There are limitless ways to meditate and it tends to look different depending on who you are talking to. Regardless, I think it can be helpful to hear how one person does it and try it out for yourself. You have to start somewhere, right?
So for me, mindfulness is something that I am always preaching to my clients. Are you feeling anxious? Depressed? Stressed? Grieving? You should try being mindful! They 99% of the time come back with, what the hell does mindfulness even mean? (in case you are asking that same question, check out my ‘8 Tips to Become a Mindful Badass’ post https://seasidecounselingcenter.com/8-tips-to-become-a-mindful-badass/). My response varies with a list of a bunch of different ways to be mindful, but I always suggest starting with meditation.
As soon as people (including me) hear the word meditate (cue hippy man with long beard sitting in a field of flowers, cross legged, hands on knees, eyes closed, and making weird “oooohhmmmmm” noises) they almost immediately go to the thought that meditation isn’t for them. My clients say things like “I’ve tried, my mind would wander”, “is that like yoga? I hate yoga”, “I can’t sit still for that long”, “I don’t have time to meditate”, and more. I always go on to explain that meditation means a lot of different things and to try to keep an open mind before shutting it out.
To me, meditation is all about taking time (it does not matter how long, one minute, one hour, whatever) to have quiet space around you and just exist. It can be in your home, at a coffee shop, on an airplane, at the office, at the beach, where ever. It is a time to be quiet, slow your breathing, and focus on the here and now.
So… What exactly do I do? I have tried many different things, but the one that is CURRENTLY (no guarantees that this won’t change) working for me is guided imagery through the insight timer app. Headspace was cool too, not quite my jam because I felt limited in what I could listen to without paying! No this is not an ad for insight timer, I genuinely use it, love it, and am not being paid to mention it. It is free and has a bazillion different options. You can listen to calming music, have timed quiet time, do guided imagery, listen to talks, watch videos, and more. It will give you a daily or weekly reminder (if you want it to) and it has a community of individuals encouraging you to practice, but never forcing you to.
So I use insight timer and I specifically LOVE guided meditations. My absolute favorite teacher is, Sarah Blondin (I also love Meg James) (keep in mind we all have different preferences, so you may like someone else; try out a few people before deciding). I started with really short 1 minute meditations and slowly built my way up. I am currently enrolled in a 10-day “course” that I also really enjoy, it helps keep my accountable and make sure I really do it.
In case that doesn’t sound like it will work for you (although you should still try it, before you dismiss it), other ways that I meditate are: lay on the ground and do deep breathing for a few minutes (very grounding, punny but true), snuggle my dogs, stretch, sit quietly in a room with no noise, go on a quiet walk, take a bath, and listen to music. I also really enjoy meditating with my clients and (some) of my loved ones. It may sound weird, but it is a great way to connect, increase comfortability, and align yourselves. Overall, meditation is about getting outside of your comfort zone and trying new techniques to better your physical, emotional, and mental health. Why don’t you download the app and try something? It will LITERALLY take THREE MINUTES. We’ve all got three minutes somewhere in the day.