Fo’ real. It’s taken me a while to create a regular practice as frankly, I’m no natural meditator, but(!) the more I have done it, the easier it has gotten, not to mention the warehouse of benefits!

This has been achieved too with the help of useful techniques. So, if you’re like me, this is both an invitation and a kind of guide to help you to tap into a more regular, powerful and enjoyable practice.

I have done meditation on and off for around a year and a half, starting in February, I started to do it on a near-daily basis, usually twice a day for ~20 minutes (I also go to a local Buddhist centre’s sessions once a week).

Here are some of the benefits I have enjoyed already:

• Better mood and fortitude, even on the worst of days!
• A feeling of aliveness in the body, a bodily joy
• More gratitude for the little things: food, moments, scenery, people
• More compassion, a trading of ‘me’ for ‘we’
• A more spiritual connection to all things, God, the planet, people
• ASMR, big time!
• Body clearance: the tension in my body has really gone down
• More focus and speed in doing my tasks, freeing up more time
• I’m able to be with more difficult emotions more easily, to accept them and let them dissolve/work themselves out
• A greater baseline of energy, I have noticed this even when other areas of my life are less healthy (e.g enjoying junk food)

These benefits have taken off slowly, and then more suddenly. Here are some of the things that have really helped me.

Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental meditation is a powerful yet simple practice that uses mantras (repeated words/phrases) to help focus the mind during the meditation. A list of mudras can be found here.

The technique usually involves sessions of up to 20 or 30 minutes where the mantra is repeated and focused on, giving the mind something to chew on while concentration also deepens.

It is said the regular practice of this method can induce experiences of cosmic consciousness, that is, a sense of connectedness with the earth and universe, as well as experiences beyond this state. It is a great tool that leverages the mind in order to transcend it!

Meditation Music/Solfeggio Frequencies

There are many kinds of meditation music ranging from natural sounds to shamanistic drums, as well as chakra music and solfeggio frequencies.

Personally, I’m more of a fan of the chakra and solfeggio frequencies because they more specifically heal aspects of your mind and body and I rather like the constant vibrational sounds. Here are two of my favourites, this video, and this one.

But of course, go with what works for you, including no sound at all!

Mudras

Mudras are hand gestures that channel energy to specific parts of the body and psyche, helping with a range of different purposes. Here’s a beginner-friendly list! The evidence for these is more anecdotal compared to other techniques, but I have noticed they do influence my meditation experience and have recently become a core part of my practice.

The simplest one to do is the Jnana mudra which cultivates awareness and mindfulness. I also really like the Shunya mudra too, which is powerful for tapping into tranquillity and equanimity.

Mantras/Chanting

Compared to the inner mantras used in transcendental meditation, chanting invokes energies and focus by being spoken aloud. An example is the word ‘om’ (aum) that you see monks stereotypically using. Mantra meditation has been found to bring a range of benefits.

Speaking of ‘om’, I’ve loved using this one and have found it very purifying to the body, as well as settling to the mind.

Collective Practice

Practising with others in a group can help with centering and focusing in the meditation. There is something of a collective effect, especially around more experienced meditators, that facilitates meditation. So if you’re struggling to commit and focus at home, attending a group could be useful!

Final Thoughts

You can mix and match each of these methods to create a practice that works for you. I highly encourage experimenting, as I had wished I came across mudras and chanting sooner for instance. In any case, like many habits, practice will help to make your meditations more focused, enjoyable, and powerful.

Here are some final tips for the road, and good luck!

• Don’t let thoughts get to you: Even ordained members at my local centre say that they still get thoughts coming into their awareness during meditation. So don’t lose hope or get distressed by thoughts; they are just stuff to observe in the meditation. Be patient with your mind.
• Experiment: sit cross-legged, lay down, try music or silence, be alone or in a group, try mornings and evenings. You’re bound to find something that clicks with you and your routine.
• Start small: 5 minutes is better than no minutes; we gotta walk before we can run and there’s no shame in that.
• Book it in! Get it on your calendar and incorporate it into sets of routines you already have running. A common apprehension is we may be wasting time by meditating, but I would say it not only saves time, but it also gives a deeper satisfaction than having that extra 20 minutes to crush your work; so, you might as well crush work joyfully 😉
• Celebrate your progress: notice those differences in how you’re feeling, or that your practice is expanding little by little. It’ll encourage you to keep going as you wade deeper and deeper into the benefits of practice.

And that’s it! I hope this was useful and can serve as material and inspiration for cultivating your own awesome meditation going forward 🙏