4 Tips for Making Meditation Easier
By: Jaisen Caine
Tags: Enlightenment, Spirituality, Spiritual Growth, Meditate, Meditation

The astounding benefits of meditation have been long researched and confirmed by science, but for millennia now it has been known that the practice of meditation broadens the mind and brings about great states of peace and relaxation, along with the possibility of enlightenment, or moksha as known by some, or “awakening” by others. No matter the reason for your dive into the realm of meditation most will quickly find that the practice is both hard to stay focused within and to maintain as a persistent habit. Strange how the task of doing absolutely nothing at all can be so difficult for our wandering minds, isn’t it?

If you are one struggling to find repose in meditation and cannot seem to focus for a long enough time before being distracted by something, either in your environment or your mind, then I suggest trying these few tips below.

Get rid of any tempting distractions

This includes your phone, people, especially friends, and any technological devices nearby. Even food, or the prospect of food nearby, can distract you enough and keep your mind in a flurry. Find a quiet place away from all these things, for at least a short period of time, and remain convicted to continuing your practice for the day. The benefits arise even after a few minutes of your time, so do not punish yourself if you cannot do it for any longer; this will only make you less inclined in wanting to do it again tomorrow, as negative self-talk is the greatest demotivating tool we have in our arsenal of psychological torment.

Meditate Outside

Personally, I have found meditating outside to be highly more beneficial when I wish to remain in a meditative state. I believe this is because none of the temptations, such as food, TV, my phone, or my computer, are around to keep my mind distracted in wishing to do something else. Also, if you are able to find a park or strip of nature to meditate within this can easily bring your body into a deeper sense of comfort and rest, as this type of environment is our natural home and we feel far more relaxed when surrounded by the beauty of trees, grass, and plants springing into life.

Play soft relaxing music while you meditate

This conflicts with the keeping your phone away from you while meditating, but I have found the use of playing music quietly can help at times when my mind is running rampant so I suggest to try this as well. The trick to meditating consistently is to change things every now and then to make the sessions interesting; listening to music sometimes while at others keeping wholly silent can produce different effects within the mind and the body, and in the end meditating is a matter of finding your preference of relaxation and comfort so as to remain in a state of repose for a longer duration of time.

Meditate in a group

This provides the needed social pressure to practice earnestly, and having other like-minded people around creates an atmosphere that makes practice far easier than when doing it alone. Plus, often these groups are headed by a teacher who can lull you into meditative states with ease as they are often well-versed in the practice themselves.

Do your meditation in smaller fragments

This is coupled with doing it more frequently throughout the day; a minute here, a minute there, simply using meditation as a reminder to calm down and be still. This is for those who live busy lifestyles and may find it impossible to create a timeframe within which they can truly do nothing for five or ten minutes. This smaller incremental use of meditation can help ease the practice into one’s life, and truly everyone should try this as it can bring a sense of peace whenever and wherever you are, say while riding the bus or train for example. Instead of catching up on your latest Netflix show take a few minutes to just relax and let all your thoughts drift away. You’ll be far less agitated when you finally get to work or back home; trust me.

I hoped this helped those of you possibly struggling with your meditation practice, and remember persistence is key in the development of this important habit, as the benefits are gradual but incredibly noticeable once enough time has been put in.

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