[TUTORIAL] How To Do Meditation At Home For Beginners

We will look at how to meditate at home for beginners in this guide. This will be a comprehensive tutorial to teach you how to meditate effectively.

When you learn to meditate at home rather than on a retreat or in a studio, you don’t have a personal teacher. As a result, it’s critical to take your time and learn thoroughly.

Meditation can go wrong if you don’t learn how to do it correctly. I discovered this while watching the morning news one day. The Dalai Lama was present. He was demonstrating good meditation techniques to beginners because many individuals do not practise proper meditation techniques.

“Meditation is really strong,” stated the Dalai Lama. It must be properly learned.” He said that beginners in the East learn to meditate alongside philosophy, history, and other parts of culture.

Meditation is but one spoke of a wheel (literally, the “Wheel of Dharma,” known as DharmaChakra). Only when all of the spokes move in unison does the wheel begin to turn.

You no longer need to know when learning how to meditate at home. Beginners, on the other hand, must master the fundamentals correctly.

How To Meditate At Home- Step-by-Step Instructions

• Choose a quiet area of your home where you will not be interrupted.
• Sit with appropriate posture [for more information on proper meditation positions, see my guide]. While there are technical stances such as the Tibetan Buddhist Vairocana position and the Lotus posture, Anne Cushman (author of Moving Into Meditation) claims that no specific posture is required.
• Please close your eyes.
• Examine how your breath moves through your nose. If it helps you focus, you can count your breaths. According to Mladen Golubic, a physician at the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Integrative Medicine, deep breathing reduces amygdala activity, reduces sympathetic nervous system activity, and promotes parasympathetic nervous system activity. Essentially, you will unwind.
• Extend your awareness gradually until you are aware of the full process of your breath travelling around your body.
• When thoughts or feelings arise, notice them quietly while continuing to monitor your breathing. You could find it beneficial to categorise your ideas, as in the Buddhist meditation Vipassana, by stating, “This is just a thought” and “This is just a sensation.”
• The idea is to be conscious of the present moment on a regular basis. You should not try to change anything. “Meditation practise isn’t about striving to throw ourselves away and become somebody better,” explains Tibetan Buddhist meditation master Pema Chodron. It’s about getting to know who we already are.” Accept your own mind and its behaviours, then.
• Do not pass judgement on your own practise.
• Continue for another 108 breaths.

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First, what exactly is meditation?

Meditation is a psychological exercise that has its roots primarily in Buddhism. However, it was initially stated as “dhyana” in the Hindu literature the Vedas. It is also mentioned in various religions such as Islamic Sufism, Kabbalah, Christian Hesychasm, and Jainism rituals such as pindstha-dhyna.

You do not, however, have to be spiritual to meditate.

Meditation may have been introduced to you through apps such as Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer, as well as through luminaries such as Jon Kabat Zinn, Sharon Salzberg, and Tara Brach. If you’re interested yoga, you’ve probably heard of Dhyana, the practise detailed in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra and the Eight Limbs of Yoga.

Or perhaps a buddy happened to mention mentation meditation and it sounded like a wonderful idea.

Anyone can practise meditation. And most likely should. Because it provides a plethora of advantages.

Some of the advantages of meditation for beginners include:

• Stress alleviation
• Happiness
• Anxiety relief
• Depression alleviation
• Self-awareness
• Concentration
• Compassion Meditation’s effect on the brain is responsible for many of its advantages.

Meditation promotes dopamine production while balancing the brain chemicals noradrenaline, cortisol, and adrenaline. It also decreases amygdala activation, increases prefrontal lobe activity, and enhances parasympathetic nervous system activity. According to research from the World Institute for Scientific Exploration and the University of California’s Center for Brain and Cognition [1],

Meditation, in essence, trains your brain to function at its best.

The advantages are real. However, it is critical to begin meditating in simple ways without high goals.

