Can you learn meditation on your own

Breathing exercises can help reduce anxiety. Learn how to practice deep breathing, quieting response, and three other breathing techniques here. Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, Ph. Benefits Free services Paid services Things to consider Summary We include products we think are useful for our readers. What are the benefits of online meditation?

Share on Pinterest Online meditation offerings allow people to practice meditation at their own pace and within their budget. Free ways to learn meditation online.

Paid online meditation courses and tools. Things to consider. Latest news Adolescent depression: Could school screening help? Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals. Related Coverage. What are the benefits of meditation for kids? What is the best type of meditation? Or on your bed. How does your body feel? What is the quality of your mind? Count your breaths. Just place the attention on your breath as it comes in, and follow it through your nose all the way down to your lungs.

Repeat this to the count of 10, then start again at one. Come back when you wander. Your mind will wander. This is an almost absolute certainty. When you notice your mind wandering, smile, and simply gently return to your breath. Develop a loving attitude. When you notice thoughts and feelings arising during meditation, as they will, look at them with a friendly attitude.

See them as friends, not intruders or enemies. They are a part of you, though not all of you. Be friendly and not harsh. Lots of people think meditation is about clearing your mind, or stopping all thoughts.

Concentration meditation involves focusing on a single point. This could entail following the breath, repeating a single word or mantra, staring at a candle flame, listening to a repetitive gong, or counting beads on a mala. Since focusing the mind is challenging, a beginner might meditate for only a few minutes and then work up to longer durations. In this form of meditation, you simply refocus your awareness on the chosen object of attention each time you notice your mind wandering.

Rather than pursuing random thoughts, you simply let them go. Through this process, your ability to concentrate improves. Mindfulness meditation encourages the practitioner to observe wandering thoughts as they drift through the mind. The intention is not to get involved with the thoughts or to judge them, but simply to be aware of each mental note as it arises. When you meditate through mindfulness meditation, you can see how your thoughts and feelings tend to move in particular patterns.

Staying in touch with these qualities will be useful as you encounter some of the inevitable ups and downs of meditation. If you find yourself striving too hard or criticizing yourself, take a few deep breaths and give yourself permission to relax and take it easy. The intention should be to bring a more compassionate, calm and accepting approach to whatever happens. More than anything else, it requires a commitment. And remember, mindfulness and meditation are not panaceas.

Difficult emotions may come up. When you start meditating — especially early on — it may feel impossible to stay focused. But in time, it will get easier. As you begin, rather than trying to achieve some out-of-body experience, see what it feels like to just hang out in the present moment, noticing your physical sensations, thoughts and emotions. Most everyone who has tried to meditate has experienced some version of this self-doubt.

We all have the capacity for clarity, for calm and for mindfulness. Sleepiness: Many people get sleepy when they try to meditate. This may be because our minds are simply overstimulated, or it may be because our bodies are tired and need some rest. Either way, there are skillful ways to wake ourselves up so we can engage in meditation.

Straighten your posture. Open your eyes. Try walking meditation. Instead of using your breath as the anchor of your attention, try listening to sounds. Or, develop a pattern of sensations to focus on: for example, first the feeling of breath passing in and out of your nostrils, then the diaphragm rising and falling, and then the gentle breeze of air just above your lips. You can even try to control your breathing, taking shorter inbreaths and longer outbreaths. Most importantly, try not to be too hard on yourself.

Pain: You may feel pain when you begin to practice meditation for longer durations. It could be just a sharp, fleeting pang in your legs, or it could be dull cramps or aches in your back. Whatever it is, try to simply notice it and accept it at first. If it persists, try directing your attention to another part of the body. And if the pain gets intolerable, adjust your posture as needed. Fear: In the rare instance, panic or fear may arise.

Should this happen, try to shift the attention toward something outside the body, like the air whooshing in and out of your nostrils, or sounds. With mindfulness now mainstream, resources abound to help people maintain and deepen their practice. Mindful publishes a bi-montly magazine and maintains a robust website full of stories and instructions. Salzberg has published several books on mindfulness, as has Ms. And there are dozens of other good books on the topic.

Just as listening to a teacher can help you stay focused when the mind wanders, finding a group to practice with can help make meditation part of your routine. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction is an eight-week course that has emerged as one of the most popular introductions to meditation today.

MBSR classes and other basic introductions to meditation are offered in hundreds of cities around the globe, and many other meditation centers provide mindfulness training as well. Mindful has also pulled together a list of centers here. There are several apps that can help you maintain a meditation practice.

Here are a few of our favorite. Geared for those skeptical of meditation, this app features Dan Harris, an ABC news anchor who wrote a book about his grudging embrace of meditation, in dialogue with experienced mindfulness instructors like Joseph Goldstein.

Andy Puddicombe, a charismatic Englishman who was previously both a monk and a circus performer, is the teacher on this popular meditation app.