Meditation is my favorite daily practice. But it didn’t always start out that way. I used to struggle with sitting in one place and keeping my focus on the present moment. For years, I tried meditation, but I could never get into it. In 2017, I began using Headspace daily, and that short, consistent practice softened my view around the whole idea of stillness and silence. My natural hummingbird energy slowed down, my breath steadied and I felt a deep spiritual connection with my inner voice. Over the years, my practice has deepened. For years, I used guided meditations, chakra opening meditations, story-driven meditations – you name it, I’ve tried them all. And in this blog post, I really want to share my top 10 tips for meditating. Think of it as a beginner’s guide, a simple and easy way to begin the meditative journey.

10 Simple and Easy Tips to Start Your Meditation Practice

Just Begin

A lot of us think that you have to do meditation in a certain way. That there is a “right” way to meditate and a “wrong” way to do it. I am here to say: nonsense! There is no right way to meditate, just as there is no clear cut way to journal or paint! The hardest thing to overcome with starting a meditation practice is starting. But here’s my rule of thumb: just begin. It doesn’t have to be in the morning right when you wake up and it doesn’t have to be in the evening before you fall asleep. Do it whenever you have a few minutes to spare. As with anything in life, the “perfect time” will never come. We’ll always remain busy and life will always move fast. But we can choose to slow it down – even if it’s just for 5 or 10 minutes of your day. Just start now. And trust me when I say that the feeling you get when you finish is so worth it.

Make it a Daily Practice

Meditation, like many rituals and habits, is not a one-and-done sorta thing. That’s why it’s called a “practice.” The more you meditate, the easier it becomes. The more time and attention you give to it, the less resistance you’ll feel and the more often you’ll want to do it. And when those peaceful, feel-good feelings you’ll experience over time after meditating, the more you’ll eagerly come back to your practice. It feels too good to miss a day on!

Set a Time

There’s no right way to meditate. You don’t have to meditate for 10 minutes a day. Heck, you don’t have to meditate for 5 minutes a day! Start with 1 minute. Slowly inch your way up and add 20 seconds with each passing day. Over time, it’ll get easier and easier and pretty soon you’ll be meditating for 5 minutes and beyond. Meditating used to be really hard for me in the beginning, that even just a few minutes felt like a hurdle I had to overcome. But make it a habit: start with 1 minute a day and then work upwards from there.

Pick Your Sounds

Find what works for you when it comes to sounds. In the beginning, I loved listening to the Headspace app (sometimes you can find great deals on Headspace like 3 months for 99 cents!) and different white noise sounds on Insight Timer. I also like the calming guided meditations on the Rituals app. Today I meditate in silence but when I need answers or clarity, I listen to binaural beats (reeeeally helpful for dropping into that Theta brain state) or music on my Spotify playlist.

My Guided Meditations

Guided meditations are great when you’re first getting started because it can be comforting and provide a nice structure and focus to the experience. I love meditations that offer clarity and guidance and takes me on a story toward uncovering answers or guidance. I recently created a pack of story-driven meditations which you can purchase here if your intuition feels it’s a fit! I’ve also created 4 free meditations for you to easily download here. 

Find Your Place to Unwind

The most important key takeaway here is to find a comfortable position that feels easy and restful for you….and one that you can remain in for a while. Whether that’s sitting in a chair, feet firmly planted on the floor or even lying down in bed. You can curl up on your yoga mat or even get a meditation cushion or prop two pillows up. If you’re meditating in the afternoon or evening, and you tend to fall asleep when you meditate (Hello, I’ve done this!….even when I was surrounded by people in a meditation class! 😂) Personally, I find it’s easiest to just sit down or lie in bed and start meditating first thing when I wake up. That way I’m most rested and I know I’m not going to fall back asleep.  We’re most connected to that dreamy subconscious state when we first arise from slumber, so I find that meditating in bed or on my yoga mat is the easiest thing to do first thing in the morning (and making a habit easy is one of the best ways to stay consistent at building a habit!) But any way works!

What to Do With Your Eyes

There are two ways I love to meditate: one is to close my eyes, which can help with focus. The other way you can meditate is by lowering your gaze, relaxing and softening you eyes. Just allow your vision to get soft. I love to do this when I want to meditate with a candle! I’ll light a candle and relax my eyes downward and watch the flame when my gaze softens and relaxes. It’s a great way to unwind at night before bed or first thing in the early morning.

