Here are some meditation tips you haven’t heard before—at least this was my hope when I compiled them. Many of these meditation tips are original, in that I’ve developed or adopted them into my meditation practice, which has been part of my life for twelve years. They are not all original. Others I have acquired from books or from social media. I’ve done my best to provide only ones that I feel will add real value to anyone’s meditation practice, whether they’re a beginner or an experienced practitioner. The goal of this post is to leave you with something to actually try, because I believe experimentation and exploration are fundamental elements to an enduring and fruitful relationship with meditation.
Meditation tips for mindset
The following collection of meditation tips for mindset aims to promote variety in the way we approach and engage with meditation.
Don’t use meditation as an escape – Meditation is a chance to encounter reality. It’s a means of connecting with current thoughts and feelings. Attempting to use meditation as a means of temporarily suspending a troubled state is a pitfall to avoid.
“Altogether, the idea of meditation is not to create states of ecstasy or absorption, but to experience being.”
– Chögyam Trungpa
A hole of thoughts – Visualize a dark hole in the ground. Actually, I find the image of an abandoned well to be helpful for this exercise. Once you have established a firm visual of the hole, then observe what thoughts arise from the hole. The results may surprise you.
Focus on lightness – It’s hard to describe this concept in words, but whether you’re in sitting meditation or just attempting to go about your day mindfully, it’s beneficial to imagine yourself being as light as a feather. Let your movements, including your breath, be light and fluid. In motion, a helpful simile to illustrate this concept is to be like water traveling downhill, finding the path of least resistance. I find this imaginative exercise helpful in sitting meditation, but also when I’m running, which is an equally opportune time to practice mindfulness meditation.
Reset and restore
Start over – Although you’ve probably heard a thousand times that a fundamental element of meditation is to observe thoughts, even the stressful ones, without judgment, it can still be off putting to have the same intrusive thought arise unceasingly. In times like these, it can be helpful to simply start over. Get up. Go grab a drink of water. Take some deep breaths in another room and then return to your meditation. You can find this reset helps to acknowledge the frustration in a physical way, rather than attempting to deal with it solely by cognition while sitting in quiet meditation.
Lean into worry – If a worry or fear is disturbing your meditation, lean into it rather than fight against it. Remind yourself that no matter the challenge, a calm mindset will serve you well. Visualize yourself overcoming the challenge. Remind yourself that worries and fears are useful mechanisms for assessing consequence and risk, and are not to be avoided or brushed aside.
This post contains affiliate links, which help us keep the blog afloat. Click here for more information.
Meditate on something you enjoy thinking about – It doesn’t always need to be loving kindness, positive affirmations, or focus on the breath. You can meditate on things you enjoy thinking about. Often as we’re about to fall asleep, our minds drift towards things we enjoy. They could be little fantasies, fond memories, or scenes from a favorite novel brought to life by vivid imagination. It’s okay to sit with the sole intention of ruminating on things like these.
Observe and acknowledge
Notice objects in the room – Sometimes during meditation, I open my eyes at a certain point and begin to notice ordinary objects in the room where I’m sitting. Over the years, we tend to fill our shelves and ledges with objects—usually ones that we enjoy—but we tend to forget and allow them to fade into the backdrop. Lending a moment of observant appreciation to these forgotten books or ornaments can remind us of the simple abundance that we take for granted.
Set a timer – I don’t usually meditate for a set duration. But there have been times since I began working primarily from home, where I want to take a ten-minute break from my work to meditate. During these times, I found it was helpful to set a timer so that I could eliminate the distraction of wondering whether I had meditated for too long.
Find the right technique for you – One of the aims of this post is to encourage readers to experiment with meditation. I have read a lot of books on meditation and I’m interested in its origins and traditions. But over the years, I have developed my own style and acquired certain methods that work best for me. These methods differ depending on my mood or circumstances. Finding a technique that’s just OK is like having a job that’s just OK. There’s a big difference between going through the motions and doing something that’s perfectly suited to you.
Settle in and adapt
Allow yourself to settle in – Don’t rush into specific meditation practices. Take a few minutes to ‘settle in’ before concentrating on your object of focus, i.e. your breath. The body and mind need some time to settle into your meditation. During this ‘settling in’ period, do some neck rolls, take some deep breaths, acknowledge how you feel and the general direction of your thoughts. After a few minutes of sitting for the sake of it, you can then begin to focus on your breath or other object of focus.
Use meditation aids sparingly – Meditation aids like beads, bells, or incense are great for setting the tone for meditation, but use them sparingly—for those times you want to go deeper into your practice. Once we become habituated to something, it tends to become white noise and loses its effectiveness. The same goes for guided meditations. Guided meditations are outstanding for introducing you to new techniques and simply for peaceful guidance into a meditation session. I use them occasionally. There are some wonderful guided meditations that are included in my Audible membership. Again, just like physical aids, guided meditations should be used sparingly to avoid dependence on them.
Be adaptable – If there are distracting sounds, rather than struggle to ignore them, invite them to be the focus of your meditation. A conversation happening in the next room is every bit as effective as your breath for a focal point of concentration meditation.
