Guided Meditation

Doing a few deep breaths is the simplest and easiest way to start. I love to do three deep breaths throughout the day. I call them my magical deep breaths. Usually, I close my eyes, but it’s not necessary. Focusing on your breathing is a great way to meditate. You don’t have to do it for 20 minutes. There’s value in one minute. Taking some time to intentionally quiet and calm your mind will shift your thinking, change how you see things, and improve your life.

Guided meditations can be a great help when getting started or when you’d like some support. Having a gentle voice to guide you makes it easier to bring your attention to the present and to allow all the other random thoughts swirling around to fade. 

There are many different types of guided meditation. Some have a specific purpose in helping with self-discovery, some are for general relaxation, others for falling asleep. Some use background music, and nature sounds. You can be guided to relax, to enjoy a walk in a meadow, or lay on a beach, and they vary in length. You may want to use something short to start and something longer to listen to when it’s time to fall asleep.

Finally, try setting an alarm on your phone or computer for a few minutes and just sit quietly and focus on your breathing. Pay attention to how the air feels coming in and out of your body. No matter how busy you are, you can give yourself two minutes. If that’s too hard, start with one minute. Setting the alarm can help you to let go of thinking you have to keep track of the time. If your mind wanders, notice that it has wandered and just come back to your breathing.

Meditation can feel more challenging to some people, but I promise you that everyone can learn to do it, even if it’s just for a minute or two. The more you do it, the easier it gets, and the more quickly and consistently you can get to a place of feeling calm and centered. Getting there helps you to handle stress, manage emotions, and more easily connect with your intuition.