The Beginner’s Guide to Meditating Like a Yogi

Breathe for me. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. Try to relax your mind and your body.

If that doesn’t come easily to you, don’t stress! Meditation is a learned practice and is one that has the potential to help you live your everyday life to the max. But the real question is: how do you start meditating?

Whether you’re learning how to meditate to high vibrational meditation music, an instructional lesson, or honing in on the beauty of silence, meditation can be the key to staying sane in this crazy world. With meditation guides, a peaceful environment, and the right headspace, you can start meditating today!

From the history of meditation to each beginner stepping stone to mindfulness, consider this our personal gift to you. Welcome to your beginner’s meditation guide to becoming a real yogi!

Where Does Meditation Come From?

Meditation and yoga both originated in Northern India over 5,000 years ago. While a lot about yoga and meditation has changed, especially Western world yoga, much of the spiritual beliefs and practices remain the same as the ancient beliefs and intentions they started with. Understanding where they came from could be the key to unlocking your inner spiritual meditation guide.

Meditation as a practice has spread through different countries and religions since its start. But, in almost every culture, the goal is the same—from ancient India to now, the true purpose of meditation is to connect to one’s deep inner self. From the beginning to modern day, meditation could be the answer for calming your anxieties or connecting to your spiritual side.

The Many Misconceptions of Meditation

The very idea of meditation has a lot of negative energy around it—but let’s clear that up. You deserve to start meditating with a fresh, clear mind, and getting rid of these common misconceptions will give you the best start!

It’s a fallacy that to start meditating, you must cease thinking, creating an entirely blank mind. Honestly, that can feel impossible for some—so much so that it stops them from ever trying to start. But do you really need to reach a blank mind to start meditating? No! During meditation, the goal is not to not think; it’s to be emotionally unattached to thoughts in your head. Just  let the thoughts come and go without judgment when you start meditating.

There’s also no right or wrong way on how to meditate—in fact, there are many different types of meditation. From practicing mindfulness to transcendental meditation, there may be one type that works best for you that you haven’t even discovered yet.

Small tip: Lose this idea that in order to meditate “correctly,” you must sit in silence for hours. Feel free to start small. Your calmed soul will thank you either way.

Should I Listen to Meditation Music?

Playing meditation music is a personal preference. From ambient music to the chirping sounds of nature, there may be a sound that works for you. Wondering if there are benefits to practicing with meditation music rather than a meditation guide spoken aloud? There are!

Learning how to meditate with meditation music is a great idea for beginners. It feels like a simpler way to learn how to meditate and may instantly relax you. Combining the mindfulness tactics of meditation with different types of calming music can cause deeper effects and bring you even stronger stress relief.

How Does Meditation Music Work?

Since meditation music is generally slow, with no harsh elements, it works perfectly as a subtle meditation guide. The many benefits of using meditation music in your practice include anything from general anxiety relief to improved physical health.

Maybe you’ve heard of the currently trendy 432 Hz meditation music? It’s said that Hz-tuned meditation music benefits may include decreases in both blood pressure values and respiratory rates as well as calmer heart rates. It’s also been said it may block negative energies. Explore Hz sounds; it could be the key to unlocking your inner meditation yogi!

A Meditation Guide in 5 Steps

1. Find your spot
2. Pick the best position for your body
3. Practice breath work
4. Scan your body
5. Finish up and take note

1. Choose Where to Start Meditating

Whether it’s on your comfy bed, on a cushion made for meditating, or on your yoga mat, the spot you choose should feel relaxing and comforting. Choosing where to practice meditation is almost as important as choosing how to meditate.

Start your preferred meditation music and set the mood with a handcrafted scent created to help cleanse and reset your spiritual being. Choose from the array of organic essential oil Crystal Elixir Aura Mists to suit any of your meditative intentions. Whether it’s love, power, or harmony you’re after, there’s a matching mist to help you bring out each spiritual intention. 

The main goal of the position you choose should be comfort. Don’t feel like you have to sit cross-legged like the perfect spiritual guru that’s always portrayed in media—if lying down feels best to you, go for it! When learning how to meditate, it’s important that you are at your most open, calm, and comfortable.

Our Favorite Positions to Start Meditating

• Seated in a chair
• Full lotus position
• Supine lying down
• Kneeling on a cushion
• Standing

3. Breath Work to Start Meditating

Remember when I asked you to breathe earlier? Surprisingly difficult, right? Breathing can seem easy at first, but once you get down to it, focusing on your breath can be a surprisingly difficult task. Stick with it! When it comes to meditation, guiding your breath can be key.

So, what’s the right way to breathe when you start meditating? Start by inhaling through your nose for three seconds, hold it for two seconds, then exhale for four seconds through the mouth. Repeat a few times until your natural breath slows and stays consistent for your practice. You don’t need to monitor every breath the entire time, but this quick and easy 3-2-4 breathing rule will steady your lungs as you start meditating.

Meditating with the Om Sound

If you’ve ever witnessed someone making sounds during meditation, chances are it was the Om sound yogis love so dearly. Om is said to be a sacred and powerful sound that lies within all of us, connecting us to all living beings in the universe.

