Want to try meditation, but not sure it will work for you? Try these 7 simple tips for starting a meditation practice that works for your life…

Meditation can be an extremely valuable practice –  not just for your mental health, but also for your physical health and your relationships as well. However, many people struggle with getting started, and this is often due to one big reason: While you may have a vision of starting a meditation practice where you can have enough free time to sit for hours and have a deeply spiritual experience as you relax in a quiet, peaceful room without distractions and interruptions, reality rarely lives up to these expectations. If you wait for the perfect conditions to start meditating, the unfortunate fact is that you’ll probably never start!

Instead, the best way to start a meditation practice that works for you is to start with what you have, right where you are now. Try to cultivate calm for a small part of your day – even if it’s just 5 minutes – where you can sit and allow your mind to find some inner stillness. Don’t expect to get it perfect, and don’t be hard on yourself when you don’t. But do make it a priority to spend at least a few minutes on your meditation practice every day.

With time, it will get easier, and as this article describes, you will learn to accept and deal with distractions, without allowing them to derail your practice.

Here are 7 helpful strategies for starting a meditation practice that works for you:

1. Schedule: Commit to starting at the same time each day. Routines help you stick with your practice.

2. Comfort: Prioritize how comfortable you feel on your chair, cushion, or mat. If you’re uncomfortable, it will be more difficult to keep going.

3. Posture: If you’re sitting, sit up straight so your lungs can fully expand. If you’re lying down, support your lower back.

4. Kindness: Often when we finally sit down without an agenda, we experience negative thoughts. Notice them and use affirmations to change the tide. Try answering them with, I am worthy of this time. Our brains can hold contradictory thoughts, and you don’t need to fix them.

5. Time: If you have never meditated before, try simply sitting and breathing for two minutes. Use a timer so you’re not constantly checking the clock.

6. Breathe: Take deep breaths that make your belly and chest float in and out. This isn’t how most of us usually breathe, so it will take practice.

7. Sound: If silence isn’t working for you, try using instrumental music or nature sounds. Guided meditations are very helpful and can prompt breathing and imagery.

These simple tips can help anyone get started with meditation – even if you are completely new to the practice, or don’t think it will work for you.

Try following the tips above every time you sit down to meditate, and you’ll find it gets easier and easier each time. You don’t have to be in any specific location or setting – just give yourself a couple of minutes, make sure you’re comfortable, and give it a try! You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how achievable it can be to start a daily meditation practice that works for you.

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