So you’ve decided to take the guided meditation plunge? AWESOME! Choosing to take a deep dive into shifting your beliefs so that you can start getting what you want – whether that’s inner peace, love, health or success (or some combination of those) – is amazing.
I imagine you have lots of questions so let’s dive in.
As a newbie, how do you meditate for the first time?
1. Have a good reason to practice guided meditation.
Meditating for the 1st time is easy if you have a good reason to do it. So before you start guided meditation, ask yourself why. Why do you want to do this? The intention behind the practice is as important, if not more, as the meditation itself.
Even if you think you should or to make others happy, you meditation experience will not work for you. If you are genuinely making the commitment because you want to manifest something truly important to you such as peace, calm, success, love, throughout the mind and body, then…make the commitment!
Set the Scene.
Where should you meditate? Creating an exceptional space for yourself during meditation is important. It doesn’t have to be a big space, you can do it in a closet if you want! You can truly make any space special.
So create your special space. Create a comfortable nook for yourself to do your meditation or crawl into bed and do it there. Remember, you do not want to be interrupted. If you are at home and family is around, let them know not to disturb you. Also, be sure to turn off any phones and computers. This is your time, you deserve to dedicate this time to yourself and your success journey. As long as you remove yourself from any distractions any space can be special.
What is the best position to meditate for beginners?
I’m not a fan of working amongst a ton of rules and regulations because I think that’s overwhelming and sets you up for failure. There’s no “wrong way” to do guided meditation. The more you do it, the more you’ll get out of it. So allow yourself to find your way. You’ll get there if you stick with it.
The most important position is a comfortable one. Whether that’s lying on your bed or sitting Indian style with crossed legs. You should feel open, comfortable, and relaxed. This could mean having a chair behind you to support your back or sitting on a meditation pillow or one you pulled from your couch.
If you’re doing a sleep meditation, you’ll be lying down. What absolutely MUST happen is you MUST be in your own universe so if you’re lying next to your honey, let him/her know not to disturb you and put your earbuds in so you feel as though you are in your own world. Remember, no distractions. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have sounds around you. My MOVE meditations have music that accompanies them so they can drown out other external sounds. It’s ok, as long as you are able to focus on meditating.
There is no perfect place to meditate or perfect position. What’s most important is that you create an inspired environment that is free of distractions. Whether that’s with candles in a dimly lit room or sitting on top of your desk at work. This is your space. Your time. Claim it!
How long does it take to for a beginner to meditate?
There is no right length of time. It depends on your goals. For example, my MOVE Guided Meditations are all about manifesting something you want in your life: more peace, more money, etc. To do that we must eliminate negative beliefs and adopt new, empowered beliefs that support your ambitions. These meditations take about 50 minutes and can be done in the morning (if you have the time) or at night (if you prefer to drift off to sleep with them).
There’s also shorter meditations. For example, my Affirmations for Change track is a simple, effective 5-minute meditation to start your day. These simple and short meditations only take a few minutes and really help to set your intentions for the day, to get focused and committed.
How many times a week should you meditate?
If you are using guided meditation to manifest something in your life such as, Be Anxiety Free, Be in Control, Complete Confidence or Deep Sleep for Success, then I ask my clients to do it once per day. With that being said, you can still benefit from doing it a few times per week. Although I suggest in the beginning when you are forming new belief systems and new habits, once per day is a great way to jump-start your new commitment.
How do you breathe while meditating?
1. Don’t get too caught up.
There are tons of ways to breathe that “experts” like to teach but if you’re just starting out, I wouldn’t even go there. It’s not necessary, and in the beginning you are just trying to figure out what to do with your racing mind. So, having to battle “how you breathe” can be overwhelming. Like anything in life, I like to take “getting proficient at something” in layers. It’s like eating healthy, maybe you start by drinking more water, then you tackle eliminating certain foods, then you might move to eating only organic or Non-GMO foods. One step at a time. If you try to do everything all at once, you’ll feel overwhelmed. Remember, we are not going for “getting it right.” There is no right. Just start, and you will get better the more you do it.
2. Be aware.
I like to encourage my clients to notice their breathing. Is it shallow? Deep? Consistent? Do you breathe in and out of your nose or in through your nose and out through your mouth? When you first begin meditating just notice your breathing and look to make it consistent. The more you can control your breathing, the more peaceful you’ll feel.
