4 Big Ideas to Deepen Your Meditation Practice (and lots of little ones)
So, you’ve been meditating for a while and have really hit your stride. Good work!
Or maybe you were really into it and something knocked you out of rhythm and you’re having trouble finding it again. I get that, too.
Either way, if you’re reading this you’re probably looking for a way to deepen, freshen, or spice up your meditation practice.
Some teachers will tell you that to “do it right” you should stick with your/their meditation no matter what. I’m of a different camp. Sticking to your guns has it’s place, sure; but there’s also room for experimentation and learning what else is out there. If you’re being drawn to explore, there’s a reason. (There’s also no such thing as “meditating right”… but that’s for a different blog post.)
Whatever your reasons, here are 4 big ideas to help you expand on your already existing meditation practice. If, however, you need guidance in starting a practice you can find that at 5 Tricks for Beginning Meditation.
1. Try Another Style
With the popularization of mindfulness meditation, more people than ever are focusing on their breath and observing. But that isn’t the only game in town. If you’ve been using one of these meditation apps, chances are you’ve only been exposed to one kind of meditation practice. Maybe to deepen your practice you should branch out a bit. Here are a few ways to do just that:
You could try chanting with a Hare Krishna group or go to an introduction on Zen meditation.
Get mala beads and pick a mantra.
What about a walking meditation where you count steps or chant a mantra in your head.
Get an experienced teacher to lead you through yoga nidra (a deep relaxation yoga practice that often involves visualization).
Try loving kindness meditation.
Learn Transcendental Meditation.
Try ho'oponopono (one of my personal favorites)
Or try them all and find what sticks. The point is to break your mold so you get a new perspective on everything.
2. It’s Different With a Group
Like many of the best things in life, meditating solo is completely different than doing it in a group. Most local yoga studios offer guided meditation classes these days, so start looking around. Regardless of the type of meditation you practice, there’s likely to be some version of it being practiced with a group nearby.
3. Try a Workshop or Retreat
Your first meditation intensive can be, well, intense! It’s enlightening to be with a group of people while working on something for yourself and, at least for me, being in a setting with a “teacher” always brings up interesting things to observe.
If a retreat is out of the question for you, look for a local workshop on meditation. Just like the guided meditation classes, a lot of yoga studios are adding meditation workshops to help their students enhance their practice.
4. Add Total Time in Your Day
If the options above are out of your price range or availability, there’s a simple (and free) way to deepen your practice: time spent. You can increase the duration of the meditation itself; but you can also add blocks throughout your day.
Let’s say you currently sit for 15 min every morning, and that’s the best you can do. What about adding a 5 minute block some time later in the day? Now you’ve gone up to 20 total minutes over the day without compromising your sleep or feeling rushed in the morning.
Look for little pockets throughout your day that you can take a few deep breaths and re-center. You’ll be surprised how quickly they can add up.