How to Teach Meditation for Beginners
In our meditation for beginners program, we found that it was true that some people dodge and run at the mere mention of meditation because of its Buddhism roots, but meditation does not need one to be inclined with the Buddhist teachings.
I never expected I’d be hooked to meditation, I failed my first five attempts! Every time I closed my eyes I kept thinking of a lot of unnecessary things like my next-day appointments, my embarrassing moments from years back, one time I caught myself thinking about what I was going eat and I’m not even hungry that time. I just cannot understand how the people around were able to find a few moments of peace.
I was about to give up but my meditation buddy made sure I never skip a session. It was on the sixth attempt that I learned that we’re all the same! My buddy admitted that she also had scattered thoughts but her only difference was that she never resented or judged herself when she caught herself being drawn to those thoughts, she taught me that she exhales loudly to bring herself back every now and then. So I tried it and it was the first time that I got a few seconds of peace that I was looking for! All the while I thought I was the only one that was kept being distracted, and after a few more practice I finally got the hang of it and I’m always excited whenever I am going to have my meditation session every week. The secret: One only needs to focus on mindfulness.
Introduction to meditation
Now mindfulness is not about instantly clearing one’s mind of the countless and endless thoughts in our brains. Mindfulness is just practicing bringing our attention to our breath, and then going back to our breath when we notice our attention has gone somewhere else. You can try the most basic meditation with just the following 3 simple steps:
- Try to sit comfortably and find someplace where you can sit still for a few minutes. After you stop reading this, you’re going to simply focus on your breathing in and breathing out, try to do them louder so you can focus on them.
- Focus on your breathing. Where do you feel your breath coming from and going out on? Is it in your belly or your nose? Focus on your inhale and exhale.
- Follow your breath for two minutes. Try taking a deep inhale, expanding your belly, and then exhale slowly very slowly.
What happened? Did your thoughts overwhelm you? Did your mind wander? Have you thought of anything else other than your breath? When I first tried meditation through our mindfulness training online session, and boy was I so distracted! How about you? Did you notice how cluttered your thoughts are even though you are not thinking of anything particular? Did you get caught up in your thoughts? These distractions are normal! And you experience it first hand is a discovery that mindfulness is not about letting our thought scatter from here and there or exploring past and future. Mindfulness is being at the present, being at that moment where you were just breathing. The following are the three basic things that you might want to know if you want to try meditation:
Posture
The best posture for meditation has the 3s: Posture where you can be Still with a Straight Spine. You can do this lying, sitting, even standing. Your posture (be it lying down, sitting, or standing) must also consider that it doesn’t cause any unnecessary tension in your muscles and that your spine is aligned from your neck down to your tail bone. Why? Because this posture ensures that your airways are open, your lungs are free to expand with each breath, and that your brain & spinal cord are free and can easily send healing electrical signals throughout your body as possible.
Breathing Technique
Different breathing techniques can be used in meditation. Starters or beginners (or teaching beginners), Guided Meditation Framework suggest the use of the simple technique of Resistance Breathing.
“Resistance Breathing is achieved by breathing in any manner that restricts airflow on the inhalation and exhalation. The most common way to do this is to breathe in and out through the nose, but you may also create resistance by breathing through pursed lips, hissing through clenched teeth, or any other method that slows the flow of air.
Slow, focused inhalations and exhalations (NOT deep breathing) are what you should strive for in meditation if the goal is to gain more focus, relieve stress, or find clarity. If you want to know the exact science behind how resistance breathing during meditation affects our brain & nervous system to reduce anxiety.
Try taking a few cycles of resistance breathing now. Breathing in through the nose and out through the nose. I like to count 4 seconds on the inhalation, pause for 2 seconds at the top of the breath, then count 4 seconds on the exhalation, pause for 2 seconds at the bottom of the breath, then repeat.”
Focus
Meditation requires focus. As on the example used above, breath is used at the thing we focus on. But there are different things that one can focus on these can be divided into three different categories:
- Body position n & breath:
As posture is one of the most basic requirements for meditation, the body can therefore also be made as a focal point. This does not mean that you have to keep yourself completely still.
As you are doing the resistance breathing above, you can try to start putting your focus on your body by scanning it for places where your muscles may be tensed or points where you feel pain in your meditation position.
On my first day in our meditation teacher training program, I really thought that I had to be fully still now wonder I couldn’t fully focus! It was only after a few sessions that I learned that if you need to move a little, scratch an itchy part, cough, burp, or fart, do so! Do whatever makes you comfortable in your meditating position.
