2008/10/09

5 Tips to Help You Meditate

By: Jay Franco

Meditation has been proven to have significant benefits. Regular meditation can help you reduce stress, sleep better, and be more spiritually aware. Some people find it hard to start a regular meditation practice though because most people are running around busily all day long and don't usually take time to sit down and relax. But if you really want to improve your health and manage your stress you need to make it a priority to start meditating regularly. These tips can help you make meditation a regular part of your life:

1. Schedule a time to meditate - If you tell yourself that you will get around to meditating after the kids are in bed or that you'll get up early and meditate before work chances are good that you won't actually do it. You need to schedule a time to meditate the same way that you would schedule a doctor's appointment or other commitment. You are making a commitment to yourself and your health. So set aside a block of time, even if it's just 15 minutes, during the day when you can meditate.

2. Go slowly - When you're used to running around all the time and not used to sitting still and quieting your mind and body it can be difficult to do. So don't force yourself to meditate for long periods of time at the beginning of your meditation practice. Start by just closing you eyes and breathing deeply for a minute or two. Then go to five minutes. Then try 10 minutes. Build up the amount of time that you meditate slowly and let your body get used it.

3. Let go of your conscious thoughts - When you are trying to meditate and you find yourself thinking about all the tasks you have left to do that day or wondering if you remembered to pay the phone bill don't focus on those thoughts. Take a deep breath and just let them go. If you start focusing on those thoughts instead of meditating you will break your concentration.

4. Create a special place to meditate - This can be something as elaborate as an entire room set aside just for meditation or it can be as simple as a special shelf in a closet holding a special candle that you sit in front of. No matter how little space you think you have you can carve out a little niche for yourself that will be your special place to relax.

5. Use props to help you meditate - You can't force yourself to sit and relax, but you can use props that will help you relax and mediate. Buy a special scented candle that you burn only during meditation. Light some incense. Buy a plant that you love and keep it in your meditation space. Turn on some music that you find very soothing and relaxing.

Jay Franco has been a Yoga enthusiast since an early age. He is constantly trying to find practical ways of implementing this ancient knowledge into his Western lifestyle. His website is: http://www.yogascienceofbreath.com

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