Meditation for beginners is easier than you think. The practice is said to help bring inner peace, a sense of calm and clarity of mind. It helps give us a brighter outlook and it reduces stress. But where to begin? The Carousel asked meditation guru, Tom Cronin (AKA The King Of Calm) to share his top seven tips to start meditating.
“In the last 10-15 years humanity has increased its mental simulation enormously. With the introduction of our smart phones and laptops, we have changed from a society that read books, listened to radio, watched a little free-to-air TV at night and read newspapers on the way to work, to one that is consuming information ALL DAY LONG.
“This huge increase in mental stimulation is like a wrecking ball on our mental health. It’s not an accident that the increase in anxiety, ADHD, depression and even suicide is in parallel with the increase use of our smart phones.
“This is also why we are seeing an increase use of meditation to help offset this mental stimulation overload. Meditation is a way to bring healthy gaps back into your days and give your mind, body and nervous system a much-needed break. Meditation for beginners should no be hard, although lots of people are a little intimidated when first starting out. I aim to make it easy and accessible for all.
“If you are new to meditation and don’t have a practice yet, here are seven ways for you to begin.”
Meditation For Beginners – Tom’s Simple Steps
- Set aside 10-20 minutes in the morning and ideally the afternoon or early evening each day to meditate.
- Find a comfortable chair where it is quiet, you are safe, and won’t be disturbed (this can be in your car, a lounge at home, in a park, church or even in your bedroom).
- Turn your phone to airplane mode, switch it off or put it onto silent. If you wish to use a timer on your phone you may do so.
- Close your eyes and let go of the need to engage with the outside world for the next 10-20 mins. It will be there when you come back.
- Bring your awareness gently to the breath moving through your nostrils, and notice how it cools the skin around the rim of your nostrils.
- Each time the mind moves away from this single point, bring it back again to the cooling skin around the rim of the nostrils.
- After your meditation time has finished, sit for just a few moments with your eyes closed and then slowly open your eyes.
If you apply this simple meditation for beginners practice to each and every day you will notice subtle but very effective changes to how you feel. You will be calmer, less reactive, lighter, happier and sleep better. This is why I produced and co-wrote the film and book The Portal – to show how powerful meditation is in turning our life around and creating more harmony not just in our own lives, but across the world.Â
