How to meditate

KATE BALL, YOGA INSTRUCTOR AND OWNER OF THE CAPE TOWN STUDIO YOGASPIRIT

1 Get comfy.

Lose any attachment to how you think your seat should look and just get comfortable. Having said that, it’s best not to slouch, and lying down isn’t recommended because it’s so easy to fall asleep. Instead, sit in a chair and lengthen your spine for a nice and easy flow of breath. Soften your shoulders, let go of your tummy, and breathe normally to find a natural rhythm of breath. You don’t want to have a tight body, because that will translate into a tightness of mind.

2 Start with a guided meditation.

It’s helpful to start with some instruction. There are plenty of good guided meditations available online: everything from Deepak Chopra’s 21 Days of Abundance meditation series to my own guided meditations, found on Inner Zen Garden (accessible on YouTube). Having a voice guide you is a helpful way to kick off your journey. Start with a few minutes and then build it up to 10 or 20 minutes. You may naturally move on to unguided meditations or perhaps you stay with a guide.

3 Keep at it.

Commit to trying meditation for a decent stretch of time – you can’t do it as a one-off thing and then say it didn’t work. It’s in looking back, probably after a week or more of regular meditation, that you will start to see the benefits. Your brain, like anything else, can do with a break. Our brains are constantly churning, so when we unplug it for a little while and then plug it in again, we find we’re thinking more clearly, and it generally helps us feel a bit calmer.