How to start meditating in three easy steps

For me, meditation is not a religious act. I see it more as a tool for improving the quality of life.

Two months ago, I started meditating, setting aside 10-20 minutes every morning. I have experienced some really cool results so I'd like to share the process so you can try it out as well. 

Before I dive into the steps, let me share just one short example of how meditation helped me. 

Just the other day, I fell into a repetitive pattern of procrastination. After a long workweek, I was looking forward to a weekend to relax a bit. However, I had tons of personal to-dos. When I woke up on Saturday I didn't feel like doing anything. I just wanted to stay in my bed and watch TV shows the whole day. I knew I could easily do that but I would feel guilty at the end of the day for not doing anything. I wanted to do something to get myself out of that pattern, but you know how hard it is to motivate yourself once you are in the lazy mindset. You just lie there and nothing happens... Anyway, usually, I would just persist with the feeling until it dissolved, but this time, I tried to use meditation as a medicine. 

Fifteen minutes later, I was back to normal Alen.

By the way, I did afford myself lazy afternoon. It felt much better after I've done my daily tasks. :)

Meditation benefits go beyond just getting yourself out of lazy mood. Recent scientific research shows how beneficial meditation can be. Effects of meditation include reduced stress, improved creativity, improved quality of relationships with people around us, and improved focus. 

Three easy steps to meditation

1) Put meditation session in your calendar 

By far the greatest failure point is not finding the time to meditate. If you are so busy that you can't find the time to meditate, that is exactly the reason to start meditating. In general, you have two options.  Either you put meditation in your calendar or you set your alarm clock earlier than usual. In the beginning, plan for 10-20 minutes sessions. Start with 10 minutes and increase over time. 

“If you are so busy that you can’t find the time to meditate, that is exactly the reason to start meditating. ”

2) Use Headspace app

Even though meditation is so simple, it is hard. Don't assume you will just sit down and know how to do it. That is exactly why I have decided I will use a guided process at the beginning of my meditation journey. I have used the Headspace app, which consist of guided meditation mp3s. Get it here for free. 

3) Follow your progress

Each week, write down what effects you notice. In the beginning, you will probably not notice much, but after time you will become aware of various effects. It is important that you take notes, otherwise, you will take these results for granted and quit. 

If you decide to do an experiment, keep me in the loop. Let me know if you have any questions or results you'd like to share.