Meditation for beginners

Sep 06, 2021

Is the daily stress or the permanent problems you have at work or at home getting to you, affecting your life, health and happiness? Then it is about time to consider some meditation exercises. Here are the basic things you need to know!

 

Why Should I Consider Meditation Exercises?

 

You are probably asking yourself whether meditation exercises really work and whether their benefits are really substantial. The answer is simple: yes. Meditating presents a wide range of advantages, from a better health, a better mood and a better sleep to more energy, vitality and focus, less stress, less frustration and less worries. It sounds appealing, right? So, in case you have been feeling anxious, depressed or weak lately, in case you are having sleep and concentration problems or if you simply want to gain those desirable feelings of well-being, calmness and happiness, you should start considering meditation exercises. 

 

What Do I Need in Order to Start Meditation Exercises?

 

If you decided that you should give meditating a try, then the first thing you need is determination. It is not like meditation exercises require certain tools or complicated techniques – basically, you just need willpower and desire, in order to benefit from meditation. And, of course, you need a bit of time to allocate to your meditation sessions – 15, 20 minutes every other day is ideal. But there is one rule, when thinking about starting to meditate. And that rule is that... there is no successful meditation without relaxation, a complete relaxation of the body and mind. 

 

How Can I Relax?

 

We already established that you need to relax in order to meditate. But is this easy? For a beginner, it might be quite difficult. Most beginners in relaxation and meditation exercises find themselves thinking about daily problems and worries when trying to meditate, instead of clearing their minds and enjoying the state of calmness. Or others get bored when trying to empty their minds. For sure, these can not be called “successful meditation sessions”. Still, even if this happens to you, you should know that you will definitely be better with time and enjoy meditation completely, in case you are determined to make it work.



But let’s start from the beginning. In order to benefit from a complete relaxation, you need to start your meditation techniques at the right time. Kids running through the house, a loud TV, a noisy neighbor might not be the perfect premises to start to meditate. You need peace, quietness, a good atmosphere, a cozy decor or a welcoming natural ambient. After you find a peaceful moment, try to let your body relax, to push the tension down and loosen your muscles. Feel how your entire body feels better – this will help you clear your mind later on. 

 

Are there Different Types of Meditation Exercises?

 

There is a great range of meditation exercises, no doubt about that. What you should do, as a beginner, is to try them all and find the one that suits you best. But which are these different types of exercises? You can choose from visualization exercises (when you are picturing positive, beautiful elements, places or moments), concentration exercises (when you are trying to focus on your body’s sensations and stimulants) breathing exercises (which are used in all types of meditation, as an essential premise) and many more, including specific meditation exercises that regard a better sleep, better appetite, less stress and other problems that need to be eliminated from your daily life. 

 

Remember that if you want good results, you need to continue with your meditation exercises and try to improve yourself on a permanent basis – only like this will you achieve that positive, well-being feeling that you are looking for. Good luck! 

 

Ready to leave clinical medicine but don't know where to start?

Download the Nonclinical career transition guide!

We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.

Sudha Bakhshi

For me, Jawaria has been a game changer in seeking non-clinical employment. I’ve been working with her for a period of time that was divided into a number of phases.

This first part was to undergo an inventory of professional traits to better understand my strengths and weaknesses. In general I am skeptical of organizational personality assessments and feel that they tend to overgeneralize and group people based on superficial assumptions. However, I decided to commit to this approach in order to obtain a more objective view of how my interactions may result in certain perceptions in a work environment. This helped me to focus on my motivations and how I wanted to approach this stage of my career.

In the second phase, Jawaria helped me to create a coherent narrative that was reflected in a revision of my resume. She was very supportive as I overcame my hesitation to assert myself in more contemporary formats, such as LinkedIn. I felt that the conversations that we had were essential to feeling more confident as I moved forward to identifying positions that were of interest, researching the employers and writing customized cover letters to accentuate skill sets.

The third phase navigated the strange and often confusing experience of the interview process. Jawaria helped me to just accept the black box that is HR for many corporations and to then move forward to interviews with medical directors and company executives. She was present after every interview, to challenge and also to validate my perceptions of what transpired.

I have many supportive friends in medicine and other professions that offered insight and encouragement in my job hunt. But I feel that the investment in the professional coaching Jawaria offered was essential to creating the mindset necessary to approach and feel comfortable competing in the current non-clinical environment.

In the end, yes, I was able to get an offer for a job that I feel will be very interesting and challenging. And I am very grateful for Jawaria’s assistance in helping me in this process. She was very willing to share her own experiences as a physician and this was enormously meaningful.

There is a saying: “When the student is ready, the teacher will come”. This definitely applied to me and I felt that what she said resonated, even from our first conversation. As physicians, we invest into our profession, but there is something to be said for investing in ourselves as well. I would encourage my fellow doctors to consider how important professional mentorship can be and how often it can feel inaccessible. But if you are ready, then Jawaria can be the catalyst to empower physicians to feel energized about their career choices.