Meditation for beginners
We’ve all heard that meditation can help regulate your nervous system, support mental health,
and bring a bit more peace into your daily life, but getting started can feel intimidating. Spiritual
and scientific communities agree that meditation has a powerful effect on your well-being.
Intentionally slowing down and taking time to “do nothing” has been proven to holistically
enhance emotion regulation, improve focus, reduce anxiety, and improve sleep quality. In many
ways, meditation can bring a sense of calm and presence into your life, similar to the feeling of
grounding and reflection you might experience in therapy.
Meditation is a practice, and the results have a cumulative effect. A helpful approach is to start
small and gradually build up to a consistent routine. If you’re interested in dipping your toe in and
starting your own meditation practice, this is a great place to start. Here are some things to keep
in mind and easy ways to gently get started.
Focus on Your Breath
One of the simplest ways to start meditation is to sit in silence and focus on your breathing. Find
a quiet and comfortable space – no need to sit on the floor or use a special cushion. You can sit
in a chair, or even lay down (although laying down will be counter-productive if you are prone to
fall asleep).
As you sit, close your eyes, and focus your attention on the sensation of the breath entering
through your nose on the inhale and exiting as you exhale. Repeat with each breath. It’s literally
as simple as that. By focusing on your breath, you anchor yourself in the present moment.
Congratulations, you’re meditating!
Start Small and Casual
When you’re getting started with meditation, it’s perfectly okay to start small. Just 5 minutes is
enough to experience the benefits of meditating. It’s best not to set a timer – just note the time
when you start and aim for around five minutes, peeking to check the time as needed. Once
you’re comfortable with five minutes, you can gradually increase the duration or add more
sessions throughout the day. Ideally, setting aside 5 minutes each morning will help you build a
consistent habit.
Accept That Thoughts Will Come
While the idea of an empty, perfectly still mind may seem appealing, it’s not realistic or even the
goal of meditation. Try to let go of the idea of what you think meditation “should” look like – a
perfectly zen woman sitting under a tree experiencing ascension. The goal of meditation is not to
become good at meditation, but simply to practice. Time spent sitting with your thoughts,
acknowledging them and letting them go, is meditation.
When thoughts arise, allow them to float by without attaching to them. Simply observe that they
are there and bring your focus back to the present moment, back to your breath. Even if you
spend 20 minutes thinking about how you can’t stop thinking or how much meditating sucks,
you’re still meditating. It still counts!
Try Guided Meditation
If sitting in silence feels overwhelming, you might feel more comfortable starting with a guided
meditation. Apps like Headspace, Calm, or Insight Timer offer a wide range of guided sessions, and you
can find plenty of free options on YouTube as well. Any of these platforms have great meditations
tailored to specific goals, such as improving sleep or alleviating anxiety, as well as different
practices like body scans, loving-kindness, or visualizations.
Try it Again Tomorrow
Meditation is a practice with cumulative effects. By building up to a consistent meditation
practice, you’ll notice more of the benefits throughout your day-to-day life. Keep with it, but hold
the practice loosely – no need to beat yourself up if you fall out of the habit. Whenever you feel
ready, try it again.
Meditation & Therapy
In therapy, meditation can be a great tool for taking a pause – allowing moments to arise, sitting
with them, and then letting them pass. Many therapists incorporate meditative practices within
their sessions to support this process.
Therapy and meditation share similar goals: becoming more comfortable with your thoughts and
emotions, finding peace with them, reducing stress, and cultivating more ease into your life.
Combining meditation and therapy can be a powerful way of tending to your mental health.
Meditation can help extend the sense of calm you experience in therapy into your daily routine.
It’s a powerful tool because it’s always accessible – at any moment, in any situation, you can
pause and take some time to focus on your breathing and soak up the present moment.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy in Evanston, IL
Sarah Van Nostrand is passionate about integrating evidence-based tools into her therapy
practice, including meditation and mindfulness-based therapy. If you’re looking to bring some
more presence and peace into your life, therapy might be a great way to do so. Please
reach out today to schedule a consultation and see if working with Sarah might be a great fit for
you.
