How to Meditate
People often find meditation difficult because their mind is too active and distracted. This is sometimes referred to as the “monkey mind”. Meditation is like anything else in life... The more we do it, the better we get at it. The better we become at meditating, the more we learn to control our thoughts, be more conscious and at peace, resulting in a feeling of being more empowered, successful and happy.  

Therefore meditation should become a daily habit. The more you do it- the better you get at it- the more you start seeing results. When you learn how to meditate and start meditating regularly, the results you can expect to see may include some of the following:

• Feeling happier
• Less stressed
• More relaxed and at peace
• Healthier
• More focussed and mentally sharp
• More creative
• More energized

When learning how to meditate, it is helpful to try make meditation a regular part of your routine. Try meditating at the same time, in the same place every day if possible.

 I like to meditate first thing in the morning. I wake up early before all the rush of children getting up and getting ready for school. It is my time- My quiet time where I will not be disturbed.

I find meditating in the morning is a great way to start your day. It sets the tone for the day and starts your day off on a positive note.
When learning how to meditate, you will need to experiment with what works for you. Some people prefer to meditate at night, especially if they have difficulty sleeping. It helps relax their body and mind so that they can sleep well. On the other hand, meditation energizes some people and in such a case it would not be recommended to meditate at night because you may find it difficult to sleep. 
It is best to meditate in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed or distracted. When we meditate our senses are heightened and even the smallest noise sounds loud and is distracting. Take phones off the hook, put cell phones on silent, put up a “do not disturb” sign etc.

Sit either in a chair or on the floor making sure that your back is straight and that your arms and legs are not crossed. It is helpful to have your back supported. One of the ways to keep your spine straight is to ensure that your knees are lower than your buttocks. So for example, if you are on the floor, use a cushion and make a slope so that your buttocks are higher than your knees. You can do this by perching yourself off the edge of the cushion.  
Once you are seated comfortably with your spine straight close your eyes and begin to breathe deeply. Focus on your breathing- you can even use the mental labels of “in” and “out” as you focus on breathing in and out.
When learning how to meditate it is helpful to focus on taking at least twenty deep breaths. You can even count them. Try breathing deeper and slower than you normally breath without straining yourself. Breath right into the bottom on your lungs. Feel your stomach expanding as you take deep breaths in to the bottom of your lungs.

This is the beginning point of meditation. You should now be relaxed and would have moved from a “beta consciousness” (our everyday waking consciousness) into an “alpha consciousness” (a heightened state between waking and sleeping).  
From here you can there are a number of options you could take. When learning how to meditate, a nice way to get started is to then visualize your day as you would like it to unfold- think of all the things you need to do in the day and visualize yourself doing them with ease and joy. For example, see yourself in driving to work- the traffic is flowing nicely; see yourself writing that important report that you were dreading- but see yourself writing it with ease. The words just flow, the information is at your fingertips and you have absolute clarity; see yourself having dinner with your family-everyone smiling and talking and sharing etc.

This is a nice positive way to start your day. The key thing is that you visualize your day as ideal as possible. See positive resolutions to all your stresses and worries. See them as if they are really happening. Feel yourself doing or saying these positive things. Feel how wonderful it feels when you see everything you want falling in to place. Do not let doubt creep in. Stay positive. See it. Believe it.
Most people who do this notice a positive effect in their life. Try it for 3 weeks and see if you can notice any positive changes in your life.

Meditation is actually quite a simple and easy process. One of the main purposes of meditation is to relax and de-stress, so if you are finding it difficult you are either trying too hard or judging yourself as not doing it right or well enough. So the first thing to do when learning how to meditate is to approach meditation in a loving, gentle way. Do not try too hard and do not judge yourself. Enjoy (in-joy) the process. This literally means that you should be in a state of joy. Do not struggle.
Sometimes when learning how to meditate, it is easier to start with a guided meditation. This is usually an mp3 which guides/ talks you through a meditation. For more information on the “Millennium Meditation e-book and set of 4 mp3’s” click here.

"Initially I found I was getting nowhere with meditation but after Millenium Meditations I started to feel benefits in all aspects of my life"    - Peter, Scotland
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