10 Tips for Meditation

I find myself extremely overwhelmed at times. Life, work, relationships, family, health, exercise, social media, etc. everything seems to be happening all of the time. My mind is constantly consumed with ideas. It prohibits me from falling asleep easily almost every single night. I need to work on quieting my mind. Just saying the words "quiet my mind" makes me feel more relaxed. So when I Googled this phrase, a post came up (turns out, I've already read it) that reviews 20 practical tips for quieting the mind. I'm not going to re-post all 20, but I'm going to list the ones I find most practical and applicable for me.

1. Make a formal practice of it. Set aside specific time to be with your mind & thoughts, preferably two times a day. A friend of mine does a 7&7 practice: 7 minutes in the morning, and 7 minutes at night.  Find out what works best for you and just do it.
2. Start with your breath. Focusing on the breath brings your mind and thoughts into yourself, relaxing your mind as well as your body.
3. Stretch first. Loosening up the body not only helps you get in touch with yourself but it allows you to more easily sit comfortably for a duration of time.
4. Notice frustration creep up and let it go. I get frustrated easily. Focusing on my breath simplifies this process and allows me to relax.
5. Pick a specific room in your home, or wherever you happen to be, to meditate. Make sure this space allows you to feel at ease.
6. Commit for the long-haul. Meditation is a life-long practice. Do the best you can every day and then let it go.
7. Generate moments of awareness during the day. Finding your breath and being present wherever you are will help you extend your meditation practice to other areas of your life.
8. Don't stress. This may sound redundant with "quieting the mind" but it is extremely important to remember. Just do the best you can, meditation is what it is.
9. Meditate early in the morning. The minute you wake, your mind may race to "the day" in front of you: what you have to do, what you want to do, where you need to be, etc. Meditating right when you get out of bed will help you focus for the rest of the day. Still early morning? Carve out 10 minutes to stretch and focus on your breath. Let everything else go and just be.
10. Be easy on yourself. You were able to make and take the time to meditate. Congratulations. You are doing the best you can. Good for you.

I'm eager to hear how your practice forms. Feel free to leave comments and thoughts below.
Be well ~