As a beginner, the greatest method to get started with meditation is with awareness. Mindfulness is observing the current moment without judgement.

According to Tara Brach, a meditation teacher, mindfulness meditation is used to “become conscious throughout all aspects of our lives.” It involves watching the mind, noting mind wandering, accepting and observing ideas and sensations, and paying attention to the present moment.”

The key is to be aware of what you’re doing.

“When sitting, sit,” says Zen monk and meditation master Thich Nhat Hanh. In other words, pay attention to what you’re doing right now.

There are numerous methods for practising meditation at home.
“Meditation is the ultimate mobile device,” says Buddhist meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg. You can use it anywhere, at any time, and invisibly.”

It’s something you can do anyplace. Sure, there are technical approaches, such as those found in Buddhism and Daoism. You can, however, adhere to simple strategies. Indeed, if you want to learn how to meditate at home, you should definitely start by simply breathing consciously.

Many folks prefer to begin with basic guided meditations. However, according to Harvard Medical School research, beginner guided meditations aren’t as effective as classic meditation practises.

The most effective meditation techniques for beginners

• Kindness to Others (Metta Bhavana)
• Vipassana meditation (observing your mind)
• Anapanasati (mindful breathing)
• Meditation with a guide
• Meditation with a mantra (meditating on simple sounds)
• Samatha’s (meditating on any one object)
• Eating with awareness
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction by Jon Kabat Zinn
• Meditation on contemplation
• Trataka (holding your gaze still)
• Tai chi and qigong are examples of mindful movement exercises.
• We usually perform one of two things during our meditations. We either concentrate on one item (“Focused Attention Meditation”) or open our minds to everything (“Open Monitoring Meditation”).

Meditation is the practise of studying one’s own mind.

We practised a short mindfulness meditation for beginners at home in the video above.

We study the mind when we practise a basic beginning meditation approach like this.

It’s natural to notice your mind wandering, whether you’re focusing on the past, fretting about the future, or daydreaming. This is referred to as Monkey Mind by Buddhists. According to Shunryu Suzuki, author of Zen Mind Beginners Mind, a big element of meditation is eliminating the monkey mind.

Meditation is about accepting your psychological states and returning to the present moment quietly.

The most popular meditation approach for beginners is just awareness, which is being aware of the present moment, as seen in the above beginner’s mindfulness meditation exercise.

There is, however, a distinction between awareness and meditation.

What is the distinction between meditation and mindfulness?

There is a distinction to be made between awareness and meditation. Mindfulness is concerned with being aware of the current moment. Meditation is any practise that involves purposefully focussing one’s mind on anything.

Mindfulness is also far more adaptable than meditation. Mindfulness is defined by Joseph Goldstein [co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society] as “the quality and power of mind that is thoroughly aware of what is happening.”

What to anticipate

So there you have it, a beginner’s guide to meditation. And you should be thrilled about how mindfulness and meditation can benefit you in your own life by this point.

Meditation has such a powerful effect that it is increasingly being employed in treatment. Although this is arguably not a new phenomenon. In the 1920s, Carl Jung advocated for techniques that develop attentive awareness.

Meditation is now recognised as a “mind and body activity having a long history of usage for increasing tranquilly and physical relaxation, establishing psychological equilibrium, coping with sickness, and enhancing general health and well-being” by the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

According to the American Cardiac Association, meditation is effective in the treatment of heart problems.

You can expect big benefits if you meditate every day. You will feel more at ease, have more control over your mind, and have better overall health.

Now, let me provide some pointers on how to properly meditate at home.

How to Do Meditation Properly at Home

Because you will be learning how to meditate at home, it is critical that you understand the fundamentals.

Here are some pointers to help you get started with meditation.

1: Begin with a basic meditation method.

There are numerous meditation techniques, each with its own set of advantages. However, if you are just beginning off with meditation at home, stick to simple methods. Here’s an illustration.

