Effortless Meditation for Relaxation

Learning to meditate is an activity that will quickly bring you a sense of peace, calm, serenity and relaxation. Meditation can lower your blood pressure, and help you feel "centered" all day long. However, many people fear trying it...thinking that they can't sit still that long, don't know what to do, believe that it won't work, etc. They are worrying too much and trying too hard. So, let's relax a bit and learn a simple meditation practice that anyone can do.

First, in order to meditate in peace, you need to find a little time to yourself...even 10 or 15 minutes a day is long enough to reap the benefits of meditation. You don't have to be completely alone. A child playing or watching TV in the next room need not disturb you. Just find some time when you can sit by yourself for a while.

Get in the mood for meditation. Play some soft, gentle music (without lyrics), or you can use a "sound" machine that plays sounds of waterfalls, ocean waves, etc. Even softly running a fan in the background can help. You just need something soothing that will block out most of the background noise.

These first two steps in preparing for meditation need only a minute or two to set up...going into a separate room and playing a CD or turning on a fan. Now, find a position that is COMFORTABLE FOR YOU. Meditation is all about comfort. You can lay flat on your back on the floor in the yoga "corpse" position. Or you can lay on your back with your feet up the wall...excellent for people with back problems. Or you can sit on the floor cross-legged or in any other comfortable position. You can also sit in a chair.

Now, you are ready to begin the relaxation stage of meditation. You've put on some music and sat down. That wasn't hard. To begin your meditation, just close your eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths. As soon as you begin to relax, almost immediately a thousand thoughts will pop into your head. That's normal. These are all the thoughts that have been trying to get your attention...like little children. Let them in. Give them attention. Think about them, and then decide that you'll take care of these things after your meditation.

Next, begin to meditate by just listening. Some meditators advise you to empty your mind. But, of course, that never happens for most of us. Instead, pretend you are just listening for someone to tell you something. Amazingly, most of the time we do this, a thought will come into our mind. I've meditated with other people and, afterwards, we'll talk about the thought that popped into our minds. Even in the same room, we'll all have different thoughts. "Trust", "Have Faith", "Play", "Don't Give Up", "It Will Be Alright", "Be Patient" are just some of the affirmations that people have received from meditation.

End your meditation by sitting up, if you were lying down. Take a few deep breaths. Then, chant "Omm" a few times. The vibration of this chanting is good for your nasal passages...and is also a relaxing way to end your meditation!

It’s as simple as that. Anyone can do it, and reap the peaceful benefits. Once you have practiced meditation a few times, you will also find the peace, joy and relaxation that many others have received through meditation.