Meditating for Beginners

Meditating for Beginners

Heard of all the benefits of meditation but aren’t sure where to begin? Don't fret because I’m going to give you some tips on how to get started!

Pick a spot that’s peaceful and contains little to no distractions
When pick a spot it’s important to make sure that it’s an area that is free of distractions or noise. I’d highly recommend you avoid rooms in your house that have TV’s or other appliances on or places that have other people in them. Best places I’ve tried were in my backyard and in my office. This time is suppose to be for you to reflect on your thoughts and the space around, by being in a space that is free from distractions you’ll have a much easier time focusing.

Pick a time of day & make it a routine
Repetition is key to developing a habit and meditation is no exception. Decide a time of day you can be consistent with so you can make it a routine part of your day. Both early in the day and later in the day have their benefits. For example, if you want to focus and gain composure for the day ahead then I’d recommend you’d try a morning meditation routine. On the other hand, if you’re a busy body and want to rest your mind and relax after a hard day of work then you should definitely try it at night.

Prepare your body
This can be for the sake of apparel or physical purposes. Try to clear your throat and or nose of any obstructions that challenge you from performing nice long breaths. When it comes to clothing try to be as comfortable as possible. Any watches, necklaces or jewelry that constrict you should be temporarily removed.

Headspace
Headspace is a great application that coaches beginners through the process of meditation. I’ve undergone a few sessions it definitely helped me learn and focus on my method of meditating. It’s on the App Store and is free to download.

(Retrieved from Headspace's YouTube Channel)

Get Fit: 4 Tips for Beginners

Get Fit: 4 Tips for Beginners

(Credit: Thinkstock)

Get a gym membership

From my experience, the best gym to start out is at Planet Fitness. A lot of people who exercise regularly or are training athletes mock this place because they claim it isn’t a real gym due to them not offering equipment that are mainstays to many exercise programs. However, this is why it’s a good place to come to, those people aren’t there! Instead you’ll be around a more positive environment with staff people who are beginning or aren’t trying to intimidate, many of which are very encouraging and like to help out those who are starting fresh. 

Stick to easy but efficient exercises

Don’t worry about one armed pull-ups just yet, you must begin with basics. Focus mainly on compound exercise such as bench press, pull-ups & leg presses to work the majority of your muscles and also implement  exercises such as calf raises and bicep curls to hit specific muscles.

Eat healthy

Sounds easy right? However I can’t emphasize the amount of times I’ve witnessed people who have been putting all the work into their training and completely fail when it comes to making choices in the food they eat and how much they consume. Your nutrition plan will need to reflect the goals you’re trying to achieve. For example, if you’re trying to gain weight you want to eat at a surplus of your recommended intake and have a diet consisting of mainly proteins and healthy fats.

Set goals, but focus more on a new lifestyle

A much overlooked aspect of exercising is that once people hit a specific goal they feel like their work is done and stop exercising as hard they previously did. Instead of dropping it like a bad habit, you should continue to adapt your training and eating habits into a continuous lifestyle change so you’ll gradually progress and not slump after goals are reached.