The Mindfulness Workbook contains six chapters with interviews, insights and lots of exercises that revolve around different mindfulness questions. One of those insights is how to start with meditation. In this blog we share two tips.
Start Small
Meditation is actually quite simple and logical: giving your mind a rest lets you put things into perspective and enjoy everything more. And you don’t have to spend hours with your head on a pillow and your eyes closed: even taking five minutes a day to observe your breathing (instead of focusing on the thoughts racing through your mind) is enough to make you feel calmer. Don’t make meditating a chore that stresses you out.
Let your thoughts come and go
Of course, while you’re meditating, thoughts will sometimes pop into your head, along with feelings and emotions. They simply belong to the practice. You don’t need to clear your head completely. Whenever you notice that you’ve lost focus, gently go back to your breathing. Sometimes it can help to give your thoughts a label, such as ‘commitments’, ‘beliefs’, ‘work’, or ‘shopping’, and then let them go. If you don’t cut off a thought, it will naturally continue.
Do you want to read more tips? The article can be found in the Mindfulness Workbook, which you can buy in our webshop.
Text Caroline Buijs, Irene ras
