For those who have never tried spiritual meditation in the past, it may be difficult to grasp just how many benefits can come with this exercise. Meditation has been around for thousands of years and has been valued for this long simply because it works—it can truly change your body, your mind, your soul and your entire life if you are open to it. However, one of the main reasons that people fail to get started with spiritual meditation is simply that they don’t know how to start doing it.

You’re probably wondering what spiritual meditation is… Spiritual meditation allows you to discover the depths of who you are.

If you are interested in experiencing some of the great benefits of meditation but aren’t sure where to begin, then these tips can help you get started and help you understand not only some of the benefits that you will start seeing with regular meditation, but understand how to get started with this practice and how to make it part of your regular routine so you can truly start to see how it can change you.

 

Understanding the Benefits of Spiritual Meditation

Before you get started with your practice, it is important to really understand what the benefits of meditation are, or in short, why you are doing this practice each and every day. The more you understand the why of meditation the easier it will be to stay focused and dedicated to the artform and to really work at making it a component of your regular routine.

Meditating should be part of your daily ritual just like brushing your teeth. You brush your teeth daily, or even multiple time per day, because just brushing your teeth once wouldn’t really do anything for you. The same mindset should apply to meditation. You need to do it regularly in order to get the results.

So, what type of results can you expect? Well the reason that meditation is so popular and the reason it has been so popular for so long is because it can truly touch virtually every component of your life. Some of the proven benefits include:

• Reduces stress
• Helps with focus and concentration
• Promotes better sleep
• Improves circulation
• Increases self-awareness
• Promotes happiness
• Helps with anxiety
• Regulates mood
• Slows down aging
• Boosts immune health
• Helps with memory
• Promotes better decision-making stills
• Increases emotional strength

These are just a few of the may scientific benefits behind meditation that can change your life for the better. So, now that you know why you should be meditating, it is time to learn how to get started.

Getting Started With Basic Meditation Techniques

There are two main components of meditation that every beginner needs to focus on—breathing and relaxation. All you need to do is to focus on these basic elements of meditation, find a comfortable, quiet place to practice and dedicate just 10-15 minutes of your time. Then, this is how you go through your first meditation practice.

1. Find your quiet meditation place. You need to find a place where you won’t be disturbed and where you can sit in silence without interruptions. As many busy people know, this is often more difficult than it seems. Once you find your place, you need to get in a comfortable position where you won’t be fidgeting or moving a lot to get comfortable. You don’t need to sit cross-legged on the floor, like many people think, but you can if you like. You need to clear your mind. How do you clear you mind?

You can sit on a chair, you can lay down, you just need to be in a stable position and put your palms in a place where they are facing the sky.

2. Become present in the moment. Meditation is all about being mindful of where you are in the world and becoming present in the moment and in what is going on around you. You need to become totally aware of where you are and of your surroundings to be truly present in the moment. This can take some practice your first few times, but here’s how you can do it.
   • Keep your eyes closed and take a deep breath in.
   • Pay attention to what you hear around you. What do you hear? What do you smell? What are you touching as you are in your meditative pose?
   • Think about how it feels to sit? Do you feel tension in your body? Where is this tension?

Doing simple things like this will really put you present in the moment so that you can take advantage of this time you have to yourself.

3. Breathing is the single most important part of meditation, and it is essential that you learn to focus on your breath if you want to make the most of your practice. Take in long, deep breaths. Follow your breath with your mind. Imagine it flowing through your body, out through your lungs and through your nostrils. The more focused you can stay on your breath, the better. Imagine your breaths as being deep, cleansing and restorative breaths that help you breathe in the good around you and breathe out the negative in your life.

As you continue to get used to your breath, you can try concentrating on a mantra or positive thought, word or affirmation. You can also try humming “Om” as you breathe out to keep with your practice.

 

From there you just need to repeat this process as much as you can. Start small. If you can’t stay still and focus for 10 whole minutes, then start with 5 and work your way up. The more you practice the easier it will be.

Making Meditation Part of Your Routine

The best way to get the most benefits out of meditation is to make your practice part of your regular routine. Make it part of your morning, lunchtime or evening routine—it doesn’t matter as long as you take the time to do it every day. The more you get used to it, the more you will find you day just doesn’t feel as balanced, relaxed or complete when you don’t meditate.

Can you meditate at home?  Of course you can meditate at home you simply have to sit on a cushion and close your eyes. Make sure you focus on your breath.

Add it into your schedule. Meditate in the morning. Do it in the car in the parking lot before work or give yourself time before you make dinner. No matter when you find time to meditate, frequency and repetition is key.