimulating foods before you’ve had your meditation. And definitely avoid alcohol. Unless your goal is to fall asleep sitting up.
By cleaning up your diet you’ll make it easier for your mind to stay focused. If your mind has a wanderlust of its own when you try to sit, making some healthy additions and subtractions to your diet can go a long way to achieving better meditation.
Try Different Methods
Once you’ve got the basics down, you may seem to plateau, finding it harder to move onward with your meditation practice. Now, you might need to change things up.
There are a bunch of different styles and techniques for meditating, and you might need some trial and error to find what works for you. My absolute favorite —mindfulness meditation ( also known as Vipassana or Insight) and Transcendental meditation are two of the most popular and effective methods. You could also try walking meditation, yoga or movement meditation, loving-kindness, Buddhist, spiritual, or even mantra meditation.
This article goes deep on 23 different types of meditation, so you can find something that resonates with you.
Take A Class
Meditation classes have become increasingly popular and there should be at least one near you. Most likely there are dozens nearby that you can attend. Some of them are free, community-minded events while others can be big, and expensive, weeks-long retreats.
If you are having a hard time figuring out ways to improve, or even how to get started, classes can be an excellent way to learn. And, just like with guided meditations, Youtube has trainers and classes available for free for those willing to search them out. Simply searching “Meditation Class” garners hundreds of results.
Let Your Mind Wander
Seems counter-intuitive doesn’t it? You’ve tried returning to the anchor of your breath. You’ve tried scanning your body, over and over to no avail. Somedays you may find your mind exceptionally unruly and wanting nothing but to wander.
Let it. Let your mind wander far and wide, and watch what it does. Recognize the memories and sensations that float to the surface and observe them as they come and go. There’s nothing wrong with this at all.
Giving in to the wandering mind, and stopping the uphill battle against its unwillingness to focus, can be a great focus in itself.
Try A New Place
Variety is the spice of life. If you feel that your meditation has gotten stagnant, a change of scenery can be just the thing you need to break out of a rut. It might be a different chair or cushion, or a trip to the backyard. It could be a bench at the park or off the trail of a local hiking path.
Wherever you can find another peaceful spot where you can sit somewhat comfortably. The new subtle sounds, the different smells, and textures, a gentle breeze,— they might be just what you need to gather a bit of inspiration. Though you are sitting still with your eyes closed, a little variation can help to build your mental flexibility and instill a little motivation to a dull practice.
Remember Why You Meditate
Is it to fight depression and anxiety? Does it make you more productive in your life and your work? Does meditation help you deal with grief, loss, pain, heartbreak, or illness? When you are finding it hard to focus, or hard to meditate at all, keep in mind the purpose that drove you to meditate in the first place.
Something made you want to try it. Hold on to that memory and that purpose and recall how meditation has helped you when you feel that you are in a slump.
Journal Your Journey
Write down your experience after you meditate. Jot down the length of time you spent meditating, what method you used and how you felt before, during, and after. This can help us to make more sense of what we learn as we develop in our meditations. And, by keeping track of the good, the bad, and the neutral, we can see how far we’ve come.
Feel And Accept Your Emotions
It isn’t just errant thoughts that can crop up during a meditation session. Raw feelings and emotions can sprout up as well. They are sense memories, and just like memories of our past and the worries of our futures, they can drift in and out of your consciousness as you meditate. And you treat them just the same.
If you feel a strong sad feeling, let it wash over you and observe it without judgment. It could be anxiety, lust, fear, or happiness. Just the same, let the feeling be there and just watch what it does. Eventually, it too will dissipate and you will have grown for watching it.
Finish Slowly
If you time yourself or you are following a guided meditation, it will eventually end. But, once that buzzer goes off or that teacher stops talking, you don’t need to snap out of it, bolt to your feet, and rush off to start your day. Let yourself come out of it slowly, as if you are waking up. If you were to bolt out of bed and sprint out of the room when your alarm goes off in the morning, you are starting your day in a stress-filled place.
It is the same with meditation. Even after your timer goes off, sit there in that moment. You don’t need to try, you don’t need to focus. Just let yourself come out of that place. Open your eyes nice and slow. Sit there with your eyes open and bask a bit in the calmness you’ve created. You’ve earned it.
Picture A Smile Inside Your Mind
This tip sounds silly. And it is. That’s the point. If you find yourself struggling particularly hard with a session, this is a trick that can ground your focus in a positive place. It’s really simple. In your mind’s eye, focus on picturing a smile.
It can be your own smile, someone else’s smile, or even just the idea of a smile. If you focus, and you try, it is near impossible not to feel a spark of positivity and you may find yourself smiling on the outside as well.
Choosing the Right Tricks For Your Meditation
What works for someone else, might not be what works for you. When you are looking to improve your own meditative abilities, everything you try is beneficial to your learning. Whether it works for you or not. So give any of these a try, and see what sticks.
The longer you can sit and the more disciplined your routine, the more benefits you will gain from the practice. Now that you’ve got a lot of new tips and tricks to try out, so go meditate.
