Technically you can meditate anywhere you’d like because it is an exercise for the mind. You can meditate sitting in a chair, sitting on the floor and even laying in bed, however there is an optimal way to meditate and it’s best to avoid meditating in bed, simply put it’s because you tend to fall asleep.

Meditating on the floor with your back straight up is actually considered to be the most formal and beneficial way to meditate and this is because it keeps you wide awake and allows you to sit for long periods of time.

The first thing you want to keep in mind when meditating, is your feet. A lot of well seasoned meditators will preach about how your feet need to be on top of each other, however for the majority of people who are beginners is perfectly fine to have them crossed on top of each other. Your arms are resting on your thighs and your hands rest on top of each other and form a cup. Your thumbs can touch and this is up to you.

What’s important is that your arms feel relaxed and your back is straight with  your head completely level. In terms of what to do with your eyes, you have an option of meditating with your eyes open or with your eyes closed, however for most beginners I would recommend you to meditate with your eyes closed as it’s easier to focus.

If you do choose to meditate with your eyes open, do not focus your eyes on an object in front of you instead look into the distance.

Before you start your meditation session you’ll want to set an alarm. This is because time tends to feel a lot slower when you first start meditating and it takes away the very thought of how long you may have left, taking away from the effect of meditation.

First-time meditators, I’d recommend you start with just 5 minutes on the clock. As you make meditation into a daily practice and get more used to sitting in the meditative position for long periods of time you can increase the time. Most people recommend meditate between 10 to 20 minutes.

This can be tricky, as there are many different forms of meditation. Some focus on the things around you, some involve reciting words in your mind. The one you’ll be learning today is one of the most commonly taught forms of meditation and it’s called mindfulness.

Breathing meditation is very easy to learn and it’s considered to be just as powerful and insightful as any other

form of meditation. First you want to make sure that you’re breathing through your nose then all you have to do is focus all of your attention on your breath. Observe the way the air feels as it flows through your nostrils. Observe the way your breath transitions from inhale to exhale. Observe that little pause between those two actions. Observe every single aspect about the way it feels, do not judge it do not criticize it, simply observe. What you’ll quickly notice is that thoughts will start appearing in your mind and will distract you from this simple simple task. Things like “what should I cook for dinner? hmm maybe I should order takeout instead”.

When you notice your mind wandering like this simply pull the focus back to the breath. This is how you train your mindfulness muscle. Most people who meditate for the first time will find it extremely hard to focus on just the breath for even a couple of seconds. They’ll find themselves lost quite often this is totally normal so don’t criticize yourself for it. Simply bring your attention back to your breathing, with a good trick that I personally use is to focus all of my attention on the little bridge between inhale and exhale. That little pause where your body transitions during its act of breathing.

While meditating try as hard as possible to avoid moving. Itches and the urge to fidget will arise throughout your meditation session and this is normal. Simply bring your focus back to your breath and the feeling will eventually go away.

What’s important to note is how often you work on it and how much time you put into it, by making it a habit you notice that you’ll be able to have your entire focus on your breath for longer and longer periods of time. Think of this as your mindfulness muscle getting stronger and stronger

In order to really start seeing the benefits of meditation you should meditate on a daily basis. A routine of ten minutes a day every single day when you wake up. Some people like to do it twice a day, like Arnold Schwarzenegger who does it 20 minutes a day when he wakes up and 20 minutes right before he goes to bed. As long as you make it into a daily habit that is the most important factor.

To maximize on the benefits, you have to be doing it on a daily basis, with the length of each session also playing a part. Ultimately it’s hard to say because it really does differ from person to person. Some people struggle with mindfulness, and it’ll take them a little longer to start seeing the benefits, and my personal experience it took me about a month of meditating every single day before I noticed any benefit.

I found myself in a better mood overall and was less likely to get consumed by certain negative emotions. As I continued the practice I noticed more and more benefits along the line. Better focus at work, more meaningful and fulfilled relationships just to name a few.