I’m going to lay out my personal meditation routine that I have developed over many years. I’m not saying this exact formula will be what is best for everyone, but I’ve found it to be absolutely wonderful. I don’t do any kind of mind clearing, it just has never worked for me. I do more of a mindful reflective meditation. What I actually think about during my meditation can vary from day to day, week to week.
Position
I prefer to meditate in my recliner, though I sit up for most of the meditation. I do tend to recline back for a few minutes toward the end but sit up again before closing out my session. I like to sit with my legs crossed in a half yoga half Indian style position. One leg is positioned up while the other is tucked under my other leg. This position may not be comfortable for most people, so you may want to experiment with what works for you. Maybe you simply sit with your legs down normally in the chair. I wouldn’t recommend putting up the foot rest, because you may end up just taking a nap. Whatever position you take, you want to be comfortable but not too comfortable. I would not recommend sitting on the floor, because I find it very uncomfortable but like reclining with your feet up in the chair, I wouldn’t recommend lying down either.
Music to set the Mood
After you find a comfortable chair to sit in and your body is positioned in a reasonably comfortable fashion, you’re going to want to get your music set up and then, close your eyes. I sometimes listen to environmental CDs on my MP3 which has gentle music in the background such as Sailboat Journey. If I have internet access though, I prefer to find something conducive for meditation on YouTube. They have literally thousands of choices in meditation and related music to choose from, and it's completely free. I will give you a link to two of my favorite videos to listen to that I find helpful.
The first link is to a piece of music to help reduce stress and anxiety. It claims to have studies that have demonstrated that it reduces stress by 65% in as little as 8 minutes. I listen to this one quite frequently. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYnA9wWFHLI&t=55s. Another piece of music that I found very recently is to elevate your happiness, here is that link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSgyXgES-8k&t=2984s.
Regardless of what you decide to listen to while meditating, I strongly recommend that you switch it up. When I listen to the same piece all the time, it becomes monotonous and extremely boring. That can cause you to fall asleep or simply not be able to get into your meditation. I know some people would recommend that you meditate in silence, and if that works for you, go for it. For me, I have found that the music helps to focus me and makes the meditation flow much easier. I tend to meditate more deeply with something to listen to. Once the music starts and your eyes are closed, take the first few minutes to just focus on your breathing. Then comes the next phase.
My Focus
What I like to focus and reflect on can vary from day to day. Sometimes it's related to what is going on during that day or in my life at that time. I tend to focus on themes like love and peace to some extent in virtually every meditation. I don’t have any said phrases or mantras. I may reflect on love and how I am filled with it and how I am one with that Love. I focus on light, abundance, happiness, and joy quite often as well. You can take the time to get wisdom on issues or questions you may have. For me, it's a time to become one with the light of God. You don’t really need to frame your focus in any particular way, just make sure that you keep it positive. Absolutely no negatively allowed.
My favorite time to Meditate
I know many people swear by a morning meditation. I have done them from time to time, but I have found for me, the best time to meditate is in the afternoon. I’m the most focused and engaged and it feels absolutely wonderful to be able to take the time to rest midday. Most people tend to hit a brick wall with their energy levels in the afternoon, and an afternoon meditation can be completely refreshing. It's so refreshing, I’ve never found anything that comes close to how great it makes you feel. In many cultures, this is siesta time. A midday nap is great, but meditation at this time is even better to energize you. I find by the end of the day, I’m too tired to effectively meditate, which is why I would not recommend an evening meditation.
How long should you meditate
I usually meditate for about 45 to 50 minutes, which is a long time. If you’re a beginning mediator, you may wish to start off with a much shorter meditation and work your way up if you wish to do so. When I started meditating, I used to go about 20 minutes. That's probably a good starting point for most people. It's difficult when you first start out to go past about 30 minutes.
What are the benefits of meditation
The physical and emotional benefits of meditation are numerous, and one could write volumes about it. I’m going to discuss what it has done for me personally. Besides just the wonderful feeling that it gives me, and how it energizes me, I have found that it helps to relax me. It relieves all my stress and anxiety. If I’m feeling depressed, it takes that emotion completely away. I’ve found that I am more loving, kind, patient, happy, gentle, compassionate, etc. I don’t get angry as often and feelings of anger tend to pass more quickly. These type of changes can help to improve virtually any relationship in your life, including, as a parent or spouse. It sure has in my life!
So there you have it, this is my meditation routine laid out for you step by step. I have also given suggestions and the benefits meditation has brought in my life. I do hope that you find this information helpful and experiment with what works for you as a meditation practice.