• A Simple At-Home Meditation
• Sit in a peaceful place where you will not be bothered. Sit comfortably and with proper posture (you do not need to sit with crossed legs if you find this uncomfortable).
• Tell yourself you’re going to relax for the next 20 minutes.
• Relax by taking a few deep breaths. Stretch lightly if you have tension in your body.
• Begin to inhale. Count the in-breaths to five “1, 2, 3, 4, 5…”
• Stop for a count of two when you reach the conclusion of your inhale.
• Now exhale to a count of five.
• Allow each breath to start spontaneously. Do not try to force it. Allow your breath to come in and then begin counting again.
• Concentrate solely on the sensation of your breath travelling around your body.
• Continue until you have taken a total of 108 breaths.
• meditating techniques

This is a really simple method for practising meditation at home. It will relax and ground you, as well as quiet your mind.

You can, of course, do a guided meditation. Here is the most effective guided meditation for beginners.

Back to Basics Guided Meditation: For beginners and seasoned meditators alike.

2: Meditation position for beginners

You don’t have a teacher to adjust your posture because you meditate at home. As a result, it is critical to be aware of how you are sitting. If you have bad posture, you are meditating incorrectly.

Many people disregard this advice. They feel that because the practise is largely for the mind, the body’s position is irrelevant.

Because your mind and body are one, your posture is important. According to Elizabeth Broadbent PhD, bad posture impairs focus while excellent posture “may make you feel prouder after a success, enhance your tenacity at an intractable task, and make you feel more confident in your thinking.”

Your body posture has an impact on your thoughts.

The way you hold your body has a direct impact on your mental state. Your thoughts will feel sluggish if you try slouching. Your thinking will be sharp if you try standing tall. This is why we are seeing so many different types of therapy centred on Integrated Body Mind Training. Because the mind and body are inseparable.

Many people who meditate at home do so while lying in bed or sitting on the couch. It’s a bad concept. Sit on a cushion or a chair instead.

You don’t have to sit cross-legged if it’s not comfortable for you. What matters is that your posture helps you feel grounded and that your spine is aligned properly. You’ll know you’re in the ideal position when you feel balanced and attentive.

The typical meditation positions are as follows:

• Full-lotus
• Half-lotus\sBurmese
• Seize
• Kneeling
• Lying [in Savasana, also known as “Corpse Pose”]
• [Kinhin] Walking
• However, I urge that you simply sit comfortably and with proper posture.

3: Beginners’ Guide to Proper Meditative Breathing

When you’re first learning how to meditate at home, you’ll most likely focus on the numerous breath-based methods.

Proper technique necessitates proper breathing. When you meditate properly, your breath will come from your diaphragm, relaxed and rooted. Your breath may be fast at first, but it will slow and deepen as you concentrate.

In 2003, Harvard scientists tested ten meditators and discovered that their respiration rates were significantly lower than non-meditators. This reduced respiratory rate indicates that the lungs are performing more efficiently, as well as a calm and relaxed body and mind.

It’s ideal if you take slower breaths when meditating. But don’t push it. The greatest technique to meditate at home is to simply let your breath be and observe it gently.

Your breathing will get deeper and diaphragmatic as you relax, not because you’re pushing it, but because you’re resting.

Do not try to hold your breath.

“We urge individuals to rest with the breath as is because the objective is to become familiar with all of who you are and what is happening right now, as opposed to what we want may happen,” explains Lodro Rinzler, a Buddhist meditation instructor and co-founder of MNDFL in New York City.

4: Where can I meditate at home?

Ascertain that you have a suitable meditation environment at home. Your space should be identified as a spiritual space.

The following are the space rules:

• It must be tranquil.
• It should be quiet.
• Relaxation and concentration should be encouraged.
• Keep as many distractions to a minimum as possible.
• For your home meditation practise, meditate in the same location and set aside a special area for your practise.