When you meditate, you relax your mind and body naturally, making it easier to achieve a more peaceful and relaxed state. This will help you be more in control of your breathing. If you are more in control of your breathing, then you are more in control of your emotions. You’ll be able to achieve states of peace, relaxation, calm, happiness and let go of anxiety, tension and other negative emotions.
In my MOVE Guided Meditation, I actually take you through how to breathe as you go. However, if you are feeling particularly anxious, there is a breathing technique that you could choose to do before the guided meditation for just a few minutes. The technique is called Sama Vritti.
Sama Vritti – Breathing Technique.
Sama means balance, which is exactly what we want in this first phase of meditation. The basic principle of this practice is “equal breaths.” This means that you inhale for the same length of time as you exhale. So if you inhale for the count of 3, then you’d exhale for the count of 3.
I like to inhale through my nose and exhale out my mouth as it slows my breathing down and makes the process of calming your mind and body more manageable. Studies have found that this type of breathing practice actually calms your autonomic nervous system which reduces stress hormones in the body. This breathing can be used before, during or after your meditation practice.
It can also be used during yoga, exercise, and work to calm the mind and body and achieve a more peaceful state. To get started, get comfortable and begin breathing naturally for a couple of minutes.
- Then, inhale slowly to the count of 3.
- Hold it. Then exhale for the same count of 3.
- Continue to do this for 5 to ten minutes, until you feel a sense of calm come over you.
- You can experiment with the numbers. Meaning, you can inhale to the count of 3 or 4 or 6.
- Doesn’t matter – as long as you inhale and exhale for an equal count.
If I want to see long-lasting results from meditation techniques what should I do?
1. Make a 30-day commitment.
To get started meditating it is critical that you make a commitment. Meditation is not going to work if you do it once. I mean, you will get value if you do it once but to create new beliefs that support your ambitions, it takes practice.
Think of how long you’ve been “thinking” and “behaving” the way you do now. You have mastered your current way of thinking and behaving, so it’s going to take some consistency and practice to change what you already know. Guided meditation for beginners is a perfect way to help you change your thinking and behavior, and consistent mindfulness meditation practice has been proven to yield incredible benefits such as:
1. Increased Focus & Concentration
2. Decreased Anxiety, Stress, Worry
3. Decreased Brain Aging
4. Increased Ability to Learn and Remember
5. Improved Mood and Wellbeing
6. Improved Relationships
7. Increased Self-Control
8. More Accountability & Follow Through
9. Increased Creativity
10. Increased Sex-Drive
So, if you are truly ready for life-changing results, then make the commitment to meditate everyday for at least 30 days. Say it outloud to yourself in the mirror.
This is serious business. You deserve to achieve your goals! You are that important, take your commitment seriously because transformation doesn’t happen overnight. But… know that most begin experiencing results right away! Reap the benefits of meditation techniques.
2. Share your commitment with others.
Now that you’ve made the commitment to practice guided meditation for at least 30-days, share this commitment with the people you love and respect. This is when it becomes real!
Sharing it with others gives you a boost in the accountability area because typically, us humans are good at following through for others. So, when we tell others that we are going to do something, chances are we’ll do it. Now let me say this – DO NOT share your commitment with naysayers, negativity seekers and those who don’t support you.
Looking for support from people who don’t support you is like shopping at the grocery store for a couch. You won’t get what you want. So seek support from those who are your biggest cheerleaders and mentors.
3. Determine “when” you will meditate.
Many of us “intend” to do things but don’t actually set ourselves up for success. Just because we “intend” to do guided meditation doesn’t mean we have allocated time to actually do it. So, let’s make this even more real by getting your guided meditation commitment into your calendar.
Seriously, make time for it. You say you’re committed. You say you want to change and manifest your dreams. Now, let’s go. Let’s get meditation into your life. Take out your calendar and figure out when you can dedicate 45 minutes to meditate each day.
Pressed for time?
No worries – I offer a sleep meditation so you can actually do it right before bed and just drift off. You do not need to be awake to get the benefits. I recommend starting your session about 20 minutes before you go to bed. Get your evening bedtime routine done and then crawl into bed, put in your earbuds and hit play.
