Meditation is Scary

Is meditation scary to you? I bet it’s because meditation is not what you think it is.

Yes, meditating can be sitting in a room by yourself, cross-legged, eyes closed, for hours on end.

But who has time for that anymore and meditation is so much more than that!

And there are ways to make it accessible for yourself as a beginner.

Many meditation strategies use the breath to start. It’s always there and provides a nice anchor point for beginning to train your mind to pay attention, which is the first stage of meditation.

And yes, you literally have to ‘train your mind’ at the beginning. You can do it and you can even enjoy the process – keep it short and simple with my tips below.

Meditation Strategies for Newbies:

1. Do square breathing:

Inhale to a count of 1, 2, 3, 4, hold for 1, 2, 3, 4, exhale 1, 2, 3, 4, hold 1, 2, 3, 4. Or use a count that works for you but keep the breath even. Two minutes, go!

2. Connect to your belly breath.

Sit or lie down – again, anywhere. The location and position do not matter. Place your palms on your belly. Feel your breath move in and out through the palms. Every time you notice your mind wander, gently bring your attention back to the sensation in your palms. Two minutes. You can do it.

3. Count your breaths:

Starting at 11, count backwards (the count happens quietly in your mind). Inhale, 11, exhale, 11; inhale 10, exhale 10 and so on. If your mind wanders (as it is built to do), don’t fuss, don’t judge…simply start your count again at 11. Two minutes, gently focus on the count.

4. Breathe out for longer.

Extend your exhale twice the length of your inhale. Inhale 1, 2, 3, exhale, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Repeat for two minutes. You’ve got this.

5. Use an app or videos.

NO, this is not shameful. NO, this is not cheating on meditating. Literally millions of people use meditation apps and videos every single day because they work. They provide structure, guidance, and support and we can all use more of those things! You can find meditation videos on our YouTube channel and while we don’t have an app yet a simple search will result in many choices.

Don’t get caught up in the how of meditating, just do it.

You CANNOT DO IT WRONG.

Just start!

Get to know your mind. Extend the time as you get more comfortable being with your crafty little mind.

Start small and remember this handy little phrase to keep your meditation practice going: a little and often!

You can meditate and you can start today! Leave me a comment and let me know which strategy you tried and how it went, I look forward to hearing from you.

Much love,
Angie