How to Begin a Meditation Practice as a Beginner
When beginning a meditation practice, you must start small, be patient with the process, and let go of perfectionism.
Mindset Pitfalls to Look Out for When Starting a Meditation Practice:
I see a few mistakes people make when starting on a meditation journey.
First, they expect it to be seamless, perfect, and consistent immediately.
There is no such thing as a perfect, seamless meditation practice, let alone any practice. When you approach anything new with this mindset, you’re unfortunately setting yourself up for disappointment because you’re making the expectation too unattainable.
You must leave room for the fluid unfolding of the journey and inevitable setbacks. Change takes time, and building any type of new practice, habit, routine, or behavior requires flexibility throughout the process.
Let go of the expectation of perfection. Seeking perfection is a recipe for staying stuck because the second it doesn’t feel “perfect,” you’re likely to discard it entirely.
It’s better to let it be messy, let yourself be a beginner, make mistakes, and learn. A little bit goes a long way.
The second mindset pitfall I see is a misunderstanding of what meditation is.
Many people think it’s about clearing their minds of thoughts. While this can result from the practice, it’s not necessarily its objective.
There are many different forms of meditation. Hiking in nature, swimming in the ocean, petting your dog, or staring into your newborn baby’s eyes are all forms of meditation. Taking a yoga class, singing, dancing, or sitting and breathing are all different types of meditation. Each is as valid and effective as the other.
For this blog post, I will focus on the definition of meditation in the context of the more traditional practice of sitting and breathing. In this example, the simplest understanding of meditation is turning your attention to one singular thing, such as your breath, a mantra, or the flicker of a candle flame.
While focusing your attention there, the mind will inevitably wander. That’s just what the mind does. When that happens, you practice bringing your attention back. The practice of meditation is precisely this. When your mind wanders, which it will, you bring your focus back to your breath, the mantra, or whatever you’ve chosen to focus on.
If you make the objective to clear your mind of thoughts, you create more mind and thoughts. Instead, when the thoughts arise, you shift your attention away.
A Simple 2-Minute Meditation to Practice Today
This is a simple 2-minute meditation exercise you can begin practicing today.
In Summary:
Whatever your goal is, leave room for the natural growing process. Instead of expecting it to be perfect, flawless, and linear, meet yourself where you are each step of the way. Practice being okay with yourself exactly where you are.
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