MEDITATION FOR BEGINNING

Ready to give this a go? Okay great! Head on down to your nearest Monks-are-us, grab
a few robes, and then head over to the barbershop for a quick head shaving. Kidding!
There’s not a single thing you need to have to start other than your brain. If you’re reading
this right now, chances are good you still have it.

To start, pick a time in your day you can regularly designate as time to meditate. It
should be a time you can find a quiet place, without distraction or interruption.

As a beginner, you don’t need to meditate for long. Just five minutes a day is a great place to
start. Too much? Try TWO minutes. The important part is the building of the daily habit.
Before we begin, I wanted to give a shoutout to both Calm.com and Headspace. These
websites and their apps can help guide you through meditation as a beginner, and come
recommended from some Nerd Fitness Team Members.

The meditation practice I’m going to describe for you below is a basic mindfulness
practice. There are many different styles of meditation, but every style of meditation is about
cultivating attention and awareness, or learning to be in the present moment without grasping.
Be sure to set a timer before you begin.

1. Find a place to sit that allows your back to be in an upright position. You don’t need
to sit cross legged, but you can if you wish. A chair or sitting against a wall also works
well. Feel free to use a cushion under your bottom to help your posture and make
yourself more comfortable. The goal is a posture that helps you stay alert, but is still
comfortable. You can meditate with your eyes open or closed.
2. As you begin, take several deep, slow breaths to gather concentration. Inhale
deeply, filling your lungs to the brim. Then slowly exhale. Follow your breath carefully
with your attention through this process.
3. After a few breaths, or when you feel your concentration has settled, begin to
breathe naturally. Notice the breath at a specific point, most commonly with the rising
and falling of the chest, at your nostrils, or at your abdomen. Don’t force it. Don’t glue
your attention there. Simply allow your breath to come and go naturally, following it as
it naturally unfolds.
4. When you get lost in thought, simply return your attention back to the
breath. Bringing your attention back to the breath is a central part of the process –
think about it like performing a repetition. Each time you do this you are rewiring your
brain – no different from doing a repetition in strength training. So, don’t feel guilty or
beat yourself up. You can’t control when you get distracted. But then magically, each
time you realize you are distracted and you “wake up” – at this point, just return to the
breath!

This is where we recommend most beginners start – a broad and basic breath concentration
practice. Think about this no differently than starting with just the bar before adding weight,
when learning to squat.

Beginners often find it difficult to stay aware when thoughts arise, and find themselves
noticing they have been thinking only after being lost in thoughts for several minutes.
This is normal! However, some people will have such a busy, restless mind that action
outside of meditation is first necessary: a focus on lifestyle changes, ethical action,
relationships, therapy, medication, etc.

If you are interested in meditation I would encourage you to think about what you want out of
it, and THE find a complete teaching. Teachers in person are preferred, but there are many
great books out there to help you get started.

And if the above sounds intimidating, start with a guided meditation. Guided meditation are
great to incorporate into anyone’s meditation practice, and certainly when the mind is
especially restless.

 UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center – Simple and effective mindfulness guided
practice.
 Ohio University guided meditations – a variety of styles to try.
 UC San Diego’s Center for Mindfulness – a list of long and short guided meditations.
 A compilation mostly mindfulness audio and guided meditations.
 Doctor Who fans might enjoy Dalek’s Relaxation for Humans, although I cant comment
on its effectiveness.