taking the first steps in your meditation practice | the mindfulness journey | Toronto

Taking the first steps in your meditation practice

Published On: May 20, 2020

Categories: Meditation

Right now you are probably asking yourself: “After I learn how to meditate, what do I do next? What are the first steps I need to take in my meditation practice?”

Glad you asked because I am here to help you! :)

You’ve found your spot to sit (or lie down). You’ve got your guided audio meditation. You’re all set.

Once you hit play, and the meditation starts, what’s the first thing you notice?

Well, if you’re like everyone else, it’s probably one of 2 things.

  1. You can’t stop thinking
  2. You can’t sit still

Here’s a little secret – both of these things are okay and they don’t make you “bad” at meditating.

Because everyone thinks during meditations and fidgets. #realtalk

Even your trusted old meditation teachers ;)

Our brains like to think. It’s what they are known for. That and reminding you about that time when you slipped on a patch of ice and fell on your butt as a freshman in front of a group of senior boys. Just me??

What to do next

First things first. Let go of all expectations of what your practice is going to be like. Every time you sit down on the chair or the cushion will look and feel differently. For so many reasons. How you’re feeling in the moment. What’s going on in your life. If you’re hungry or tired, etc.

And that’s okay.

The thing is, if you are noticing these things? That’s the start of creating awareness. Which is a good thing.

Learning how to be more aware and present is part of meditating.

Meditation Tips

  • Start small. Baby steps. When you’re first starting a meditation practice (or any new habit) it helps to ease into it. Keep your meditations short and sweet. Here’s a 3 minute guided meditation to get you started.
  • Set reminders. Set an alarm to go off on your phone when it’s time to meditate. I like to use the reminders app on my iPhone but you can use whatever works best for you.
  • No judgements. This one might be a little harder, especially at the beginning. If you miss a meditation – that’s fine. Try not to be too hard on yourself because things come up all the time. Notice the thought, practice some forgiveness and show yourself a little kindness.

Begin again. And again. And again.

Every time you meditate you’re building that muscle. With time, your meditation practice will become a habit. You’ll stop having to remind yourself to meditate and you will just do it.

The best part? You don’t even have to be a lifelong meditator to start seeing the benefits!!

They happen pretty quickly. Studies have found that meditating daily for 8 weeks have showed changes in the brain similar to people who have meditated for YEARS. In just TWO months. How great is that?

By signing up for this FREE program, you will have the beginning steps needed to start a regular and consistent practice.

10 minutes a day

$0

starting a meditation practice

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Charlene Gethons

Hey there, I'm Charlene!

I help creative entrepreneurs with chronic illness create a sustainable business that fits their lifestyle without letting imposter syndrome take over.

Charlene is an entrepreneur, psychotherapist and mindfulness coach living with chronic illness after she was hit by a bus.