How to Take Your Meditation Practice to the Next Level
If you’ve been meditating for some time now, chances are you’re already reaping the benefits of the practice. From reduced stress levels to increased self-awareness, you feel like a different, better person, and you’re ready to dive deeper into it.
But how do you take meditation to the next level? You might think there’s not much more to it than sitting in mindful silence, but there are ways to step up your meditation game. Keep reading to find out.
Practice Breathing Exercises
Breathe! It sounds so simple. It is, after all, something we do instinctively every day, even when we’re not meditating. But this simple practice is a fundamental aspect of meditation, and different forms of meditation have their own breathing techniques. Examples include Shamatha and the Kundalini Breath of Fire, but there are many others. Exploring these techniques and finding what works for you can absolutely take your meditation practice to the next level.
Commit to Regular Meditation
Simple: How can you take something to the next level when you don’t do it regularly? To truly live a mindful life, you have to set a regular meditation schedule and stick to it. Whether you set aside five minutes, 15 minutes (or even more), just make a commitment to do it every day.
Recite Mantras
Reciting a mantra during meditation has many benefits. It has a calming effect, keeps you focused on meditating (especially when you have trouble concentrating), and helps with rhythmical breathing. Plus, saying your mantra over and over strengthens your objectives. When you use positive affirmations as your mantra during meditation, you can more easily embody those affirmations and turn them into reality.
Incorporate Yoga Stretching Into Your Meditation
You do stretching exercises before a physical workout, right? Why not do it before meditating as well? Stretching your body helps put it in a relaxed state in preparation for a meditation session where you might be sitting still for a long time. There are a number of yoga asanas that you can explore before you start meditating. And while you’re at it, why not try some post-meditation stretching, too?
Explore New Techniques
While it is good to establish a meditation routine that you’re perfectly comfortable with and you can stick to for a long time, you might find yourself doing it mechanically or mindlessly after a while. And mindlessness is the total opposite of what meditation is all about. So why not explore new techniques and switch things up a bit from time to time?
Start Your Meditation Session With a Ritual
Whichever meditation technique you choose, though, it’s a good idea to create a ritual to prepare for your session. Doing stretching exercises before meditating is great, but there are other activities you could try as well. Whether it’s putting on some relaxing music, lighting candles or taking a nature walk, a pre-meditation ritual could set the perfect mood and get you in the zone for what lies ahead.
Connect With Nature
Taking a walk outdoors could be a good pre-meditation ritual. After all, what better way to get you in the mood for your session than by soaking up the energy of nature? But not go a step further and take the whole thing outdoors? If the weather permits and you find a spot where you can enjoy some privacy and silence, meditating while you are surrounded by nature definitely sounds better than being cooped up indoors.
Create a Meditation Altar
If you have no choice but to stay indoors, that doesn’t mean you can’t create a space that is perfectly conducive to meditation. You can have your own personal meditation temple right at home, and what better way to start than with an altar? All you need is a small table, a cloth to cover it perhaps, some candles, flowers or anything that feels sacred to you. By customizing your own altar, you create a space that is ideal for reflection and sets the perfect mood for your meditation journey.
Use Mala Beads
Mala beads are prayer beads that have been used for hundreds of years as a meditation aid. If you have trouble concentrating during meditation, mala beads can help you stay focused. For example, you can run your fingers through the beads while reciting your mantras or while doing your breathing exercises. This practice can help you keep from getting distracted and creates a rhythm for your meditation.
Next Level Meditation: It’s Within Your Reach
To make a positive change in any area of your life, you must put in the effort. And by incorporating one or more of these suggestions into your meditation practice, you’ll soon discover that next-level meditation is within your reach. But don’t try to do everything at once or you’ll likely become overwhelmed. Instead, make a goal to try one new suggestion each week and see how it goes.