Want to get your Buddha on? Here are some easy tricks for meditation newbies

Things are thick. The world is grappling with a pandemic. If there ever was a time to think about safeguarding your mental health, it is now. The latest news on COVID-19, global and local statistics, measures by the government and more constant updates and can get heavy. It is likely that you have heard that meditation is great for your mental wellbeing. You may be all geared up to embrace your inner Buddha, but how do you get started?

When I began trying to meditate, I would just churn up pictures in my head of starry skies as if I am floating away from everything. I tried to force thoughts out of my head and not think about things. Here is what I learnt

A great trick when you begin your practice, is to settle into your body. This can be through a body scan, or simply feeling your weight on the seat or mat for a few seconds. You can scan your body by first drawing your attention to your feet, then working your way up, bit by bit to the top of your head. This brings you into the present moment and you are less prone to thinking of the future. Like what will happen in the next daily brief from CS Mutahi Kagwe or how many toilet paper rolls you have left!

Take your time. This age-old piece of advice, really applies here. When starting out, if you can even do it for 3-5 minutes, you are on the right track. As you go along, you may be able to build up your time because the mind and body are gradually trained to go into the desired state of quiet. If I had shot for 20 minutes straight on my first day, I probably would not have bothered to ever try again. Don’t worry if you can’t really get into it on Day 1. The point is to keep making the effort consistently and it definitely pays off.

Also, have you ever tried to force yourself to stop thinking about someone or something? Then suddenly that is all you can actually think about? When you are trying to quiet the mind, don’t force your thoughts away. Instead, let them flow through without acknowledgement or holding onto anything specific. You may have thoughts like - “I wonder if my latest tiktok post got any likes” or “Should I try making the treacle tart from the Harry Potter books?!”. Do not engage that thought by picturing the pie and wondering about the ingredients. As the thoughts float by, focus on your breathing. You can count while breathing in and out. Like count for 4 as you breathe in, and 5 as your breathe out. As things quiet down, your breathing will deepen and the counting may fall away.

A tool I find exceptional is guided meditations. “Stop, Breathe & Think” is a favorite app of mine, easily accessible via the Play Store.  Someone is talking you through the process until you are able to do it yourself. This can also include music, tracks depending on what you are feeling, and most importantly – a voice you can focus on and follow.

When meditating, you can also look at your emotional climate. If you are extremely angry, sad or even euphoric, it is tricky to ignore that storm of charged thoughts. Do not try to force them away then. Even as you close your eyes and sit in a quiet place you need to allow yourself to feel what is happening inside. This is also a type of meditation, whereby you allow feelings to come up and let them pass through you. A meditation guru by the name of Esther Teule describes this as a physical feeling. You may sense it in your stomach most times - a sort of tightness or lump. Unprocessed feelings can sit within our bodies until we recognize them. Note, the aim here is not to solve the issue that caused these feelings. It is to allow our bodies the space and time to let those things pass through by simply acknowledging them. Esther’s videos are available on YouTube (Ekhart Yoga) and her guidance is 100% helpful.

These are a few tips to help you get started on your journey. At such a time, especially when many of us are working from home and unable to physically go to different places, a mental break from it all is vital.

Happy meditating!

- The writer is a reporter and anchor at KTN News