Meditation 101

New to meditation? This session gives you all the information you need to get started.

What is meditation?

Meditation is a practice that helps develop attention and awareness.

Cultivating awareness through meditation allows us to live more mindfully and grounds us in the here and now. The aim is to be fully present and engaged with whatever you are doing at that moment in time.

Meditation can also help us to understand and accept thoughts or feelings that happen to us, so we are better able to manage emotional situations.

Meditation is a powerful mental workout that helps us learn to develop calm and insight.

Meditation techniques

Find what mediation techniques work best for you!

Just like any other workout, there are exercises that we enjoy and benefit from more than others. As a beginner to mediation, be open and curious to try different techniques so you can decide which works best for you. .

Awareness

A very popular form of meditation involves letting your mind rest from the thoughts, ideas and emotions that direct our actions and reactions on a daily basis.

The first step in practising meditation is understanding that this mental ‘noise’ comes and goes in an endless loop and the key is to apply the brakes which will allow your mind to settle

Self-observation

“The mind is like water. When it’s turbulent, it’s difficult to see. When it’s calm, everything becomes clear”.
If we pay attention, we notice how our mind constantly jumps from one thought to the next. When practising meditation, it’s important to observe the mind, as if separate from ourselves. Whenever thoughts or emotions come up (which is in every waking moment), simply allow them to pass through like floating clouds.

When we can accept the nature of the mind for what it is, without latching on to a story or judging the thoughts, this allows the muddied waters to settle so we can see more clearly.

Body scan

A useful technique to detach from the mind is connecting with the body. When doing a body scan, start from the head and slowly move down to the toes, stopping to observe all parts of the body as you tune into any physical sensations (heat, tingling, pulsating, discomfort, etc.).

Focusing on the body allows us to bring our attention to what is happening in the present moment. It’s a grounding experience that also cultivates a better body awareness.

Breathing

When the mind is agitated by racing thoughts, our breath tends to become shallow and quick. During states of rest and relaxation, on the other hand, the breath lengthens and deepens.

Just like when we focus our attention on the physical sensations in the body, we can do the same with the breath in order to detach from the mind and its endless chatter. Tuning into the breath as we intentionally lengthen and deepen our inhale/exhale, notice how the mind becomes quiet.

Visualisation

The technique of visualisation takes your attention away from the mind and focuses it on a visual image, which serves as an anchor for calm and quiet.

You could be prompted to imagine your favourite place in the world and picture every detail as clearly as possible: What shapes, lines, colours, shades and textures can you see? Or simply visualise a person or a colour to anchor your focus and calm your mind

Affirmations

For some, words may be more powerful than images or physical sensations. Affirmations are short, positive statements, like “I am calm” or “I am centred” that help direct our attention away from the hamster wheel of thoughts towards a more peaceful state of being.

Using affirmations helps us direct our thoughts towards a particular goal and can give us the motivation we need to keep going.

Loving-kindness

Also known as Metta meditation, the loving-kindness technique promotes goodwill and compassion towards ourselves and others. By tuning into sensations arising from the heart, we focus on the people we love in our lives and send them warmth, well-being and love, without expecting anything in return. Through this technique, observe the sensations that come with radiating this loving-kindness.

Ready to explore different meditation techniques? Give our mindfulness sessions a go!

Why meditate?

It’s scientifically proven to be good for us!

Cultivating awareness through meditation can have a positive effect on our physical and mental wellbeing, from lowering blood pressure and stress levels to increasing focus and self-awareness.

Meditation can help reduce pain.

Meditation has often been used to treat chronic pain. Interestingly, meditation doesn’t actually reduce the physical sensation of pain – it simply changes our perception of it. By training ourselves to detach from thoughts and feelings, meditation practice can help lower the emotional suffering associated with pain.

Studies have even shown that meditation was more effective at reducing pain than morphine!

Meditation keeps the heart healthy

Want to feel the benefits of exercise without lifting a finger? Well, researchers have found that meditation can improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of heart disease. By lowering blood pressure, it decreases the strain on the heart and arteries not only during meditation, but after it too.

Meditation lowers stress levels

Meditation can reduce anxiety by giving us the ability to distance ourselves from thoughts and emotions that cause us anxiety and distress. The more we can observe the mind without letting it take over, the better we are able to manage negative thoughts and emotions.

Studies have also shown that meditation actually reduces the density of brain tissue associated with anxiety and worrying. If you’re looking to reduce stress in everyday life, meditation may be the answer.

Meditation improves sleep

Recent studies have shown that participants who meditate fall asleep sooner and stay asleep longer, compared to those who don’t meditate.

If racing thoughts and insomnia keep you up at night, practising meditation can help you relax and control your thoughts that often interfere with sleep. Before bed, try one of the techniques shared above and help reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, while also improving the overall quality of your rest.

