Meditation for Beginners

what you want to learn before starting a meditation practice to set yourself up for success

WOOO! You finally decided to give meditation a try….but where do you begin? How do you bust through the meditation myths and set yourself up for success? This is key for meditation. If you attempt meditation without a clear goal or “why” you’re not going to see the benefits, and chances are you will think that it’s not working for you. Take a few minutes to jot down, or mentally note, the questions outlined below so you can start a meditation practice with intention.

The first thing that you want to think about before you begin is your “why.”

Why do you want to start meditating? What brought you to this point in your life that you want to begin? Did someone recommend that you start meditation? If so, reflect on the context of your conversation with them. Were you describing a stressful situation at home or work, or how overwhelmed you are with thoughts constantly running through your head. It sounds cliche but if you know your why you will know where to begin and what type of meditation to begin with.

Once you know your why you can define your goals. What is your overall goal with meditation?

For some it may be to reduce stress. For others, it may be to stop reacting (or let’s be real, over-reacting) to every situation that arises and to approach each situation more level-headed (aka stop going from 0 to 100 real quick). You might also want to meditate because you’re constantly angry, upset or annoyed with the people and situations around you.

Which one of those above can you relate to the most?

If you know your goals with meditation then you can choose the best type of meditation to do.

There are so many different approaches to meditation and it’s important to know what you want to achieve through meditation, and why, so you set yourself up with success. If you begin meditation and you don’t start out by taking the time to discover the right approach for you, you may think that “it doesn’t work” (check out my vlog on Meditation Myth Busters here), and you will be more likely to give up instead of exploring different types of meditation until you find the right fit.

Once you’ve established your why and goals, check out my post on which type of meditation is best for your goals. I go over different styles f meditation, and why I recommend that type of practice and how it relates to your goals. I also include resources so you can quickly reference each meditation I review!

“let not future things disturb thee, for thou wilt come to them, if it shall be necessary, having with thee the same reason which now thou usest for present things.” - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations