A Modern Woman's Guide to Power
meditationHow to Meditate
The pratice of meditation is emptying the mind. In the beginning, we are still learning how to still our thoughts and get on a regular schedule for meditation. Here are some helpful tips for establishing your daily meditation practice:
Create a schedule. When you are starting to meditate, it’s helpful to set up a schedule for yourself. The most important part of meditation is consistency. By setting aside time each day for meditation, it will be much easier to stay consistent. The best time to mediate is when you first wake up. Your mind is calm when you wake up. When you meditate in the morning you pick up a lot of energy, focus, and awareness. This is a great way to start your day! If you feel like you’re too sleepy, take a shower before you sit down to meditate.
Find a place to meditate. Meditate in a clean and quiet place. Most people find it helpful to find an area of the house where they meditate on a regular basis. Whichever room you decide to meditate in, make it into a beautiful space and keep it impeccably clean. Fresh flowers and candles can help make your meditation space extra special. Sometimes it’s fun to meditate outside. The beach, a mountaintop, or the desert are all wonderful places for meditation. It’s easier for the mind to be still in nature away from crowds.
Sit up nice and straight. It’s important to meditate in an upright position – if you lie down you relax too much and you won’t have the focus or concentration necessary to meditate. Any upright position that’s comfortable is fine. Some people like to sit cross leggeed on the floor while others prefer to sit in a chair.
Focus. In the beginning, we are learning to just sit down and focus on something. There are three points to focus on, also called chakras:
- Navel (orange): located 2 inches below the belly button. It is the chakra of willpower.
- Heart (green): located directly in the center of the chest. It is the chakra of love and purity.
- Third eye (purple): located between the eyebrows and a little above. It is the chakra of wisdom and seeing.
Focus on one point and hold your attention there. Begin with the navel, move to the heart, and end with the third eye. The mind will waver, you’ll think a million thoughts (that’s okay!), but each time you do, bring your mind back to the point of concentration, seeing it visually.
It can be very helpful to meditate to music as it can make it easier to focus and also help with timing. In the beginning, meditate to one song per chakra. As your meditation practice becomes stronger, you can increase the number of songs per chakra. You can find meditation music here.