Meditation Made Easy

One of my goals for this year is to be more consistent with my meditation practice. Yes, I’m putting it out there to keep me accountable. For years, I’ve been on and off with it, but so far this year it’s going better than ever (no, still not perfect, but I probably won’t ever be!). Mostly because I’m doing it differently this time around in a meditation made easy kind of way.

Meditation makes life a little better. Fact. Answers come more readily, days flow more easily, emotions feel more grounded. Everyone can use some meditation in their lives which is why I always recommend it to clients, yet it’s often met with trepidation.

Why? Because it seems like an intimidating thing.  But it doesn’t have to be. These are a few of my meditation made easy tips that can make the practice more approachable:

1. Keep It Short: Most people think meditation requires hours sitting in stillness. It can, but it doesn’t have to. I set aside as few as five minutes every morning for my practice. That’s it! Faster than a polish change.

2. Go for Guided: Instead of trying to figure it out yourself, choose a guided meditation that you can find on iTunes. Google “guided meditation” and endless choices pop up, some with spoken word, others with music, some both. Spend some time exploring to find what resonates with you. I also recommend Gabrielle Bernstein’s collection of guided meditations also on iTunes. Most, if not all, are less than 10 minutes.

3. Be Patient: People always tell me that when they “try” to meditate they find their minds wandering, even racing. So they give up. Of course your mind will race, especially when you’re new to meditating. That’s expected. Just notice it and clear your head. Then keep going. As many times as necessary. Most importantly, don’t judge yourself when this happens. With practice, you’ll improve.

4. Make It a Ritual: To keep myself on track, I’ve built meditation into a morning ritual. I wake up earlier than my fiance so I can have some time alone. I prepare my morning detox drink and then I meditate and write in my journal before my workout. This process takes me no more than 15 minutes but makes a major difference in my day. If I skip it one day, things feel a little “off.”

5. Accessibility is Key: Like anything else, if you have to go searching for it, it’s less likely to happen. I keep my guided meditations organized in a playlist on iTunes and upload them to my phone. That way, I can get to them easily no matter where I am. I highly recommend this in case you can’t squeeze some time in at home, you can get to it on the subway, in the carpool line or on an airplane.

6: Stay With It: Throughout this post I’ve referred to meditation as a practice. Because it is. Keep going with it, be as consistent as possible and it will get easier, become enjoyable and create noticeable changes in you and your life.

So tell me, do you struggle with meditation? Can you put these tips to use or have your own for making it easier? Let’s share!