By using the Om sound during your rhythmic breathing in and out, both your body and your mind are said to relax. Try chanting Om as your emotional meditation guide. 

4. Start Meditating and Scan Your Self

When you manage to steady your breath and hone your mindfulness, try this body scan technique to check in with how you are feeling—imagine a wave washing over you from head to toe. Notice physical feelings, whether it’s aches, pains, or energy, and try to relax each part of your body. If any distracting emotions come up, acknowledge them, but do not feel the need to focus on them.

Scan yourself while you are learning to meditate by checking in with every part of you. You may catch yourself feeling distracted by the meditation music or zoning out listening to a meditation guide. You may find yourself frustrated, angry, sad, happy, or calm—the emotions that could come up are endless. But the important thing is to become aware of your surroundings, thoughts, and feelings.

As a beginner learning how to meditate, you may ask, “what am I even supposed to feel”? When you first start meditating, the answer is: whatever emotion or physical feeling comes up. When you’re just learning how to meditate, anything is possible. But eventually, waves of calm, relaxation, and euphoria could arise. The more you practice, the easier it will become to reach the calm state your spiritual being craves.

5. Mindfully Finish Your Meditation

Begin to bring yourself back to reality by becoming aware of the physical feelings around you—the floor you’re sitting on, your arms resting in your lap, the meditation music or meditation guide’s words around you that you tried to tune out. Slowly bring yourself back into the world and slowly open your eyes—but don’t brush off all the work you just accomplished!

Before leaving the practice, pay attention to both the awareness and calmness you were just bathing in and get ready to carry it with you the rest of the day. Remind yourself that energy lives within you and of your beautiful clarity and focus. And with that, you’ve taken your first shot at learning how to meditate!

What Are Mudras in Meditation?

If you want to get really into the spiritual side of a meditation guide, studying hand positions during your practice could be for you. Special hand positions known as Mudras during meditation guide different energies into your practice. Mudras are helping hands (pun very much intended) in linking the brain to the body, soothing pain and negative energy, and stimulating endorphins.

I’m sure you’ve seen the classic yoga statues. They are almost always showing off the classic Mudra positions that you, too, can use when you start meditating. But which one should you pick? Well, that depends on what energy you’re trying to focus on while learning how to meditate!

5 Mudras Hand Positions to Start Meditating

1. Gyan
2. Prana
3. Anjali
4. Dhyana
5. Ganesh

Gyan Mudra

Think of the Western hand gesture for “that’s a-okay” and press your thumb and pointer finger together. Harness both concentration and wisdom while you start meditating with this hand pose.

Prana Mudra

Westerners have adapted this sign to mean our free-love peace sign, so you may be very familiar with this mudra. By throwing up those first two fingers, focus on your life force energy and set intentions for yourself while learning how to meditate.

Anjali Mudra

Take both of your hands and press the palms flat together. With this motion, you will be open to feeling a mind-body balance enter your spiritual zone during meditation. Drone out your thoughts with meditation music and use this mudra for a balanced and intentional session.

Dhyana Mudra

This one may feel the most natural for you while learning how to meditate. Take both hands and interlace your four fingers together, then touch your thumbs together at the apex, leaving space in your upturned palms to allow the energy you bring to be at ease during your mindfulness practice.

Ganesh Mudra

Known as the sacred hand gesture or seal, this mudra can be performed by clasping the fingers of your hands together, over-and-under style, curling your fingers together to create two joined fists. The Ganesh pose is used to channel the flow of your vital life force energy. Pop quiz: do you know off the top of your yogi head what this pose is named after? The Ganesh mudra is named after the Hindu elephant-headed goddess of beginnings, Ganesh.

How to Meditate with Meditation Stones

Whether you’ve been going Zen for years or only just started meditating, these Meditation Stones made out of seven different healing crystals will aid in your meditation practice. Each one carries different vibes and intentions to help you’re your meditation the best it can be! Simply hold them in your palms or place them around your space for the best effects possible as you learn how to meditate.

Whether you’re palming one of the rose quartz crystals to try to radiate self-love or utilizing the gorgeous yellow jade to enhance your harmony and dreams, meditation stones are a unique addition to the world of meditation. These stones make the perfect gift for the meditator in your life or a gift of self-love for you to start your meditation journey!

If holding crystals isn’t helpful as a mediation guide, try wearing a Mini Energy Gem Stud Earring to keep the energy with you. With a variety of beautiful gemstones to choose from, you will always have a little crystal on you—you could be ready to start meditating at the drop of a hat! Find the gemstone that resonates with whatever energy will bring you peace. 

I am sure that you have a million more questions to investigate about meditation guides, breath work, and meditation music, but hopefully, this brief meditation guide has inspired you to begin your journey of learning how to meditate.

Asking the question of how to meditate may seem daunting at first, but once you strip it down to the Zen basics, it’s completely doable for each and every one of you! Focus on your mindfulness, adjust positions, music, and your surroundings to whatever suits you best, and practice without judgment. Whether you use a meditation guide or not, focus on your breaths and your spiritual intention, and you, too, can learn how to meditate like a real yogi today!