Exploring Mitch Manly's Meditation Tips for Beginners
How To Meditate For Beginners (Animated)
There is a second part to this video that goes into the benefits of meditation:
https://youtu.be/l9QnouWxfiM?si=EyYaK85-4G9134yT
One of the key aspects emphasized by Mitch Manly is the importance of selecting an appropriate meditation environment. He suggests choosing a serene and quiet space where external distractions are minimized. Whether it’s a secluded corner in one’s home, a peaceful outdoor setting like a forest, or even the tranquility of a library, the goal is to create an environment conducive to inner focus and relaxation. By finding a designated meditation spot, beginners can establish a sense of consistency and comfort in their practice.
Duration plays a crucial role in meditative success, as highlighted by Mitch Manly. While some may feel inclined to meditate for extended periods, especially in the pursuit of deeper mindfulness, Manly advises beginners to start with shorter sessions lasting around five to ten minutes. Setting a timer helps prevent the distraction of constantly checking the clock, allowing practitioners to fully immerse themselves in the present moment. Moreover, Manly emphasizes the quality of meditation over its duration, encouraging beginners to prioritize mindful presence over striving for lengthy sessions.
Body posture is another fundamental aspect of meditation, and Mitch Manly offers practical advice for beginners in this regard. He suggests sitting upright in a chair with eyes closed, back straight, and feet flat on the ground. This posture promotes alertness and relaxation simultaneously, facilitating a deeper connection with one’s breath and inner self. However, Manly acknowledges that laying down can be suitable, particularly for evening meditation aimed at inducing sleep. By accommodating various postures, beginners can find the most comfortable position that enhances their meditation experience.
Mitch Manly’s guidance extends to the meditation technique itself, with a focus on mindfulness meditation. This approach involves directing one’s attention to the breath, observing its rhythm and sensations with unwavering focus. Manly emphasizes the simplicity of this technique, noting that it serves as a powerful tool for quieting the mind and fostering inner peace. Additionally, he reassures beginners that distractions and thoughts during meditation are normal, dispelling common misconceptions about achieving complete mental silence. By embracing the practice with patience and persistence, practitioners can gradually cultivate a deeper sense of mindfulness.
Building a consistent meditation habit is a challenge faced by many beginners, and Mitch Manly offers valuable insights into overcoming this obstacle. He advocates for the establishment of habit triggers—external cues or rituals that prompt the initiation of meditation. Whether it’s meditating after a morning shower or before indulging in breakfast, associating meditation with routine activities helps integrate it seamlessly into daily life. By leveraging habit triggers, beginners can overcome inertia and foster a sustainable meditation practice.
In conclusion, Mitch Manly’s meditation tips serve as a comprehensive guide for beginners embarking on their meditative journey. From creating an optimal meditation environment to mastering mindfulness techniques, his practical advice empowers individuals to embrace meditation with confidence and ease. By following Manly’s guidance and embodying a spirit of openness and perseverance, beginners can unlock the transformative potential of meditation in their lives.
Video Transcript:
How To Meditate For Beginners (Animated) – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JslvBcIVtDg
Transcript:
(00:00) – [Instructor] How to meditate for beginners. In this video, I’m gonna teach you everything that you need to know, from where to meditate, how you should meditate, how you should sit, if you should listen to music or not. I’m even going to tell you how to turn off your brain. Where should I meditate? Experts will tell you that you can meditate anywhere, but in my opinion, I think you should just pick a very quiet place where nobody can bother you.
(00:26) So this could be a bedroom, or a car, or a local library. Even a forest could work, just somewhere that’s very quiet and very peaceful. How long should I meditate for? I would recommend going for about five to 10 minutes. But it’s really important to set an alarm because if you don’t, you will always be thinking to yourself, has it been 10 minutes yet, should I stop? And the whole point of meditation is not to think.
(00:52) Also, quality is better than quantity here. In my opinion, being totally present and mindful for 10 seconds is way better than being a little bit present and mindful for 10 minutes. So longer is not necessarily better. What should I do with my body? Most people will tell you that you should not lay down when you meditate, but I don’t fully agree with this.
(01:13) I personally meditate twice a day, once in the morning then once before I go to bed. The only reason why I meditate at night is to help me sleep. So at night I will lay down. But in the morning, I will always sit because I don’t want to fall back asleep. But if you are only planning on meditating one time per day, definitely do it sitting, and I would recommend doing it in the morning.
(01:36) How should I sit? For total beginners, I would recommend sitting in a chair with your eyes closed, head facing forward, straight back, feet flat with your hands just relaxing on your legs. You will see Buddhist monks sitting cross legged with their feet facing up. This is the proper way to meditate. But I’ve personally noticed that a lot of newer people find this position to be very comfortable.
(02:01) I still think you should try it, but I would highly recommend just sitting normally in a crisscross position with your legs. But if that’s not comfortable, just sit in a chair. Once meditation becomes a daily habit, then we can try moving towards the Buddhist monk position. Should I listen to music? This one is really up to you.
(02:19) But for beginners, I would suggest listening to a very calm, relaxing piano song or maybe just something like nature sounds. I personally use an app called Relaxing Melodies. And no, this is not a sponsorship, and I listen to a song called “Eternity”. But meditating without music is totally fine as well.
(02:37) You have to just figure this out for yourself. Okay, now it’s time for the really important stuff. What should I do or what should I think about when I meditate? There are many different meditation techniques, but the one that I usually practice is something called mindfulness meditation. This is one of the most powerful meditation techniques in the entire world.
(02:57) And the whole idea around it, is to just focus on your breathing. When you are sitting down, you need to inhale through your nose, then exhale through your nose. But the key thing here is that you have to focus all of your attention on your breath, like the sensations of the air, hitting your nose, how the air fills your body and lungs, the slight pause between your inhale and your exhale.
(03:21) This focused attention is the thing that will get your brain to stop thinking. Now, many new people who try meditation will say things like, “I’m still thinking, “I have an itch that I keep scratching, “I can’t do this, meditation just doesn’t work for me.” It’s completely normal and to be expected to experience all of that stuff.
(03:41) I’ve been meditating twice a day for six years, and I still get itchy on my face, thoughts still come into my brain, but if you keep breathing, and you trust the meditation process, those thoughts and those itches will eventually go away. However, if you really are struggling not to think then you can use my little boy breathing hack.
(04:01) When I inhale through my nose, I will stick my belly out a little bit as if I’m filling up my belly with air. This is actually known as belly breathing, and it’s actually the most relaxing way to breathe. I know this sounds like incredibly simple and a bit silly, but I promise that if you try this, you will feel so much better, even throughout your day-to-day life.
(04:23) Now it’s time for the million dollar question. How can I actually get this habit to stick? The best way to build this habit is to establish a habit trigger. A habit trigger can be anything that triggers you to think about the habit that you’re trying to build. For example, I have a friend who wanted to start developing the habit of listening to audio books every single day.
(04:45) So every single time that he ate food, he would listen to an audio book, his habit trigger was eating. So every time he ate food, he immediately thought, “Oh, it’s time to listen to another audio book.” So if you’re meditating in the morning, I would recommend you using something like the shower as your habit trigger.
(05:03) So right after you shower, it’s time to meditate. Or maybe you can tell yourself that you can’t have your morning cup of coffee or even your breakfast until you meditate. And if none of that works, you can always just place a big sign on your door that says, you can’t leave the house until you meditate.
(05:20) If you want to feel inspired and amazing about meditation, then watch my video where I talk about the shocking benefits of meditation. And when I say shocking, I really do mean they are shocking. So feel free to click the screen now and I’ll see you there.
