Beginner Meditation: 3 Effortless Steps To Get You Started

In 2011, increasing numbers of people would like to master beginner meditation as a means of reducing anxiety and stress, boosting memory and overall health, and accelerating personal growth. The challenge is choosing the best method that does not revolve around a particular religion or culture, and is not complicated to learn.

My beginner meditation method was developed by myself over the past 8 years to be super easy to grasp without being specific to any religion or culture. By the end of this article, you should be in a position to implement the steps immediately, helping you to hit the ground running.

Best time of day

I always get up one hour early in the morning to complete my meditation session. I find that this is actually the most effective time of day, giving me the greatest meditation whilst being fully aware in the moment in time. For me, meditating later in the day or during the night time simply makes me feel drowsy and I tend to go off to sleep… which defeats the objective of the whole exercise.

Position for meditating

The best position for meditating that I have found is actually sitting vertical in a comfy seat with your hands on your lap, palms facing upward. I've tried sitting down on the floor with legs crossed but this tends to make it uncomfortable for my legs and lower back. Being uncomfortable takes your focus away from having an effective session, so don't feel you have to adopt this position to be just like the experts.

Lying down seems really relaxed, however for me the meditation doesn't really feel as deep as it usually does… a lot more like a deep relaxation. The energy flow through your whole body is more effective when you're sitting upright with spine straight. I'll only ever lay down if I feel unwell but don’t want to miss out on that day.

Beginner Meditation Method: 3 Simple Steps

1. The very first action, once you are in a comfortable position, should be to gradually close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Concentrate intently on the middle of your abdomen so that you notice the movements as your diaphragm goes up and falls. Slowly breathe in… and out. Any thoughts which come into your mind are fine. Simply notice them and let them go. Continue concentrating on your breathing for a few minutes.

2. At this point, while you keep on focussing on your breathing, say to yourself (internally) the word "IN" when you inhale and then the word "OUT" as you breathe out. Keep repeating this for several minutes and you'll find yourself getting further and further in meditation as the brain waves slow down even more.

3. Finally, the final step is the counting technique. While you inhale, tell yourself "1" and as you exhale say "1". Then as you inhale again say "2" and as you breathe out say "2". Keep carrying this out until you arrive at the count of 10. When you count, there is no need to say it out loud; saying it internally to yourself is okay.

Generally, by the time you get to the count of 10, you'll be in a really deep meditation. Really allow your self to sink into the peace and quiet that you're encountering. If any thoughts come to mind, simply notice and let them go.

Now a lot of experts will say that 5 or 10 minutes meditation is okay, but I am inclined to disagree. In my opinion, a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes is more preferable. It will take at least 10 minutes simply for your brainwaves to slow down and then you need to stay in that state for another 10 minutes or more to get the full benefit.

Simply accept the fact that you won't be perfect at first… allow yourself a learning curve when you start out with your beginner meditation. It will take some time and practice so you can get truly good at it.