How to Meditate

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Are you ever curious about what it means to genuinely meditate? Like, seriously. Maybe you, like most people, have at one point or another mimicked something you saw on television or at the movies, like mindless hmm and hawing or some variation of assorted affirmations and relaxation exercises.

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Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines the term meditate as a verb that means “to engage in contemplation or reflection.” In another entry, they define the term as a verb that means “to engage in mental exercise (such as concentration on one’s breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness.”

At the end of the day, meditation is always a practice that is carried out with intention and expectancy. Whether your expectation is to feel more present, fulfilled or well rested, there is always a reason for employing the practice of meditation in one’s life. Today, we’re going to discuss three steps you should take when deciding to meditate.

Step One: Establish presence.

Eckhart Tolle is one of the most well-known spiritual teachers in the world. According to his website, his bestselling books, The Power of Now and A New Earth are published and distributed in 52 different languages – an impressive feat for literally any single person. Moreover, his work has very much been focused on inspiring and empowering people to lead more mindful lives and embrace the advent of being present in each moment of life.

Being present, according to Tolle, is about experiencing the freedom and joys of life. In a popular video of his, he illustrates the importance of being alert, or aware of what is happening around you. He spoke about how our awareness grows and recedes based on the nature of the moment you are living in.

Step Two: Practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness is a hot topic of discussion in today’s social landscape. Possibly because so many of us have misunderstood what it means, or we’ve found ourselves caught up in fringe conspiracies about its place in the aimless musings of abstract thought. Fortunately, psychologists were able to agree. 

“Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention to the present. This state is described as observing one’s thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad.” (PsychologyToday)

When preparing to meditate, it is important that you understand what it means to be present, and to be aware of and alive in the moment. Some exercises to activate mindfulness include paying attention, living in the moment, focusing on your breathing, and other practical activities recommended by Mayo Clinic, The Harvard Gazette and others.

Step Three: Embrace Gratitude.

Once you’ve established presence, and put mindfulness into practice, there’s only one thing left to do. Embrace gratitude. According to research conducted in the field of positive psychology, “gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.” (Harvard Health)

The embrace and expression of gratitude is linked to a long list of positive outcomes for those who use it in their lives. Stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure, closer relationships and more are all linked to the implementation of gratitude in one’s life. In 2010, Greater Good Magazine actually published a segmented list to review the positive effects of gratitude on the physical, psychological and social levels.

If you’ve ever been curious about meditating, and you’re wondering how it gets done, we hope this will be of help to you as you embark on that journey. Establish presence, practice mindfulness and embrace gratitude. Whether you choose to sound bath, pray, sauna or hum, put these steps into practice and see how it changes your life.

Why sink when you can SWIM?

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