How to Start Meditating
If you liked my article on the benefits of meditation, I’m sure you’ve been waiting in suspense wondering how you’re supposed to get started.
Or, more likely, the thought briefly crossed your mind then you went back to living your life.
Either way, when I’m in the early stages of building a new (good) habit, I’m often not sure where to start. I bet the same is true for you.
I’m not a meditation expert, but I’ve been practicing for a long time. Maybe I can save you some headaches by sharing what I’ve learned.
When you start, remember these three tips:
Start small: You wouldn’t toe the line for a half marathon the first day you start running, so don’t do the meditation equivalent. If you decide to meditate for 30 minutes per day, you will fail. You’ll get bored, not have the time, or dread sitting in silence for that long. I started with ten minutes each day, but feel free to start with one or two if that’s what works for you. Do less than you think you can. After the time is up, you can always do more, but don’t overwhelm yourself before getting started.
Be consistent: When you start a new habit, a good way to make it stick is to do it at the same time and in the same place every day. I meditate on my living room floor or at my dining room table,in the morning after I exercise and before I shower. You don’t have to nail yourself down to the middle couch cushion at 6:37AM, but a little structure will help you stick with the habit.
Don’t negotiate: I participate in a self-improvement call every month with two other guys. One of the guys has his “morning non-negotiables.” These are the things he does every morning, no matter what. Make your meditation practice a non-negotiable. There’s an old Buddhist saying that goes, “You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day. Unless you're too busy, then you should sit for an hour.” The point isn’t the amount of time, but if you can’t spare a few minutes each day to better yourself, you’re doing something wrong.
If you begin with the above mindsets, you’re positioned for success. The next step is finding a good teacher.
Luckily there are countless apps that do a great job teaching meditation. Here are three that I’ve used, along with my thoughts about them.
Headspace
Time I’ve Spent Meditating: 57 hours over 340 sessions
Cost: $12.99 per month
At first glance, the cost looks a little steep – about the same as Netflix! But when you dig deeper, they offer the first 10 sessions for free. These are the introductory sessions that walk you through the basics of meditation, and it’s where you would start even if you paid for the app.
Before I decided to pony up the cash for the subscription, I ran through the 10 free sessions three times each!
If and when you decide you love Headspace, you can buy a yearly subscription that amounts to much less per month(somewhere south of $10).
Pros:
Well designed courses
As I mentioned above, the first ten sessions are a great introduction to meditation, and they’re designed for people who’ve never done it before. Most of the first ten also start with a short video explaining the technique you will practice in the session – a nice perk for visual learners.
After the initial ten days, there are two more ten-day packs – Basics 2 and Basics 3. These courses build upon what you learned in the first ten days and lay your meditation foundation.
Following the Basics level courses, you can work through the Pro level courses, which are designed to progress from guided to limited guidance – a change I found enjoyable after I knew what to do.
Variety of courses
Once you have the meditation basics under your belt, Headspace has a huge variety of courses to choose from.
They’ve applied meditation to almost every aspect of your life, and they offer courses to cope with many unique situations and emotions.
For example, you can find courses on stress and anxiety, sleep, productivity, focus, motivation, concentration, leaving for college, loneliness, grief, prioritization, parenting, and many others.
If you need a healthy way to cope with a challenge, Headspace likely has a meditation for it.
Designed by an expert
Headspace was created (and is narrated) by Andy Puddicomb. Andy spent ten years studying meditation and was even ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist Monk. But he’s also a pretty relatable guy.
Check out his bio here and his TED talk here.
Cons:
I can’t find many cons with this app. Atone point, I became overwhelmed with the amount of content, but that was more of a me problem than a Headspace problem.
My advice there: before you finish one pack, pick the pack you want to do next. Write it down. Then when you open the app to meditate, you don’t waste ten minutes scrolling through the lessons to pick what you want.
Waking Up
Time I’ve Spent Meditating: 10.5 hours over about 60 sessions
Cost: $14.99 per month or $119.99/year
The free trial with Waking Up includes the first five lessons.
This app is slightly more expensive than Headspace; however, there is a workaround. Sam Harris, the creator of the app,is passionate about providing access to everyone. He doesn’t want you to not use the service solely because of cost.
If you can’t afford it, all you have to do is send an email, and he will give you free access. This is an honor system, so don’t be an asshole.
Here’s a good test: Did you buy any drinks at a bar last month? If you answered yes,you can afford the app.
Pros:
Introductory course
Waking Up begins with a mandatory 50 day introductory course to meditation. Like Headspace, the course teaches progressive techniques.
Unlike Headspace, it dives deeper into the techniques and teaches the purpose of meditation – understanding your mind.
Simplicity
The way Waking Up is designed, it’s easy to follow along. You don’t get overwhelmed with decision fatigue because you only do the next available course.
After completing the 50-day course, there is one new daily meditation every day. The app also has a decent amount of lessons (30 – 40) – enough to answer some questions but not enough to overwhelm.
If simplicity is your thing, Waking Up might be the right choice for you.
Designed by an expert
Harris also deserves props for his credentials. He has a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA. He has practiced meditation for over 30 years and has studied with many Tibetan, Indian, Burmese, and Western meditation teachers, both in the United States and abroad, according to his bio.
Cons:
There aren’t any major downsides to this app, but it comes down to preference. Waking Up has more of a scientific feel and will appeal more to deeper thinkers, whereas Headspace offers a lot more practical and targeted solutions to everyday problems.
That said, taking the intro course fromeach app provides a great foundation, and a well-rounded perspective. I recommend completing both before deciding which app is a better long term fit.
Oak
Time I’ve Spent Meditating: 2.2 hours over 13 sessions (I think these numbers are low)
Cost: Free
This app is not something that will take you from never meditated to enlightened. But it’s a nice option to supplement your main meditation app.
Pros:
Awesome guided breath meditation
I primarily use this app to unwind before bed. The “Guided Breath” meditation under the “Sleep” category is my favorite bedtime meditation. It’s simple, relaxing,and always helps to calm my mind and prepare me for sleep.
Background noise feature
For each meditation, you can select from a list of 12 unique background noises ranging from fireplace to soft rain to waterfall.
I find the background noises very relaxing –a nice added touch to the meditation experience - and they help me fall asleep.
Cons:
Considering the app is free, I’m being a bit critical here. But these are the things I don’t like.
iOS only
The app is only available for iOS, so you’re out of luck if you have Android.
Extremely limited selection
The app only offers eight different meditation choices. Again, it’s free and it can serve a specific purpose, but it’s not a comprehensive meditation app.
Not great for beginners
There isn’t an intro to meditation course for beginners. All the meditations are pretty easy to follow along with, but if you want a decent foundation upon which to build your meditation practice, you’re better off starting with either Headspace or Waking Up.
Final Thoughts
Building a (good) new habit isn’t always easy. I tried and failed several times with meditation.
When the habit finally stuck, it wasn’t due to any specific app. The act became a habit because of the tips I mentioned at the beginning.
Once the act became a habit, the habit became productive by using the right apps.
Meditation can change your life for the better. I’ve seen it in myself and at least one close friend.
But meditation doesn’t work if it’s not a habit. You have the tools - what’re you waiting for?
