STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS

I didn’t fully appreciate all the research until I started to experience the real benefits for myself. My life has been transformed through meditation, and yours can be, too. Here are some tips and a couple of meditations to get you started.

NO EXCUSES

The biggest obstacle to starting is you. The most frequent thing I hear is the excuse that we have no time. This is also the excuse I used for many years, although I found time to do plenty of other wasteful things for hours on end! If you have time to scroll through Facebook for 10 minutes, then you can gift yourself the essential 10 minutes to meditate and practice self-care.

JUST DO IT

Don’t overthink it, just begin. We all have to start somewhere, so choose an app or a class or a guided online meditation or simply follow my easy guide below.

GOOD WEBSITES

10percenthappier.com zen12.com omharmonics.com freemindfulness.org chopra.com, fragrantheart.com tarabrach.com

GREAT APPS

Sattva, Buddhify, Calm, Headspace, Take A Break, Mindbody Connect, Omvana, Relax Melodies, Smiling Mind I also hold weekly live meditations on Facebook and there are three meditations free to download from my website, alisoncanavan.com, or in the resources section of my book, Minding Mum.

START YOUR DAY THE RIGHT WAY

I meditate in the morning, as I find it helps start my day in a positive and intentional way. It’s a great way to settle yourself before the madness begins. I find if you give yourself five to 10 minutes in the morning, your ability to cope with stress and any daily obstacles you encounter is much better.

SMALL STEPS EACH DAY

Real change happens when we are consistent with our habits. Five to 10 minutes each day is far better and more beneficial than two hours once a week. Even though small changes might not feel like a lot, trust me — they make a big difference, and the kind of difference you are really looking for means real change.

BE EASY WITH YOURSELF:

As you begin your journey into meditation, be kind and compassionate with yourself. It’s too easy to beat yourself up for wandering thoughts or unwanted emotions that arise, but this is not the time for that; we do that too much, anyway. Instead, this is your time to focus on the present in a non-judgmental way and to increase awareness, which in turn helps to calm the body and mind.