How do I start Mindfulness Meditation? (7 Guided Mindfulness Exercises)

Many of you must be wondering how do I start mindfulness meditation, how to practice mindfulness etc. if you've heard about mindfulness exercises.

Mindfulness meditation is something that's going to help you always live the moment, live in the present. It keeps you away from the past as well as the worries, stress and anxiety of the future.

But many of my friends ask me about how do I start mindfulness meditation. That's what made me write this Guided Mindfulness Mediation for beginners.

After reading this quick article, you'll be able to start mindfulness practice right from your home, office, work desk or wherever you are.

What is mindfulness meditation and how to start?

There are many techniques, types and ways to do meditation and mindfulness is a way or a technique of meditation wherein, you consciously focus on the present moment, your feelings, your senses, your emotions without getting attached, affected or any judgement to those.

When you start practicing mindfulness meditation, you generally practice some breathing exercises or techniques that help you in staying calm and relaxes your body and mind as well as it helps you instantly to reduce your stress or anxiety.

We all know that we are surrounded with negative thought patterns, negative energy. We mostly focus on our failures, problems, day dreaming and stuff. Ultimately these kind of negative thoughts create stress and make us anxious. Now, practicing mindfulness meditation helps you to get distracted and get off of these negative thoughts and it keeps you away from all the negative stuff going inside of you or around you.

Benefits of mindfulness meditation?

There are number of benefits of mindfulness that science and labs all across the globe are still finding some new benefits on a daily basis. Many of the proven benefits of meditation includes:

• Stress relief
• Cures anxiety
• Reduces pain
• Depression
• Cures Insomnia
• Controls high blood pressure (hypertension)

According to many researches, it states that meditation also helps in asthma and thyroid.

Meditation helps you in controlling your thoughts and emotions for you to live a balanced life and develop a habit of acceptance. Not only that, but meditation also helps you in:

• Improving your focus
• Concentration
• Reducing work related stress
• Improving deep relaxed sleep
• Controlling diabetes

Mindfulness Meditation Exercises

Focus & pay close attention: We know that it's pretty hard to just slow down and focusing on something in this busy world that's running way too fast. But try to start and take a minute or two to experience your surroundings, things around you, with your senses (smell, taste, sound, touch, sight).

For example: when you get to eat your favorite mean, favorite food, try to slow down a bit and first smell it and feel & notice your senses. Thereafter, taste and enjoy every single bite of it carefully and consciously.

Live in the moment: Intentionally you must try to focus on every single thing you do.

For example: when you eat, you must bring all your focus and attention only on eating, every bite of your food, when you chew, when you swallow, the smell of it, the taste, the touch of it with your hands, the softness of it or how hard the bite maybe.

Try to focus on every step or anything you do and hold it with that work until it's done then only move on to the next task.

Acceptance & Self Love: Accept yourself the way you are. Never ever disvalue or disrespect yourself - that's the very first step. Then self-love is the habit that you need to develop. Love yourself just as you love your friends or family or anything that's close to your heart.

Focus on your breathing: Whenever you notice that there are a lot of negative thoughts going on in your mind, try to sit down for a while, take a long deep breath from your nose and just close your eyes.

Just for a minute or two, bring all your focus & attention to your breathing as it goes in and out of your body. If you start with this small practice for a minute or two even, it's going to help you a lot.

Some Other Mindfulness Meditation Exercises

How to do Sitting Mindfulness Meditation:

• Sit on a chair or on a mat on the floor.
• Be comfortable with your back straight and arms on your lap.
• Bring all your attention to your breathing and notice each and every single breath carefully and consciously.
• Notice every breath moving in and out of your body.
• If at any point you get distracted with your thought/s, don't worry / panic, it happens.
• As soon as you notice that you were distracted, simply take a long deep breath and come back to your exercise.

How to do Body Scan Meditation (Guided):

• Lie on your back and just relax.
• Keep your legs slightly apart and place your arms at your sides, palms facing upwards.
• Take a couple of long deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth and relax.
• Now bring all your attention to each and every single part of your body starting from head to the toe or vice versa.
• Be aware of any sensations going on in any part of your body.
• Don't judge or try to do anything, but just be aware.
• Any sensations or emotions with any part of the body.
• Just be aware.

Guided Walking Mindfulness Meditation:

• Find a place with silence and begin to walk slowly.
• Focus on your steps, on every single step that you take.
• Bring your focus and attention to your feet.
• The sensations, the pressure, the tightness, the touch, it's cold, hot or what exactly you feel in your feet.
• When you're just standing, when you take the very first step, when you pick one leg up to take a step, all the pressure of your body goes on one.
• Just be aware of the sensations.

How often should I practice Mindfulness Meditation?

Though it is beneficial to start with at least 20 minutes (minimum) of mindfulness daily.

A research done in California says that mindfulness is truly beneficial if somehow we engage our senses outdoors.

Such as body scan, walking meditation or sitting meditation can be truly beneficial. For this, you need to spare some time and decide to dedicate that particular time to utilize it only for mindfulness meditation.

Find a quite place wherein you are less distracted and not at all interrupted by anyone. Then choose any type meditation you'd like to do: Sitting Meditation, Body Scan or Walking Meditation.

After making a choice, practice the exercise daily without fail, either early in the morning or right before bed, before going off to sleep.

You must set a goal to practice mindfulness for at least 6 months and soon you'll realize that it is not something you have to do, it is something that will happen on it's own. Yes, Mindfulness will become effortless for you. You'll be able to soon connect with yourself (within).

How do you practice mindfulness meditation for beginners?

If you're an absolute beginner then start your mindfulness meditation practice by observing things and just by being aware of everything around you & especially noticing the sensations of your body. When you eat your favorite meal or walking on the grass barefoot, just be aware of each and every single bite or every single step you take. Feel the sensations in your body and every part of the body. Just be aware, be conscious of everything.

What are the 3 steps of mindfulness?

The 3 steps of mindfulness are:

Step 1: Sit quietly in a room alone without any distractions.

Step 2: Bring all your focus & attention on your breathing (notice breath patterns).

Step 3: Just be aware of every single breath coming in & moving out. Don't judge, just be aware.

What are the basic steps in mindfulness meditation?

• Find a comfortable position with NO Distractions at all.
• Sit quietly & try to relax your body and your mind.
• Bring all your focus & your attention to your nostrils.
• Notice each & every single breath coming in & moving out.
• Allow all the positive energy to move in with the inhale & exhale all the stress.
• Practice this for at least 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, slowly open your eyes, appreciate yourself & thank God.

What are 5 ways that you can practice mindfulness?

You can practice with the following mindfulness meditation techniques:

• Acceptance & Self Love Meditation
• Sitting Mindfulness Meditation
• Body Scan Meditation
• Walking Awareness Meditation
• Simple Breathing Meditation Exercises

How do I start meditating at home for beginners?

If you want to start meditating at home as an absolute beginner, then follow the simple steps below:

• Sit on a chair or on a mat on the floor - a place with No distractions.
• Be comfortable, switch off your phone so that you don't get disturbed.
• Sit, relax, keep your back straight and arms on your lap.
• Take 3 long deep breaths. In through the nose & out through the nose.
• Now bring all your attention to your breathing, on your nostrils.
• Notice every breath, the air coming in & moving out.
• If your mind wanders, don't worry, don't panic. Just come back to your breathing.
• Practice this for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, relax, appreciate yourself, open your eyes slowly and thank God.
• Practice this mindfulness meditation exercise daily.

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