Do you meditate?

Yes? No?

Allow me to do this once: Meditation is the most important thing you can do to improve your life.

Honestly, if you are looking for one thing that will make you sleep better, stress less, feel better and live better; this is it.

And guess what?

You don’t have to be an advanced yogi to be able to benefit.

Yes, there are varying levels of meditation and only you can determine which level you will experience.

But not meditating because you believe you need to be experienced or highly spiritual is not a good enough excuse.

That’s like saying ,“There are cars in the world and I know a lot of people use them

but I am not a Formula 1 driver and therefore I will never be able to drive a car”

Sounds silly, doesn’t it?

Who said we needed to excel at something before we can do it?

Ask any professional and they’ll tell you that they weren’t 100% confident the first time, but every time they did it, it became a little easier and felt more comfortable until eventually they became excellent at what they were doing.

Same goes for meditation.

Meditation is simply focusing on one thing rather than allowing our thoughts to run free. It means allowing our minds and bodies to be still and then focusing on more important things rather than the day-to-day madness in our minds.

When you meditate, you become calm, can focus more clearly, feel 100% less stressed and bogged down with the trivialities of the physical world.

Not to mention the peace you feel towards other people and yourself.

Now, when you start meditating there are certain things you need to know:

1. You need to sit up straight.

The energy cannot flow at its optimum when you are hunched. You can sit with your back against a wall, a couch, a bed- anything that keeps your spine straight from top to bottom.

2.Do not lie down.

We associate this with sleeping and tiredness will only serve as a distraction.

3. Ground yourself afterwards.

When you meditate, your energy flows and expands. If you do not ground yourself before you get up, you will feel light-headed and disconnected.

There are many ways to ground but I do 2 things:

In your mind’s eye imagine roots growing out from the floor and “rooting” you to the spot. Secondly, I rub my palms together for about 10 seconds, then taking a deep breath in, I place my palms over my eyes, and then exhale slowly.

Ideally, I combine the two.

Sometimes you will become interrupted during a session and might not have time to do the above.

Simply walk over to a tap. Place your fingertips together with your palms apart. Run water through the gap in your hands. This grounds immediately.

Stamping your feet also grounds efficiently.

How to start?

Just as there are many models of cars, so there are many ways to meditate.

Try this one first and see how you feel:

Sit comfortably somewhere where you will not be disturbed for 5 minutes. Have your hands palms up in your lap.

Now place your right hand in your left and allow the thumbs to touch.

This completes the circuit and will allow energy to move more efficiently.

Close your eyes.

Take a slow deep breath in- allowing the air to fill your stomach, your ribcage and the area behind the collarbones.

Exhale slowly for a count of 10, allowing all the stale air to be released.

Continue to count to 10 on your inhalation and exhalation.

Allow the breath to be comfortable and never feel strained.

If 10 is a strain, try 8 or 9 until you can comfortably stretch to 10.

Remember, anything that tenses muscles, makes the body work and counteracts what you are trying to do.

Be gentle with yourself.

Repeat this for the duration of your meditation. Focus on your breath and the counting. Nothing else. If any thoughts come in, just allow them to sail right on by.

You have more than enough time in the other 23 hours and 55 minutes to think of them.

When you have had enough, ground yourself and open your eyes.

Once you have reached the point of relaxation and focus it is a very very nice place to be.

Sometimes I have to force myself to open my eyes because I can sit in that blissful state for ages.

This state can sometimes be quite emotional- do not worry. It is usually a state of true happiness mixed with tears arising from us recognising our higher self.

When you have done this a few times and gotten used to the idea and sensations, there are many exercises to try. Not every thing works for everyone.