Bring Your Attention to Your Body

First things first: don’t try to banish all the thoughts! Simply focus on the feeling of being in your body. Feel what it’s like to be connected with your physical body, in your skin. Pay attention to any tension you might be holding. Slowly observe the sensations as you work your way from the crown of your head, down through each muscle to your feet. Notice what feels open, what feels closed and cramped. The simplest way to practice mindfulness and meditation is to just pay attention to the way your body feels. There is so much our bodies know, that our minds do not. What can you learn from your body in your meditation today? What is your vessel softly whispering to you?

Focus on the Breath

After connecting with your physical container, it’s then the ideal time to focus on your breath. The rise and the fall. The inhale and the exhale. Notice how your lungs expand and release. Don’t think about how quickly or slowly you’re breathing. Don’t worry if you’re breathing deeply or not breathing deeply enough. You know how to breathe, your body will do it for you naturally without thinking. You don’t have to remember to breathe – just notice it. Observe the breath. That’s where the real practice gets goin’ – noticing it. Becoming a watcher of the steady inhales, the steady exhale. One breath at a time.

Don’t Worry!

If you get distracted, that’s okay! In fact, that’s normal. If you don’t ever get distracted while in meditation, you must be an enlightened one with a few past lives living as a monk! 😂 But seriously, everyone gets distracted. Everyone loses focus and finds their mind drifting and wandering around. Sometimes minutes can pass you by before you realize you’ve been lost in a spiral of different thoughts. This is okay. What’s important is that you’re not hard on yourself. Don’t beat yourself up! Don’t get annoyed with yourself for thinking about what you’re going to eat for dinner! When you notice that you’re thinking, gently pull your attention back to the breath. The inhale, the exhale. The rise, the fall. In, out…in, out….When you find your attention wandering again, gently bring yourself back to the sensations in your body, the way your muscles feel. Again, there’s no right or wrong way to meditate. You’ve got this, pal.

Set a Daily Timer and Make it a Daily Habit

Now here’s the important part: make it a daily habit, friend! Every day. 1 minute a day. 5 minutes a day! Whatever feels good to you. But the key is to do it every day. If it’s a new habit for you, start by setting a timer for a specific time every day. Pick a time when you know you won’t be bothered. Check out your schedule for the day. Is it best to do it first thing when you wake up? After your workout? After lunch? Before bed?  Once you’ve figured out the right time, set a reminder on your phone to ring when it’s meditation time! Or fill out a habit tracking sheet (I use these all the time for new habits I’m trying to cultivate – I’ve created a free habit tracking sheet you can download here)! Remember that no time will ever be the best time. Just begin today. The real, mind-blowing long-term (and short-term!) effects of meditation come through repetition and when you’ve developed a consistent routine with it.  Peace and clarity await you, friend…..I’m so excited for you. 

Sending you all my love,

Helena! ☀️

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Grab My Meditations Here!

Alright, it’s time to announce – my guided meditations are here! After years of practice and months creating them, I’ve created my pack of healing meditations. When we meditate and relax into a lower brain state such as Theta (as you’ll experience in these guided meditations), our minds are more sensitive, more open to receiving answers from deep within our subconscious. The subconscious is where we can radically heal and transform our lives.

I’ve created 12 audio meditations, guiding you and helping you discover answers you need in regards to health, daily habits, your dreams and values. Uncover answers for the big and small decisions. Find the next steps you need to take, that which you need to let go. Connect with and learn from your higher self and discover the soul contracts and past lives from those you in your current life. Discover where you come from and your star origins. Plus there are 2 bonus guided meditations to use for manifesting and releasing on the New Moon and Full Moon.

Each meditation was hand-crafted to help you connect with nature, joy and simplicity.

Clear limiting beliefs, let go of the past and reconnect with your highest self. Come along and let’s go on a journey within…

Meditation tracks I’ve created for you:

• Releasing Fear (your safe sanctuary)

• Letting Go of Past Memories

• Cord Cutting

• Courage

• Daily Health and Wellness

• Beauty in the Present (earth connection)

• Purpose & Finding Your Authentic Self

• Difficult Decisions

• Balance & Boundaries

• Soul Contracts

• Origins

• New Moon Wishing

• Full Moon Releasing

If you’d like to try out some of my older meditations for free, you can download them easily here!