Meditation and Mindfulness: 9 Ways to Get Started if You're Getting Stuck

Establishing a regular practice of  meditation is a great way to clear your mind and set yourself up for more joy and impact across all the areas of your life.  If you're someone who doesn't meditate you might be  getting pretty sick of hearing this from everyone who does! 

Maybe you've tried meditation and found that rather than bringing you peace every time you try to quiet the voice in your head it just starts chattering even louder.  This was definitely my experience when I first tried it.  Because of this I went for years believing that meditation might be great for some people, but it just wasn't for me. 

The good news is there are all kinds of ways into the world of meditation and mindfulness.  The main thing is just to get started and try some things out until you find something that works for you.  

This video offers an introductory overview to a variety of meditation and mindfulness techniques.  Whether you're brand new to this arena, or someone who already has some established daily practices, it can be helpful to explore a variety of approaches as you figure out what might work for you.  And even if you think meditation just isn't for you, if you're skeptical that you would ever be able to quiet that voice in your head and --don't worry, there are even some ways to get started that invite you to play with that inner voice, let it yammer all it wants and channel it creatively.  

Here's what the video covers:

• Evening release meditation
• Morning priming
• Contemplative prayer
• Progressive relaxation
• Quieting the voice in your head
• Micro-meditations
• Subconscious scribing
• Root cause or “analytic” meditation
• Breathing techniques (Wim Hof, pranayamic yoga)

As you explore, remember to  be kind, forgiving and patient with yourself, while also maintaining the expectation that with regular practice comes increasing skill and all kinds of benefits across many areas of your life.