“Meditation” can be an intimidating word for some people. The most common misunderstanding about meditation is that it’s an esoteric, strict, quest towards spiritual transcendence through the process of clearing one’s mind of all thoughts. And sure, if meditation has been your life’s work, then maybe it looks something like this. But it doesn’t have to be so intense, because the root idea of meditation is actually quite simple and not at all difficult to work into your everyday life. Yes, even YOU can reap the benefits of meditation.

So what is meditation?
To meditate is simply to focus one’s mind on something for a period of time. Traditionally, meditation is done in silence or, at times, with the aid of chanting, as a way to achieve peace of mind. There are dozens of ways to meditate, dozens of methods from all over the world, but they are all designed to free your mind from the constant overthinking and worrying that so many of us are plagued with.

Benefits
But the benefits of meditation are deeper and broader than just temporary relaxation. Studies now prove that meditation leads to:

• Better focus
• Less anxiety
• More creativity
• More compassion
• Better memory
• Less stress

Really, though? You might ask. How can a simple daily practice change so much about my life?
When scientists have studied the human brain during meditation, they have found that the main thing it does is decrease beta waves, which are responsible for processing information. So, it follows that when beta waves are decreased, the brain processes less information, allowing it to relax.  

Beginner’s Guide to Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation, the most mainstream method in America, is very easy and accessible. Start by practicing for ten minutes a day. Go into a quiet space and sit however it feels comfortable to you. You might like your back to rest against a wall or your legs crossed in front of you. Begin to breathe slowly, noticing how the air feels as it enters and exits your body. For some people, their entire meditation practice is simply observing the breath, so if you’d like, this is all you have to do. As thoughts arise, notice them, and then gently let them go. This will happen again and again, and that’s okay. Imagine your thoughts are balloons, each one floating away into the sky just as easily as it appeared. If your thoughts become so busy that you forget your breath, say to yourself “I am breathing in” and “I am breathing out”. Focusing on these words can help you refocus on the breath itself. 

Sounds and Sensations
If you’d like to venture further and use your meditation time to focus on something other than breath, you can incorporate sounds and sensations into the practice. 

In the exact same way you notice your breath, listen to sounds and name them as you hear them. Is there a bird chirping nearby? A fan humming inside? If there are sounds that irritate you, try to welcome and accept them without judgement. Like the thoughts, let sounds come and go, let your attention move from sound to sound easily and naturally without attaching judgment. 

To use sensation as a meditation tool, simply focus your attention on your toes. Become aware of them. How do they feel? Slowly work your way up from your toes, drawing your attention to every part of your body. When thoughts arise, redirect your attention to the sensations in your body. 

Training your mind to slow down can feel extremely difficult, but only if you try to bite off more than you can chew. If ten minutes feels too long, start with five, or even one. Set your timer and when it goes off, move on with your day. You’ll be making progress whether you can tell or not.