Among various possible tips for self improvement I believe that meditation is a very important one. Often when people hear the word meditation they tend to be a little bit scared. They imagine something somewhat mysterious or religious. They believe it is a very complicated technique that will required them a consequent investment in time and money before they can start getting some hypothetical benefits. Or maybe, if you are like me, you have problems with your knees that prevent you from sitting cross-legged. In this short article I would like to give you simple meditation instructions to get you started.

Meditation Made Simple

Let’s look at what is actually meditation. In a nutshell, meditation is a practice where you focus on your breath while trying not to think about anything. That’s it!

Meditation:

is not a religious act in itself

doesn’t required any materials to get started

doesn’t required you to be a contortionist

doesn’t have to take a lot of your time

I have only been practicing meditation on a daily basis for several months but I really feel that it helped me become more calm, more at peace and more focused. Meditation is also a great way to enhance well-being in general. I’m not an expert and it is exactly what I want to tell you: you don’t need to be an expert! If you believe that you need to take meditation classes or read books to get started, only those of you who are really motivated will give it a shot. Since meditation practiced on a daily basis is beneficial for everyone, as a self improvement advice I would encourage everyone to adopt that new habit. When you will start meditating, you will realize how hard it is to stop thinking. Your mind won’t stop. Sometimes, people told me: “I can’t even do meditation for 3 minutes, my thoughts are all over the place”. It is totally normal. As long as you are trying to control your thoughts the best you can at your current level, you are doing meditation. And I’m convinced you will get benefits from your daily practice. Meditation will help you become more aware of your thoughts and to better deal with your negative thoughts.

Let’s make it very simple to start with, and progressively work on improving the quality of our meditation practice.

Meditation Exercise

I don’t want to give you any excuses not to try meditation. Here is how you can easily get started:

Close your eyes, breath slowly through your nose, focus on your breath while trying to get rid of any thoughts that come to your mind. Do it just for 3 minutes. That’s it! You can sit on a chair or sit on the floor with your legs crossed. Practice every single day for two weeks, then go for 4 minutes, 5 minutes and so on. If possible aim to reach 20 to 30 minutes per day but it is entirely up to you. Some people do more. If you are busy you can do less. Personally, I’m currently meditating 20 minutes everyday but plan to meditate more in the near future. Last but not least, be patient! It takes some time before you feel the benefits of meditation.

Leave me your comments below and tell me how things are going 🙂

See also: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living – 7 Practical Tips to Overcome Worries

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