If you’ve ever visited a nature preserve, you’ll understand why it’s critical to protect particular areas. The vitality of a natural reserve is palpable the instant you enter it. It’s a magnificent environment that quickly evokes sentiments of freedom and calm. It’s pure, untamed, and natural. The same may be said about Zen spaces.

Over time, your meditation area will transform into a spiritual haven. Because you have retained the space’s purity, you will enter the room and immediately experience purity, peace, and warmth.

5: Making it a daily habit

Many people ask me how to meditate on a daily basis. It can be difficult for novices to develop the practise of meditating at home. I advise you to limit your home meditation practise to a set time of day. You form a habit when you know you’ll get up at 6 a.m., enter your Zen place, and focus on your breath for twenty minutes.

According to Richard Davidson [professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and founder of the Center for Healthy Minds], the advantages of meditation can be obtained in as little as 8 minutes each day. As a result, it isn’t a major commitment.

6: In order to successfully meditate, you must first adjust your mentality.

If you have the wrong mentality, it is impossible to meditate correctly.

The proper meditation attitude is one of non-judgment. To meditate correctly, you must let go of your critical thinking and accept things as they are, particularly yourself. Too many novices fail to recognise that in order to meditate properly, you cannot judge what you’re doing as good or terrible, right or wrong. Let go instead. Maintain a nonjudgmental attitude.

When you don’t know how to meditate, it’s easy to become sidetracked during your practise. “Am I meditating correctly?” you ask yourself. Is this correct? Is that correct? etc.” And, ironically, these undesirable ideas keep you from properly meditating. As a result, you should adopt a nonjudgmental attitude and simply go with it.

According to Jon Kabat-Zinn in Full Catastrophe Living, “with the mindfulness attitude of non-judging, we find a more efficient way of dealing with the stress in our life.”

7: Buddhist techniques

Check out my article on Buddhist Meditation Techniques if you want to learn Buddhist meditation at home.

Buddhist meditation at home involves more than just attention. Meditation techniques are only one aspect of a much larger practise in Buddhism. If you wish to correctly practise Buddhist meditation, you must first comprehend Buddhist philosophy.

In the Buddhist tradition, proper meditation necessitates discipline and patience. It’s not as simple as “sit down and concentrate on your breath.” It entails research and progressive development.

8: How Do You Know If You’re Meditating Correctly?

As a meditation instructor, I am frequently asked how to identify if someone is meditating correctly. This is a more difficult question than it appears. The exercise is delicate, and it might be difficult to tell if you’re doing it correctly (although the tips above will help).

What counts is how the practise affects your thoughts. To determine whether you’re meditating appropriately, consider whether you felt better after your session and if it helped you the remainder of the day. If you didn’t see any improvements, you’re definitely practising incorrectly. In that case, you may want to try a different method or schedule an online meditation instruction with me.

Simple Methods How to Meditate at Home

In this section, we’ll go through how to meditate at home in various rooms of your home. Try them all and let me know which one you prefer.

In Bed Meditation

When you’re lying in bed, one of the simplest methods to meditate at home is to close your eyes. Make sure you’re meditating properly if you do this. Make sure you have good posture. Then follow the steps below.

• Bring your attention to your breathing.
• Take 25 slow, deep breaths.
• Relax
• Begin to pay attention to your body and the sensation of lying down.
• Allow your muscles to relax and the bed to bear your weight.
• You can either continue with a traditional approach or listen to some relaxing music from here.

In The Shower, Meditate

Shauna Shapiro, Ph.D. [Professor of Psychology at Santa Clara University] taught me this strategy. In many ways, the shower is the most convenient place to meditate at home. Showering is both relaxing and therapeutic. Just keep in mind that falling down in the shower is a possibility. Take precautions.

