Learn to meditate in 7 easy steps

When you think of meditation, you probably have images of Indian yogis sitting rigid as rocks and seemingly doing nothing. This is what meditation may look like, but it doesn't have to be.

Because meditation can also happen when you are talking to someone, when you take a shower, when you go for a walk or when you are about to fall asleep. Meditation is simply becoming aware of yourself. And you can always do that, in any situation!

When you start to learn to meditate, I recommend that you make it as easy as possible for yourself. This means that you do nothing else during this period. Focus exclusively on meditation.

Here's my little guide:

1. The place of meditation
Find a place to meditate. Make sure it's quiet and clean there. You must like the place and expect to spend some time there every day.

But keep the place pretty simple and remove all the superfluous stuff. After all, it's about spinning inside you. And the easiest way to do this is to minimize all outside interference.

2. Keep calm
Before you start meditating, make sure your place is calm, peaceful, and comfortable. That means, put your phone on silent and make sure no one interrupts you during the meditation.

3. The sitting position
You must not sit on the cold floor. So grab a yoga mat or sit on a thicker towel. Make sure you are warm and cozy. However, the surface must be quite hard. Meditating in bed is not a good idea because you will sink into it.

If you are a beginner, sit cross-legged on your block. If you're feeling a little more elastic, you can also try putting one foot on top of the other (half lotus).

If you don't like to sit on the floor, you can sit on a regular chair. The main thing is to be comfortable. Sure, it might be a little uncomfortable at first, but it shouldn't hurt under any circumstances. Meditating lying down is good for more advanced people, but not so good for beginners because you tend to nap.

4. Posture
Try to adopt an upright posture. A straight back means your chest opens up, you can breathe freely and there is an unhindered flow of energy.

You simply let your arms drop loose in your lap and clasp your hands together. Thumbs point to each other. The head looks forward. You drop your shoulders. In general, you are trying to relax your body while maintaining an upright posture.

5. Before we start
So now you are sitting in a quiet place in an upright position. Now set your alarm clock to 10 minutes – this is enough at first. Then close your eyes and consciously take a few deep breaths into your lower abdomen. In the meantime, check your posture again: straight back, relaxed shoulders, open chest, overall relaxed feeling.

6. Meditation
After you have taken the first few deep breaths, consciously pay attention to the breath. In the beginning, it's about "getting out" of your head and "entering" your body.

Now feel your breath as it slowly flows in and out of your body. Feel your stomach expand as you breathe in and contract as you breathe out. This will help you focus on the present moment and clear your mind.

Beware: sooner or later, probably after a few seconds, your thoughts will distract you again. But that doesn't matter, it's completely normal. When this happens, just gently bring your attention back to the breath.

7. The awakening
The purpose of this meditation exercise is, of course, for you to take this state with you into your everyday life. So if the alarm rings back after 10 minutes, don't jump right away and run after the next task.

Take your new clarity and your new energy with you to your next task. Be aware of yourself and your breath. Keep your posture upright. And remind yourself again and again in everyday life to pause for a moment and become aware of yourself and who you really are.💖🦋