10 Easy Steps to Meditate

More and more research and literature is acknowledging and discovering the health and wellbeing benefits associated with regular meditation

From increasing life expectancy to reducing stress, meditation is a must-have in any daily wellbeing regime. Other benefits include improving our self-awareness, improving cognitive functioning, strengthening the brain, improving our emotional processing and emotional self-regulation, boosting our levels of compassion, increasing our immune function and reducing the risk of depression among teens and pregnant women. Kick-start your meditation practice with this easy guide.

1. Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed.
2. Sit in a comfortable chair, or lay down on a sofa or bed. If sitting, keep your back comfortably straight, your head tilted down slightly and your feet planted on the ground. If on a bed, lie on your back and rest your arms and hands by your side.
3. Close your eyes.
4. Focus your attention on your breath. Notice how the air moves in and out of your nostrils. Feel how your belly rises and falls with every breath.
5. Whenever a thought interrupts your focus, simply acknowledge its existence, without judging it, and then let it go as though it were a balloon floating up into the sky out of your sight.
6. Refocus on your breath, being sure to acknowledge and release any thoughts that occur.
7. Continue this process for five to ten minutes.
8. When you are finished, gently bring your attention back into the room. Notice the sounds around you, the temperature and how your body feels.
9. When you are ready, open your eyes and if you feel like it, stretch your fingers and your toes.

Your beginner meditation is complete.

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