Meditation: Not Just For Hippies Anymore

Getting Started With Meditation

Many people want to meditate but fear not doing it properly.
I’m here to tell you the truth.

There is no right or wrong way to meditate.

There are many types of meditating, but all of them, at their core, are using the mind to focus on one thing to bring stillness to the mental processes.

Let’s break this down.

Using the mind to focus

We all have focus. Sure some have more than others, but if you need to, you can focus. When you are just getting started your focus may be weak. That’s ok! It’s called a practice for a reason :)

Bringing Stillness

If you want to slow down your thinking, do you think that thinking more will stop your thinking?? I said think a lot there :)
Probably not. In meditation we have a point of focus (or drishti for you yogis out there). The purpose of our drishti is to actively not think. Sure thoughts will still arise, and your focus will slip, but when you are focused on your drishti, you will actively be not thinking. This practice is what leads to the internal stillness over time.

Now that we have eliminated whatever blocks you have regarding meditation (hopefully), give me three minutes of your time and I will CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Why should I meditate??

Meditation has been proven to provide a host of positive benefits. You don’t have to become a monk, practicing once a week brings positive impact.

Here are some of the things you can expect.

Reduced stress
Improved Concentration
Increased Happiness
Increased Self-awareness
Increased Acceptance of Self/Others
Slows Aging
Increases Cardiovascular and Immune Health

What?!?! Sitting down and thinking about nothing can do all of these things!?!?
Yes… it really can.

So how do I get started?

Fortunately for you there are a TON of resources available.

There are wonderful apps like Headspace and Calm.

Most yoga studios or Buddhist monasteries offer inexpensive or free classes.

Here are three guides that you can read to learn more and to begin your practice.
How to start a Meditation practice: A Guide for beginners
Guide: Everything you need to start meditating
A guide to Meditation for the rest of us

For those of you desiring a more radical start, or for those that have an established practice, consider doing a 10 day vipassana retreat.

They are free and WILL change your life.

What can I expect?
If you have never meditated before I can almost guarantee that you will get frustrated at first.
We all have different ideas of what meditating will be like but most of us carry a notion that our mind is supposed to be quiet…

That is the destination, not the starting point folks.

When you first start meditating your mind may seem to become noisier.
No, your mind is not trolling you. This is the byproduct of really tuning in instead of the normal habit of disregarding the majority of our sensations.

Have faith, with practice the mind will slow down and you will eventually find stillness.

Are there any negative side effects?
Not really ...
For some people, meditation can be refuge from the real world. If you are an individual with addictive personality traits and tend to hide from your problems instead of facing them, be mindful of this. If you are meditating for 8 hours a day (and you’re not living at a monastery) maybe consider toning it back a bit.

A wonderful quote by Alan Watts “If you can’t meditate in a boiler room, you can’t meditate”.

The goal of meditation is to cultivate a stillness that we can bring with us into our daily lives, not retreat from our daily lives into a fragile peace that cannot stand up to the trials and tribulations of living.

When getting started try meditating one to two times per week for 5-10 minutes. Start with something that seems way too easy, and build your practice over time.

It’s not a race folks, the “cushion” will always be there.

I hope this has helped educate you and motivate you to start meditating or pick it up again where you left off. If you have any questions post them in the comments here and I will do my best to answer them. Namaste Mother Fuckers