Follow along with this quick tutorial:

• Begin by heating the water to the proper temperature.
• Check that you’re standing tall, relaxed, and with good posture.
• Concentrate on the sound of the water pouring out of the shower now.
• Bring your consciousness to the sensation of shower water on the crown of your head.
• Feel the water cleanse you as you move your focus down your body.
• Concentrate on the steam from the water as it enters your mouth now.
• Feel the steam enter you and clean you from the inside out.
• Maintain your focus as you clean your body. Take note of your feelings and the fragrances.
• Take ten deep breaths and declare aloud, “My mind and body are pure.”

In The Bath, Meditate

Now that you know how to meditate properly in the shower, let’s have a look at how to meditate properly in the bath.

“Bath meditation combines the conventional advantages of meditation with the benefits of a relaxing, hot bath, which helps ease fatigued muscles,” writes Elizabeth Scott, MS for VeryWell Mind.

To be honest, this is the most enjoyable way for me to meditate at home. Simple. Relaxing. And purifying. Here’s how to go about it:

• Get in the bathtub.
• Allow your body to relax while supporting your head and neck.
• Make sure your mouth isn’t below the water’s surface. Nobody drowns on my watch!
• Relax by taking twenty-five thoughtful breaths.
• Feel the warmth of the water all around you now. Feel how your body relaxes while you’re in the water.
• Concentrate on the sensation of the water collapsing on your body, like a soft energy bubble cocooning you.
• Begin softly cleaning your body with the soap.
• Be attentive of the areas you touch as you move your hand and the soap about your body. Request that such parts unwind.
• After you’ve completed, repeat the phrase “My mind and body are pure.”

In The Garden, Meditate

The garden. Ah, the garden. At home, this is one of the best places to meditate. Try some of the following exercises:

• Make a Zen garden.
• Experiment using five-senses techniques (focus on the scents, sights, and other sensory information in the garden)
• Take a calm, soothing Zen walk across the garden.
• Choose your favourite flower and spend some time meditating on it.

5 Methods for Learning Meditation at Home

Now that we’ve covered how to meditate at home, novices may want to learn more. I’ve compiled a list of the greatest methods for learning meditation at home. Choose the best option for you.

1: Download our free beginner’s meditation guide.

My passion here at THE DAILY MEDITATION is to teach others how to properly meditate. That’s why I’ve put up a comprehensive guide outlining the top 31 techniques to meditate.

It includes a wealth of information for beginners on how to meditate. I’ve also included how-to guidelines for each method for beginners to attempt.

2: Attend meditation classes.

If you want to learn how to meditate effectively, you should probably work with a qualified instructor. I personally teach meditation lessons online, and my students adore them.

It is critical that you find the perfect teacher for you. Otherwise, they will instruct you incorrectly.

We all have different teaching approaches that we enjoy. And we each have our own set of beliefs. Some tutors are kind and teach basic techniques. Others are more serious, devout individuals who will teach you not only the techniques but also the philosophy.

Acceptance, non-judgment, compassion, and assisting others in healing are central to my teaching style.

3: Books

For beginners, books are still one of the greatest ways to learn how to meditate. There are also a plethora of excellent meditation books available.

The fact that books are structured makes them an ideal tool to study meditation at home. Unlike a website, which allows you to hop from one page to the next in an unstructured fashion, books have a distinct beginning, middle, and end.

You read a book in a logical order, so you’re always on the right track. That’s why, even in 2021, books remain one of the finest ways to learn how to meditate (for beginners.

4: Meditation Retreats for Beginners

What better way to learn good meditation than while on vacation at a retreat?

Retreats are a fantastic method to learn. To begin with, most retreats include some genuinely exceptional lecturers with years of expertise. There are also beginner retreats where you will be trained in a structured manner. Then there’s the fact that you’ll be learning alongside other people. It’s a fantastic method to socialise and learn from one another.

The following are some of the top meditation retreats for beginners:

Big Sur, California’s Esalen Institute
Shambhala Mountain Center, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado Simple Peace Hermitage, Assisi, Italy

5th: Online Classes

Because of the astounding growth of online meditation classes, this is one of the greatest options for novices to study meditation at home.

