Infinite Ways To Meditate

A lot of healing can happen through meditation, making it a life-changing routine for a lot of people. You always hear about meditation—but what is it, really?

There are so many ways to meditate, so don't think that you have to sit in a corner for an entire hour every day in order to be good at meditation. It can be as little as two minutes of meditation; it can be something that you do throughout your day. There is no one right way to do it which actually makes it a really fun thing!

Before meditating 

The most important thing to note is to let go of judging ourselves during meditation. You don’t have to attain anything specific. It’s really about the journey. Every time you sit down to meditate throughout your entire life, no matter what level you are at with your meditation, you're going to get benefits out of it and you're going to learn something about yourself; you're going to grow, you're going to find that deeper state of awareness.

Ways to meditate

During meditation, you can sit, lay down, or even walk. I find that I tend to fall asleep or drift off when I lay down which is why I prefer sitting or walking.

Once you’ve found your position, try to focus on something: your breathing, your heartbeat, the space you’re in, the lights, the sounds. Focus on how the light is hitting everything in the room that you're sitting in. It's really about creating presence. It's not all about completely quieting your mind (although there is that type of meditation as well.) Thoughts are natural and it’s perfectly okay to let them flow while you meditate.

Walking meditation/mindful meditation

Walking meditation is a great option. As you go for a walk, start to pay attention to what's around you. Notice every tree, every flower, even the wind on your skin. Simply be mindful of every moving part of this universe you are partaking in. Breathe with the earth.

Even if you’re out running errands, you can meditate by just noticing the tiniest details in the space around you—by simply focusing on the present.

Body scan meditation

Whether you’re sitting, walking, or laying, however you choose to meditate, you can also do a body scan by focusing on some of the different areas of your body. How are my feet feeling? Where am I holding tension? Am I tightening my hips? Do my shoulders need to relax? Am I holding my breath?

The goal is to create that deeper connection with your body—which in turn allows you to connect with your mind and spirit.

Smiling meditation

Smiling meditation is a pretty straightforward technique: you simply smile while you meditate. The idea is to brighten up your mood. A smile can give a lot of health benefits: it changes your emotions, it shifts your thoughts.

Visualization meditation

Meditation can also be in the form of visualization. You can visualize your happy place, your goals, where you see yourself in the future. Just close your eyes and create that connection. This type of meditation can be a great way to focus on something so you can quiet the chatter of your everyday thoughts while bringing yourself into a different headspace.

Guided meditation

Guided meditations are guided relaxations. For example, during post-yoga classes, they may guide you through relaxation. When you do a guided meditation, make sure that you bring yourself back out of that hypnotic state.