How To Meditate 101: A Guide For Beginners

Since you’re reading this, I assume you’ve heard all the profound and life-changing benefits gained from a daily meditation practice. Such as never having to worry about neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or dementia, and be able to retain a strong memory in old age.  Not to mention the self-awareness it creates, and the ability to dramatically reduce anxiety from one’s life. It can also increase pain tolerance, fight addiction, improve sleep, and overall promote emotional and physical health. Plus we’ve all heard of that enigmatic and ineffable word people tend to throw around called “enlightenment”. This guide is intended for someone interested in starting out on the journey of self-discovery. I will teach you everything you need to know to get started in the easiest and most efficient way possible. Not going to lie, though, building a dedicated daily meditation practice is going to take work and commitment. But, in the end, it’s SOOOOOOO worth it.

Science has proven beyond a doubt there is such a ridiculous amount of benefits to meditation it’s bizarre it is not taught in schools

Well, first off, I’m going to save you a whole bunch of time breaking rocks with your teeth and introduce you to something called Binaural Beats. Ya, see mediation works because through practicing meditation techniques, one alters the brainwaves in their mind. There’s Alph, Beta, Gamma, Infra-Low, and Delta that all criss-cross in your daily life to create how you react to the environment around you. Infra-Low really isn’t understood by science yet but seems to have something to do with the overall functioning of the brain. Delta Waves generate during deep meditation and dreamless sleep. It’s strongly linked to the subconscious mind. Alpha is a relaxed state of mind where you think clearly in an even flow. It is our sense of the present moment and self-awareness. Theta is associated with sleep, dreaming, imagination, vivid imagery, and memories. Beta is our everyday hustle and bustle brainwaves. It is our conscious awareness and decision making. Analyzing and solving problems. Stress and anxiety come from Beta Waves.

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So what Binaural beats do is sync up both hemispheres in the brain to bring out desired brainwaves. Listening to them will save you YEARS of dedicated meditation practice it would normally take to bring out these desired brainwaves during your new meditation lifestyle (because it is a lifestyle). However, for Binaural Beats to work, you need to buy yourself a decent pair of stereo headphones. If you already got some, then fantastic, you will be able to start meditating right after reading this guide. You can buy Binaural Beats for pretty cheap or expensive depending on what you’re looking for, and I suggest the I-Doser app to get your feet wet. There is also the Monroe Institue that has some of the highest quality Binaural Beats available, but they’re costly. However, you don’t have to spend a dime to get Binaural Beats right now if ya want, because luckily there is A TON of them for free on Youtube (with varying degrees of quality).

There are many different forms of meditation, and I’m sure you’ll discover them as you continue your journey. But I’m going to start you out with the easiest technique possible that is also for highly advanced practitioners as well. The first thing you’re going to want to do is to make sure you have somewhere free of distractions to meditate. It can even be in the bathroom or whatever, as long as you won’t be disturbed, and there isn’t anything around to break your concentration. Preferably make wherever you are going to meditate as dark as possible, but this isn’t required. You can either perform this technique laying down, sitting cross-legged, or on a chair/stool, just always keep your back straight. And I do mean ALWAYS keep your back straight. When you start to slump, gently move your body back into better posture. Part of meditation is keeping an inner awareness, so correcting your posture is part of meditating and perfectly ok. Lay down using this technique and cover your eyes for better immersion. If you are not lying down, bust out a candle if you got it and place it somewhere right in front of you where the flame is easily available.

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Now at the start, only meditate for 10 minutes at a time every day around the same time if practical. To begin the meditation, we will initiate something called the Four-Fold Breath. Put on your stereo headphones with Binaural Beats (incense optional but suggested) playing at a medium to low volume. Breath in slowly and deeply for four seconds. As you finish inhaling, hold that breath inside your lungs for four seconds. Use your lungs fully with your abdomen as well. Feel your entire torso expand. Then exhale for four seconds slowly and deeply. When your lungs are empty of air, once again, hold your breath for four seconds. Then begin the process anew breathing in for four seconds, then hold your breath for four seconds. Repeat this over and over. Count inside your mind: 1, 2, 3, 4, over and over. Eventually, as you gain skill in utilizing the Four-Fold Breath, the counting will go away, but for a while, in the beginning, it’s necessary.

The fourfold breath is your training wheels, and you must always go back to it when your mind wanders (and trust me, your mind will wander). If you are lying down with your eyes covered, then focusing on your breath is vital. Be aware of your body’s sensations. Just keep counting in and out while feeling your body expand with the air as it travels through you in an even flow. Be inside your body, feeling everything as the air passes through your nose or mouth. If sitting up using this technique, then stare right into the candle’s flame. Your eyes should be about half open and relaxed. Put ALL your focus on the fire and counting to four repeatedly while you breathe inside and out rhythmically. Don’t think about anything else, don’t move, just “be”. Utilizing this technique daily ten minutes a day, you will start to notice profound changes in yourself in as short as three months. But dedication is key.

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh, Stepping into Freedom: Rules of Monastic Practice for Novices

You may get very frustrated in the beginning and find you can’t keep your mind free of thoughts. That’s perfectly normal and don’t worry about it. As long as you have a single breath during your meditation without thought, it was a success. Skill is like a muscle; you have to flex it and work it out. In time you will be able to go two breaths totally focused without thought. Then eventually a minute, then 5 minutes, and so forth and so on. Whenever you find your mind wandering, don’t judge it. Simply become aware of it, and gently put your focus back onto the Four-Fold Breath (and the candle if sitting up).

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Just doing the act of meditation as best you can is a beautiful and very fulfilling thing. Also, sometimes your mind will just be frazzled and burnt out from life, making it hard to focus. That’s ok, do your daily meditation anyway even if your mind can’t focus at all. When done, just go about your day, and slowly over time, you will begin to feel your awareness and consciousness itself expanding (I know that doesn’t make sense now, but you will understand later if you stick to your daily meditation practice).

Your subconscious is always watching and needs repeated sessions over and over to gain the most benefit of meditation, whether you were “into it” or not. So stick to it. If you have any questions, leave a comment, contact me through email, or hit me up on social media like our Facebook page. I hope this will be beneficial to you and wish you luck on your journey of self-discovery. Many believe the mind doesn’t even work right or to its full potential without a daily meditation practice, and I wholeheartedly believe it too. Just follow this simple guide to open up the door to a life you never thought possible. Namaste…

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” ― Amit Ray, Om Chanting and Meditation

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