Sitting down to meditate might be one of the most challenging things for you to do. To help you be more successful at meditation we have created a list of the ten essential things to do to prepare for your practice. Practicing this list will also create a pre-meditation ritual that will prime your mind to more easily shift into a state of mental focus and concentration. These tips will help with any type of meditation to create the best meditative experience possible.
What to do before meditation
- Prepare your space.
The first thing to do before you sit and meditate is to prepare your space. If you don’t have a dedicated meditation space, you’ll need to set up your space. You want to tidy and clean up and light candles and incense. Gather any other meditation tools you use like japa mala beads, a shawl, or a Tibetan singing bowl or meditation chime. - Prepare your body.
The second thing to do to prep for meditation is to prepare your body. Before you sit, you want to feel clean and fresh so take a bath, wash your face, brush your teeth, or any other way to cleanse your body. Make sure that you’re not feeling hungry or thirsty, or that you are feeling too full. Make sure your clothing will be comfortable for sitting in meditation. Take care of any other bodily issues so that you will be able to focus on your meditation. - Remove distractions.
The third thing to do is to remove any distractions from the room from the space. Silence your phone feed the pets, go to the bathroom, and take care of any other nagging issues or chores or anything else that might distract or bother you during your meditation. - Release tension.
Optionally, you may want to do some yoga stretches, or some other types of movements to release tension that you’re holding in your body. The parts of your body that get achy and sore during your sitting time are the places that you want to focus your stretches. - Set your seat.
The fifth thing to prepare for meditation is to get any supports for your seated position. If you need blocks or blankets or cushions, make sure those are all handy and nearby. Make sure that you have more than you might possibly need so that you don’t need to get up in the middle of your practice to grab something - Gather your intentions.
A powerful way to encourage success in meditation is to remind yourself of your intention or to set a new intention for your practice. This intention is the main focus and goal of what you wish to achieve in your meditation. Reminding yourself of this right before you meditate will deepen your focus and your resolve. - Fully commit to your practice and decide on the length of time.
It will be helpful to completely dedicate and commit yourself to the practice. It will also be important to decide the length of time for your sit. How long you are going to sit committing to the specific duration of time is very important. It is easy to end your meditation early or get just. It is easy to. If you don’t set a specific time, it will be easy to end early or get find an excuse to get up in the middle. diligence - Set a timer.
To help with your commitment to a length of time, using a timer is recommended. Before you sit, find your timer, and set it to a specific time. Consider giving yourself an extra minute or two to get settled into your practice. - Refine your posture.
As you sit for your meditation take a few moments to let yourself settle into your seated position. Make any adjustments to your posture so that your spine is long and tall, and that your body is supported with the least amount of muscular tension. A comfortable position is vital for a successful meditation practice. - Adjust your breath.
Lastly, allow yourself to settle into the experience of your breath. Take a few moments to refine the breath and encourage it to slow and deepen. If pranayama is part of your practice you may want to use specific breathing techniques to help either calm or energize your body and mind.
If you are a meditation beginner, try not to tackle everything on this list all at once. You may also wish to experiment with each one to gauge the individual effects on your meditation session. If you forget any of these steps, allow yourself kindness, compassion, and patience to grow into the practice. Hopefully creating more of a pre-meditation ritual will encourage your mind to wander less and for you to be more focused on the present moment.