How do I meditate? This is one of the most frequent questions that I am asked and also the most challenging. While it may seem simple to be able to just give you instructions on how to meditate, I feel that if you really want to incorporate meditation into your life, then there are some important aspects you may want to consider.

Meditation is beneficial for so many aspects of our lives. It can help to improve your physical health, it can relieve you of stress and anxiety, it can help improve your mood, and so much more. With all that meditation can do for you mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually, it is my belief that meditation should be a part of everyone's daily routine. If everyone were to meditate on a regular basis, the world would be a much more peaceful place. The results of meditation will be different for everyone, depending on your goals, but it will change everyone for the better.

If you would like to just get to the real nitty gritty about how to meditate, click on the titles below:

• How to do a mindfulness meditation
• How to do a qigong exercise (moving meditation)

Consider these topics before starting

What type of Meditation should I do?

If you are really going to be serious about incorporating meditation into your life, you should first consider what type of meditation you would like to do. There are many forms of meditation and you may have to try different forms in order to find the one that resonates with you. 

I teach mindfulness and qigong so I can only personally speak to these practices. In the Meditation for Health Program, I use both mindfulness and qigong because I find them to be complimentary styles. The ancient energy medicine system of Qigong has many aspects of mindfulness meditation, although not traditionally looked at in this way. It can be correlated to mindfulness because as you exercise, you become consciously aware of the interplay of your movement, breath and your thoughts. You also learn to release your thoughts without judgment during Qigong practice. Qigong, is more than just a simple set of exercises, it incorporates the mind and breath. When you incorporate the mind and breath, you bring your awareness inward and you learn to do it in a mindful way. Again, while not traditionally defined as a mindfulness meditation, Qigong practice has many mindfulness aspects to it.

I like mindfulness because of the easy transition from doing the formal meditation practice and bringing mindfulness into your daily routine. When you are mindful, you are consciously aware of the moment, in a non-reactive, non-judgmental and open-hearted way. This is beneficial because it allows for the "disconnect" between the "true you" and your thoughts. You begin to be aware that you are more than your thoughts. This has profound effects on your healing on all levels. Keep in mind though, that other forms of meditation will also do the same.

I like qigong, because it is an entire system of healing. It is an ancient Chinese health system of healing and energy medicine. It has many aspects of mindfulness, which makes it very complimentary. I also like the ebb and flow of the moving qigong meditations that I do. When you do the moving meditations, you can feel the energy within you and the energy of the universe. It is a great sensation and reminds you that we are all connected and are all energy.

Set a goal

Before I start teaching someone how to meditate in my Meditation for Health Program, I first have the students set their goals. In order to be successful at anything, including self-healing with meditation, it is important to define your goals. A clear goal is an instruction for your mind to attract the situations, people and resources that align with your highest vision. It removes ambiguity from your awareness and makes sure that what you get is what you really want. Confusion breeds inaction. Placing your attention on a specific target allows you to affirm and visualize your success, and block out unnecessary interference.

Meditation Preparation

Again, keeping along the line of preparing for a continued meditation practice, it is essential to prepare for meditation. Consider the room your are going to use. Is it in a quiet place where you can meditate for your allotted time in peace? How does the room make you feel? Is it comfortable? Do you need to open windows, add plants, change the wall color, etc. in order to make it a more inviting place?

Do you have the appropriate meditation supplies? I like to meditate with a meditation cushion. It makes it more comfortable to sit during meditation. I use a zafu and zabuton but there are other supplies that you could use.

Preparing & Coping with Self-healing with Meditation

When you start to meditate, you start to release a lot of emotional energies. It is important to be able to recognize this. Some people can easily recognize when they are releasing and shifting, while others need more guidance in how to deal with these situations. In my program, we explore these topics and you are guided on the tools to use to help you in dealing with old emotional energies that are resurfacing.

Quick Glimpse

Want to start defining your goals and preparing to meditate? Then try the Meditation for Health Program for 7 days. You get access to most chapter of the online course material, if you sign up for the self-guided or 10 week course. You will get to explore defining your goals, preparing to meditate, self-healing and more. Even if you choose not to join the program, at least you get a chance to explore and consider some serious questions you should ask before beginning a serious meditation practice.