Ancient traditions
Premeditatio malorum – This Latin phrase, which means ‘the premeditation of evils’, comes to us from the ancient Stoics. It is the deliberate pondering of what could go wrong and a firm gratitude for what is relatively good. It is not meant to foster anxiety or worry, but rather promote preparedness and resilience against life’s inevitable vicissitudes. When faced with an upcoming challenge, it can be helpful, albeit difficult, to sit in meditation to ponder the worst possible outcomes. We do this not to resign ourselves to failure, but to look around all corners for solutions.
Don’t let inaccessible language deter you – Even we at The Mindful Stoic have used language on occasion like Vipassana meditation, which simply means insight meditation, but we generally prefer to use everyday language when engaging with meditation. However, a lot of good books on meditation adhere faithfully to traditional Sanskrit and Pali terms when describing meditation techniques. It can be hard to absorb information in a foreign language, so difficulty remembering or relating to details presented this way is understandably normal. But, don’t let foreign language terms dissuade you from engaging with mediation practice. Either come up with your own labels or simply avoid resources that use complicated language. You could label the practice of insight meditation ‘Jimmy jingleberry meditation’, and it wouldn’t change the fact that practicing it is good for your health.
Meditation of task – Perform light, manual tasks with full attention and mindful awareness. Do them slowly and mindfully. Two such tasks I like to practice with are washing dishes and folding laundry. Walking meditation is another opportune moment to practice meditation of task. Check out our article on walking meditation for more information.
Meditation tips for the breath
There is a good reason for which the breath is so often evoked in meditation instruction. The breath is not only omnipresent, therefore making it accessible to you at all times for an object of concentration, but it also symbolizes life itself and the connection between mind and body. These meditation tips for the breath aim to deepen your concentration when using the breath as a focal point.
Zero in on the breath – Here’s a little trick that helps you drastically heighten your focus on your breath. Bring your full attention to the sensation that occurs in the split second where your breath ‘touches’ the outer edge of your nostrils upon inhalation.
Quiet breathing – Breathing as quietly as possible is a skilful way to increase concentration on the breath, and it’s very simple. Just attempt to make your breath as inaudible as possible. Perhaps imagine yourself face to face with a sleeping animal, and the goal is to not wake her.
Don’t try to alter the breath – Some meditation practices and techniques (including the ones I just mentioned) call for deepening, slowing, or quieting the breath, which is perfectly fine. Other times, try to simply notice the breath as is. Observe the breath. Is it shallow or is it fast? Just notice the natural state of the breath.
Meditation tips for the body
When the mind is rigid and stiff, so too becomes the body, and vice-versa. Many people find it difficult to sit in meditation because of physical discomfort. These meditation tips for the body aim to lessen the severity of physical blockers to meditation practice.
Meditation of task – Perform light, manual tasks with full attention and mindful awareness. Do them slowly and mindfully. Two such tasks I like to practice with are washing dishes and folding laundry. Walking meditation is another opportune moment to practice meditation of task.
Meditation tips for the breath
There is a good reason for which the breath is so often evoked in meditation instruction. The breath is not only omnipresent, therefore making it accessible to you at all times for an object of concentration, but it also symbolizes life itself and the connection between mind and body. These meditation tips for the breath aim to deepen your concentration when using the breath as a focal point.
Zero in on the breath – Here’s a little trick that helps you drastically heighten your focus on your breath. Bring your full attention to the sensation that occurs in the split second where your breath ‘touches’ the outer edge of your nostrils upon inhalation.
Quiet breathing – Breathing as quietly as possible is a skilful way to increase concentration on the breath, and it’s very simple. Just attempt to make your breath as inaudible as possible. Perhaps imagine yourself face to face with a sleeping animal, and the goal is to not wake her.
Don’t try to alter the breath – Some meditation practices and techniques (including the ones I just mentioned) call for deepening, slowing, or quieting the breath, which is perfectly fine. Other times, try to simply notice the breath as is. Observe the breath. Is it shallow or is it fast? Just notice the natural state of the breath.
For more on the breath, check out our post How To Breathe With Intention To Reduce Stress.
Meditation tips for the body
When the mind is rigid and stiff, so too becomes the body, and vice-versa. Many people find it difficult to sit in meditation because of physical discomfort. These meditation tips for the body aim to lessen the severity of physical blockers to meditation practice.
Find movement, or even take breaks – Far too many people find that back pain prevents them from sitting in meditation. I believe (and know from experience) that adding some gentle movement to our meditation practice helps us immensely to overcome back or other bodily pains. Gentle swaying back and forth or side to side is one such movement that helps to loosen up tight muscles. You can also incorporate some simple yoga poses into your meditation practice, such as Extended Child’s Pose or a Cat-Cow flow. Finally, you can take breaks from your meditation when you begin to feel physical discomfort. Getting up or changing positions all together doesn’t ‘break’ the meditation practice. In fact, you can incorporate a break into the practice intentionally.
Alternate postures – Shift your posture alternately between ultra upright and slouched. Changing positions like this every few minutes feels good and helps to alleviate stiffness.
Flexibility of space – It’s great to have a dedicated meditation space, but try not to become too attached to it. Try meditating in other spaces, such as a public park or the kitchen. Cultivating the flexibility to practice quiet meditation anywhere will promote the ability to bring mindfulness into the areas of life where it is most needed.
Happy meditating!
“The expectations that you bring to your meditation are often the greatest obstacles you will encounter.”
– Mingyur Rinpoche