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A place to read about contemplative practices, meditation and the cultivation of mindfulness, compassion and insight and other topics related to well-being in life.

4 Basic Helpful Tips to Follow For Beginners Practicing Meditation

In short, what are the four basic tips that might help you as you start with your practice of mindfulness meditation?

Clayton Micallef

Dec 29, 2022

Find a peaceful, distraction-free location: Turn off your phone, television, and other electrical devices that might disturb or distract you during your practice. If you want to use background sounds, choose something relaxing, repetitive, and neutral with no words, such as rain or ocean sounds, if you prefer music or sound in the background.

Find a comfortable position to meditate in: Most meditations are done while seated. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, on a chair, or lying on the floor with a blanket, pillow, or cushion elevating your hips are all options. But there is no specific posture. The objective is to find a posture that you can keep for several minutes comfortably.

Create a routine: In order to get the advantages of meditation, you must first try to create a routine. It's about trying to make a habit out of it. Make a timetable for yourself and try to meditate for at least five minutes every day at the same time, such as before bed or when you get up.

Start small and slowly: For beginners, meditating for more than five to ten minutes may be difficult. To begin, choose a time limit of between five to ten minutes. The length of the meditation session is less crucial than practising meditation on a regular basis, as meditation could be compared to a type of mental training. So similar to exercise as our practice becomes more established and our stamina to sit for more extended sessions improves as we practice.

I will be expanding on each of these more in upcoming posts. You can see them below.

Now About Meditation

Beginner Tips for Creating a Consistent Meditation Routine

It can be really helpful for beginners of meditation to set a routine or schedule for when you are going to practice meditation. But how do I go about setting a routine? It’s about trying to make a habit out of it. But it can be challenging to form a new habit, especially one that requires carving out time for yourself in…

9 months ago · Clayton Micallef

Now About Meditation

Beginner Tips For Meditation Minimizing External Distractions

I would say that for beginners, finding a peaceful location and minimizing external distractions is one of the most crucial things to set before engaging in meditation practice. Why? One of our greatest challenges when it comes to practising mindfulness meditation is distraction, the natural tendency the mind has to mov…

8 months ago · Clayton Micallef

Now About Meditation

Beginner Tips for Meditation Posture

Another crucial element for beginners is finding a comfortable posture to meditate in for the length of practice. It is important to note that when it comes to practising mindfulness meditation, especially when applied within the context of an intervention towards well-being, there is no hard or soft rule in which posit…

7 months ago · Clayton Micallef

Bibliography

Choden, & Regan-Addis, H. (2018). Mindfulness based living course. New Alresford: John Hunt Publishing.
Germer, C., & Neff, K. (2019). Teaching the mindful self-compassion program: A guide for professionals. New York, NY: Guilford Publications.
Wolf, C., & Serpa, J. G. (2015). A clinician's guide to teaching mindfulness: The comprehensive session-by-session program for mental health professionals and healthcare providers. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.