How do I meditate?

The Summer holiday's are almost half way through, August is getting underway and the days are (thankfully) getting warmer and sunnier. I'm very tempted to pick up the computer and move outside.

For those of you who have kids and work and are running around everywhere, it can get very stressful, for everyone involved. Use this beautiful weather to send your kids to the grandparents for a day, take some time of work and have a little bit of 'me' time. It may sound cheeky but everyone deserves a little relaxation once in a while. Meditation is a great way to do this. If you don't have the time to take a whole day out, putting aside an hour is enough time to meditate. 

Meditation is a way of gaining a sense of deep relaxation. Whilst you meditate, you withdraw from your thoughts and focus on a single thing; your breath. Benefits of meditation include a more stress-free life, better sleep, a calmer mind and improved emotional balance. Meditation is a brilliant way for absolutely anybody to destress and create a deep feeling of wellbeing and happiness. 

I've found this handy list on 'how to meditate' on wakeupcloud.com

1. Eliminate Distractions. The first thing you want to do is make sure that no one is going to bother you. I’m not going to go into specific strategies, because if you’re serious about improving your life, you will have no trouble finding ways to get a few minutes of silence. Remember, even 5 minutes of meditation is beneficial.

2. Determine Time. I like to determine how long I will meditate before I begin, otherwise it’s easy to give up when it gets tough. I recommend you start with something small. Anything between 5-15 minutes is okay.

3. Relax. Stretching before you start will help you relax and be more comfortable while you are meditating. Your body will object to meditation – at least mine does, because I do not like to sit still – so the more you relax, the smoother everything will go.

4. Get Comfortable. Once you’ve relaxed your body, it’s time to find a place for you to sit or lie down. You do not have to be in a full lotus position. You can sit in whatever way you want, just make sure your spine is straight and you are comfortable. It’s not rocket-science .

5. Focus. Your mind will want to make this more complicated than it is, so be prepared for that. Once you’ve settled in, pick one thing to focus on, such as your breath, your muscles or even a candle. It doesn’t really matter what it is. Focusing on one thing is easy and an excellent place to start. I personally like to focus on my breath.

You can also find meditation CD's which guide you through scripted meditations. These can be bought from Quest, each meditation CD is aimed at a specific problem. There are even sweet little meditations for children using fairytale elements such as wizards, witches, fairies and mermaids.