The missing map for beginners of meditation
Systematic practice is more important than a tutorial
Perhaps you’ve heard of the ranges of benefit of practising mediation and want to get started, this is the right place.
While this story is dedicated to beginners of meditation, but it is not a meditation tutorial. What beginners need is not a tutorial, rather, a path because meditation is both easy and hard.
Meditation is easy. There is an abundant amount of easy-going video tutorials, and anyone can try a 10-minute meditation for the first time in their life.
But you won’t reap much from that single session of 10-minute meditation. Chances are, you’d find an intricate feeling combined of relaxation and exhaustation. You find it interesting but forget it the very next day.
Some say meditation is the “gym of the mind” and it’s very true. Sitting on a workout machine on a whim would not give you a strong physique, as much as a single session of meditation would not give you the tranquil mind you longed.
Mind, like the physique, need to be systematically and regularly trained. In the system of cultivating mindfulness, you’ll need to know far more than how to meditate:
- How to approach boringness, restlessness, or agitation when meditating?
- How to suffuse the mindful awareness in the daily life?
- Why would simple practices like concentrating on breathes train up the mind?
- What are the benefits?
- And many more…
A simple article simply won’t suffice. What beginners need is a path, not a short tutorial.
What are the paths?
There are many ways to approach mindfulness meditation. A good way should provide a good understanding of the practice, cultivate perseverance, and is approachable.
I listed five approaches in the infographics above. Except for chocolate meditation being a “little taster” of mindfulness, others are good systematic ways to train up your practice.
Have you made up your mind? Use the infographic to aid your decision and the resources to the paths are here:
Frantic World Book
Chocolate Meditation
Article
Guided Soundtrack
HeadSpace
Meditation Class/Retreat
Finding a mediation class/retreat is more effortful than other options. There are many schools of meditation. Some are secular, some are Buddhists and each has their own underlying phliosophy.
Usually searching “Meditation Retreat/Class + Your City” would find you a lot of classes and retreats. But not all retreat are for all people.
While I cannot give a detailed analysis on each available option, it is important to know what school of meditation of the class/retreat is following. If you’re looking for secular psychological practice, add MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitve Therapy) or MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) in your search. Or else, usually class/retreat has a Buddhist tie.
Ask yourself how much you’re willing to commit for it. Class/retreat have varying commiment level — take a look at how they practice, see if the practice and goal fits you. Everyone’s different and there is no definitive answer here.
Perhaps you have made up your mind picking up a path? That’s good. Or you’re still pondering? That doesn’t matter too. Making a committed decision is better than doing something on a whim — that you would give up in few days.
Mindfulness changed my life by changing my way to relate to thoughts and emotions. Since then I am committed to advocating this art of living to more people.
After meditating for two short years, I experienced a myriad of benefits in areas such as happiness, anxiety, and sleep. You can read my stories here:
My stories themselves are merely a combination of words and they won’t make your life better. I am just sharing a path that I have trodden and turns out to be magnificently fruitful for me. Gems are on the path but you would never find them unless you take the first step.
Happy meditating!
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