There are numerous online courses to pick from, so you will be able to find one that is ideal for your needs. There are classes for children, teenagers, adults, parents, men, women, and everyone else.

A word of caution: there are good, medium, and bad online courses. Read the evaluations and comments of other students who have taken the same course. Otherwise, you risk squandering your money.

Some of the greatest online meditation classes are as follows:

• The Mindful Awareness Research Center at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), which offers podcasts, an app, and courses.
• Vipassana Fellowship Meditation Course Mindfulness Program at the University of Toronto: School of Continuing Studies, the Sanford Institute, and the Compassion Institute
• 6th. Apps
• There are numerous meditation apps on the market. Buddhify, headspace, Insight Timer, Calm, Synctuition, Breathe, and Sattva are among them.

A word of caution: meditation apps are overhyped. They are popular because they are simple and inexpensive. However, they do not provide adequate instruction, as a course or online meditation class does. They’re a pleasant way to get started with meditation, but that’s all there is to them.

FAQ

There are a few questions you should ask yourself when learning how to meditate at home:

What motivates you to learn how to meditate at home?

For example, do you wish to relax, improve your mental health, etc.? Distinct strategies have different advantages. Make a list of the benefits you intend to gain through home meditation. This will assist you in determining the optimal method for you.

Where exactly are you going to meditate?

You’ve already decided to meditate at home, but where exactly? Certain environments are more favourable to inner serenity than others. A room with a water feature, for example, is an excellent choice. Or how about in the backyard? If you meditate at home, make sure you have a nice Zen chair or cushion (ideally both) to support your body while you sit.

When?

Is there a moment when the house is calm and you won’t be disturbed? If so, now is a great moment to practise.

Finding the perfect time and place to meditate at home is the most crucial component of learning how to meditate at home. At home, there are numerous distractions, making it easy to lose track of time. By answering these questions, you will establish a system for everyday meditation.

I’m not sure where I should practise.

You can meditate whenever and wherever you want. However, it is advisable to practise at a place where you will not be interrupted. On a sunny day, try it in the garden.

I’m having difficulty finding the time.

Try ten minutes of practise one hour before bedtime, and try some awareness while doing housework (so you can meditate while still getting things done).

I’d like to practise with my kids. Any suggestions?

Meditating with children is a wonderful concept, but make sure you choose the correct type of meditation. The best approach is to use simple techniques such as breathing.

I can’t seem to find a calm place.

There are a few options for dealing with noise. To drown out the cacophony, you could listen to meditation music. You could go for a walk in the Zen style. You could perhaps look for a different place to practise.

It’s difficult for me to concentrate. Any suggestions?

Almost all novices struggle to focus when meditating. This is entirely natural. Don’t be concerned. Continue to try, and you will automatically acquire focus over time. To help you focus, try counting your breaths.

Should I look for an instructor or a school before I start?

This is all up to you. It’s certainly not required. The procedure is both safe and simple. Having said that, the knowledge that a teacher or school can provide is priceless. It all depends on what you want to get out of your practise and how much you’re willing to commit.

I’ve been practising for a few weeks now, but I haven’t seen much progress.

Attempt a different technique. Try standing or moving if you’ve been using sat tactics. If you’ve been practising mindfulness, experiment with mantras, etc.

Q. Is it permissible to practise in bed?

It’s fine to practise in bed, but it’s not ideal. It is not ideal because you want to meditate when you have energy. If you’re exhausted when you begin, you’re more likely to doze off.

Is there anything I must have?

There are many meditation materials and equipment available, such as Hindu japa malas, Christian rosaries, meditation seats, mindfulness applications, singing bowls, and crystals, however none of these are required.

Summary:

Now that you know how to meditate at home, you’ll find your life lot more soothing. You can get away from the tension and commotion and spend some quality time with yourself.

I hope you find this advice to be beneficial. Don’t forget to share.