You’ll most likely be awake for the first 20 minutes and then naturally you’ll drift off to sleep. Transform your life while you’re sleeping? YES!
4. Create a plan to follow through.
Now, just because we put something in our calendar doesn’t mean we always do it. We’re busy, many things can come up. If you always follow through with what’s in your calendar and if you’re that person – congratulations.
For the rest of us juggling a lot – we may need some extra support to keep to our commitments. If that’s you, don’t wait for support to find you. Go out and get it. Get that support. Get an accountability buddy, someone who will check in with you to make sure you’re following through and give you their supportive ear to discuss epiphanies you’re having along the way.
And, if you’re a MOVE Guided Meditation member, I will be your accountability buddy, too. Members of MOVE always have access to me through our support email and social media platforms.
5. Manage your expectations.
Some people want to listen to one meditation and have their life explode with possibilities. And, it’s true, one meditation CAN be that powerful in that moment. But, if you are looking for long-lasting change, you will need to cement new beliefs which will take some consistency and practice.
To do that you will need to replace old beliefs and behaviors with new ones. For example, if you are striving for more peace, you will need to value peace. Your beliefs will need to shift from “I must be productive to be valuable” to “I must slow down to create a quality life.”
If you’re trying to attract more success into your life you must replace beliefs like: “I’m not good enough,” “It’s never gonna happen for me, so why try,” with, “I’m capable of whatever I put my mind to,” “If I don’t have all the answers, I will find the people that do.”
These are just examples. The idea here is that your beliefs and behaviors need to support your ambitions. We want your new thinking to be solid and consistent, not just something you try on every once in awhile. So manage your expectations here and set yourself up for success.
6. Let go of perfectionism.
Meditation is new and just like any skill, you need to practice to get good at it. So don’t expect your whole life to change in one guided meditation session and then get discouraged when that doesn’t happen. Be prepared to practice in order to master it.
Maybe you’ll take to it right away… yay you! But if you don’t, that’s ok! Honestly, you will most likely experience discomfort, awkwardness, or fears around trying it, which is normal and to be expected. Part of having a successful meditation experience is allowing it to do it’s thang!
Don’t try to “make it happen” or force it. If it’s hard in the beginning, then it is. If it’s easy… great. You WILL get there!
7. Choose that you WILL get results.
If you want success with guided meditation then you have to leave the skeptic at home. If you go into it believing that you will be successful, chances are you will. If you go into it believing that it’s nonsense and won’t work – then it won’t.
You will get what you believe you will get. If you decide in advance that something won’t work, you’ll usually subconsciously sabotage it in order to be right. And who wants to be right about it not working?
So if you’re gonna go for it, go for it all the way with full belief. Just observe and be curious about what is possible. Some will feel the change day one, and some it will take longer. Be patient and kind to yourself. It takes time to shift your life.
8. Follow-through.
When it’s time to meditate, don’t make excuses, don’t question, just do it. The fastest way to kill your commitment is to not follow through with it. You know what I’m talking about. We think our way out of things. Convince ourselves that what we are doing is ridiculous and unachievable. That’s exactly why we are meditating to begin with, to get rid of beliefs like that. So when you hear your saboteur come knockin…
“Hmmm, I see I’m supposed to be meditating but doing the laundry is much more important right now.”
“Meditate? Oh yah… nah, forget about it. I won’t change anyway, it’s just going to be a waste of time.”
Look this voice right in the face and say, “FRICK OFF!”
I’m ready to get started, what should I do?
Yay! How exciting. The first step is to pick a guided meditation expert whose voice you resonate with. Of course I invite you to experience my meditation as I’ve made it my mission to make sure that your beliefs support the goals you’re working hard to achieve.
Through guided meditations, I will help you align your mindset and behaviors so that you experience a positive boost in the areas of your life that you know you need it most. So if you’d like to check it out, here are some simple steps to get started:
- Think about your biggest challenge – where you need the most support: overcoming anxiety, building confidence, attracting success, etc.
- Browse the MOVE library and select the audio track that corresponds to your needs.
- Plug in and press play! Spend a minimum of 30 days listening to it daily or every other day.
- Watch for progress and keep going!
That’s it! Time to get meditating. You’ve got this, and I can’t wait to guide you through it!
Amy