- Sounds & Sensations:
Focusing your senses on sound or other stimuli can help stop your mind from wandering as this reduces brain activity in the default mode network (these are the regions of the brain we use for both constructive & dysphoric imagination). By directly focusing on the sensation of cold air blowing in your face, the inhalation and exhalation, the sounds of the calming background music, or any other specific focal point, you will, in effect, bring your mind to “the present moment” and experience the many stress & anxiety-reducing benefits that follow.
If at any point you find that your mind has wandered to completely useless and stressful thoughts, you can always bring yourself back to focusing on the sensation of the breath or any sensation that you are most comfortable with.
- Exploration & Contemplation:
A common misconception about meditation is that it is usually associated with clearing the mind of thoughts. But did you know that with continuous practice you can learn to use it to explore thoughts & feelings? You can even use it to engage in deep contemplation.
Meditation is the best exercise to help improve our deep thinking & creative problem-solving ability. You can try going into meditation with a specific question in mind and try to use the calmness around you to find answers and explore scenarios.
But one important thing is that you have to realize that your thoughts create your reality and meditation is a tool to help us objectively assess our thought patterns, and choose which habits we want to repeat.
Your meditation practice is one of the most personal activities you have. There is no right or wrong way to practice, there is only your way.
Reasons to Meditate
When we meditate, we opt to indulge in far-reaching and long-lasting benefits into our lives—without the need for any extra gear or an expensive membership. Here are five reasons to meditate:
- Understand your pain
- Lower stress
- Connect better
- Improve focus
- Reduce cluttered thoughts
How to Meditate
The first thing we should address if we want to teach meditation to others is that meditation is simple AND hard but never simply hard. The following is one of the most simple meditation guides you can find.
1) Take a comfortable position
Find a place where you can either lie down, sit, or stand. Somewhere that feels calm and quiet to you.
2) Set a timer
If you’re a beginner, it can help to choose to limit yourself to only a short time, such as five or 10 minutes.
3) Notice your body
Feel around your body (mentally), feel if your position is comfortable, whether you are sitting, lying, or standing. You can move a little and ease your muscles if they are tense.
4) Follow your breath
Follow the sensation of your breath as you inhale and exhale.
5) Recognize yourself when your mind has wandered
If you are a beginner, your attention will go elsewhere and wander to other places. As you notice that your mind has wandered simply return your attention to the breath. It’s normal to get distracted.
6) Be kind to your wandering thoughts
Don’t be too harsh and judge yourself or obsess over the content of the thoughts you find yourself lost in. Just come back. Never dwell too long just simply go back to focusing on your breath.
7) Close with kindness
When you’re ready, gently come back to your full sense. Lift your gaze or open your eyes. Take a moment and notice the sounds in the environment, the air you feel in your skin. Notice how your body feels right now. Notice your thoughts and emotions. Here are some meditation beginner stories from Aaptiv that might inspire you!
I stayed up on a Saturday night.
“Meditating was hard at first, but I lost my meditation virginity on a random Saturday night. I decided to watch Netflix and relax instead of going out with my roommate … it just worked. It was surprisingly so easy! I had been putting it off because I felt like my mind was constantly go-go-go, but once you get the hang of it, it’s almost second nature.” —Danielle, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
I learned how to stay in the moment.
“I used to try and meditate in the bed lying quietly for 20 minutes. I found my mind would wander, and I really wasn’t meditating. Then I read an article that talked about really absorbing the moment you are in, really exploring it with all your senses. Now I can go on my back deck in the morning, close my eyes, listen to the birds, and feel the sun on my neck … and I love meditating!” —Malika, Atlanta, Georgia
I realized meditation could solve my binge eating problem.
“I used to think meditation was for yogis and bearded men who wear dresses. It wasn’t until I realized that meditating could solve binge eating that I decided to try it. I heard that willpower is like a muscle and could be strengthened through meditation. The first time I tried was a disaster. I would start meditating and within three seconds be thinking about what I was going to make for dinner. It took practice, but now I love it! Like a muscle, willpower can grow, but it can also be fatiguing. If willpower is like a cell phone battery, meditation is what charges it back up.” —Wendy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
I used meditation to get over an illness.
“As a child, I used meditation to control most of the symptoms associated with hay fever. In my early teens, I moved away from my practice. I was more interested in fashion, pop stars, and boys. As a result, my hay fever returned. I was in study hall with the hottest boy in my year when, to my horror, my nose chose that moment to drip on his hand. My inner voice said to meditate, and I have every day since then.” —Wendy, Las Vegas, Nevada
Our meditation for beginners was my stepping stone in learning mindfulness as it can be practiced not only through meditation! But that would be another story.. how about you?
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