Meditation boosts concentration

New research shows that meditation can also help improve our ability to concentrate in two ways:

Improved focus on the task at hand, whilst ignoring distractions.

Improved awareness of what is happening around us, gives better perspective on the present moment.

There’s also evidence that regular meditation may help fight age-related memory loss.

Meditation increases positivity

Some forms of meditation can lead to an improved self-image and more positive outlook on life.Research that compares electrical activity between the brains of people who practise mindfulness meditation and those who don’t, shows a significant difference in areas related to positive thinking and optimism.

Meditation enhances relationships

Practising meditation not only helps us better understand our own thoughts and feelings, it also develops our ability to pick up on cues about what others may be thinking or feeling.

This increased awareness allows us to better relate to others and their experiences. It also makes us less likely to take things personally and improves our emotional resilience, making it easier to maintain and strengthen our relationships.

Dive into one of our Meditation programmes to start reaping the benefits today!

How to meditate

Mindfulness isn’t difficult, we just need to remember to do it.

Here are some practical tips to get you started. We’ll help guide you on how to prepare, what meditation techniques suit you best and how to end your session.

Time of day

While sunrise and sunset are particularly beautiful moments to practise meditation, the best times are really whenever you’ve got a moment to settle and relax.

Making a habit of meditating at the same time every day, be it once you’ve rolled out of bed or are settling down for the night, consistency and discipline are key.

If you have time to breathe, you have time to meditate, so give yourself this moment.

The setting

You can meditate anywhere, but it is better to choose a quiet and peaceful place, where you won’t be disturbed.

Open the windows to get some fresh air flowing and make sure that the temperature is comfortable, keeping in mind that the body tends to cool down during meditation. If you’re lucky to be surrounded by nature, it’s important that there aren’t too many distractions that will keep you from practice (strong winds, overly bright light, other people, etc.).

Preparation

Before settling down for practice, it’s important that your stomach is settled: too full and you risk falling asleep, whereas feeling hungry can also be a distraction. Try to eat at least 2 hours before meditation, or refuel with a light (healthy) snack.

Doing a few gentle stretches before sitting is a good idea, as well as wearing comfortable, loose clothing. If you wear glasses or a watch, feel free to remove them.

Posture

During meditation, the body should feel relaxed and grounded. Although there’s no set posture for practice, you’ll want to choose a position that you can hold comfortably over a period of time.

Try sitting or kneeling on the ground with a cushion or yoga block to support your hips. Sitting on a stool or chair are also options. Ideally, keep the back straight with your belly drawn gently in. Shoulders are relaxed and the chin tucked slightly inwards to allow the breath to flow more easily. Lay your hands on the knees or thighs and gently close your eyes.

If thinking about posture becomes too much of a distraction, simply focus on being comfortable as you settle down to practice.

The breath

Start by breathing deeply in and out, which helps steady the rhythm of your breath as it calms the mind. After that, let the breath flow naturally during meditation, remembering to keep the belly relaxed throughout.

Taking one conscious breath is already a step in your meditation practice – keep going and be surprised at where it can take you!

Dealing with distractions

Our world is filled with distractions, both internal and external, physical and mental.

When dealing with physical discomfort, do what you need to remove the distraction: If your leg has fallen asleep, simply stretch it out, or if your bottom is sore, stand up or change positions momentarily.

With interfering thoughts, remember to treat them like passing clouds – resist the temptation to latch on to them or judge them as good or bad. Accept the nature of the mind as it is and return to simple observation.

During meditation, there’s no harm in taking a short break when the distractions get too loud. Stand up, stretch, take a sip of water if you need and then return to work with determination and compassion.

Ending your session

If you’re on a schedule, you may want to set an alarm or timer to keep track. As you bring your meditation session to a close, gently come back to awareness of your surroundings and slowly open your eyes.

Before rushing back to the rest of your day, give yourself the time to enjoy the stillness and thank yourself for your efforts. Meditation may not seem very difficult from the outside, but for all of us who’ve really tried it, we know that it’s hard work!

Regular practice

Consistency is key.

With regular practice you will notice over time, the subtle changes in your day to day mood and general outlook on life: your management of emotions, your ability to focus and how you relate to others.

There will be days when you will struggle, and that’s ok. Do your best to observe without placing judgement and cultivate awareness.

Letting go of expectations

It’s normal for many of us to go into meditation with a particular goal in mind. The tricky part of this practice, though, is that attaching too much importance on the outcome actually serves as a distraction.

When we have a goal in mind and we see that we’re not progressing quickly enough or that things aren’t going as planned, frustration and self-doubt can show up.

There’s a beginning to meditation, but there isn’t an end – it’s a lifelong journey! When we pressure ourselves or have expectations, we miss out on the big picture and all the beauty that comes with it. The key is simply to get started and make time for meditation. Letting go of any expectations, you may even find that the journey is smoother and far more pleasant.

Ready to get started?

“One step at a time is all it takes to get you there”. Start your first session today!