The popularity of meditation has skyrocketed in the last decade – and with good reason! 

A regular meditation practice boasts seemingly endless benefits. It reduces stress, helps us stay balanced and grounded through life’s ups and downs, and is even associated with better health outcomes. And my personal favorite benefit of meditation – it helps us live a life that’s guided by Spirit and keeps us aligned to our highest good. 

If you’re looking ahead to 2022 and desiring a year that’s more easeful, happy, and inspired, why not dip your toes into a guided meditation practice? 

The great thing about meditation is that it is simple and accessible to everyone. If you’ve felt intimidated by meditation in the past or you’ve worried you wouldn’t be able to quiet your mind enough to do it, I’m going to show you an easy approach. 

Guided meditation is my absolute favorite kind of meditation for beginners. And really for anyone who wants to take their meditation practice to a deeper level! 

In this Ultimate Guide to Meditation for Beginners, I’m going to walk you through the fundamentals of guided meditation and cover: 

1. How I discovered the magic of guided meditation
2. Why practice meditation?
3. Why guided meditation is good for beginners
4. How to start a guided meditation practice
5. Where to find the best-guided meditations
6. How to continue your guided meditation practice once you start

How I discovered the magic of guided meditation

My meditation practice began 36 years ago when I was in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. At first, I found the idea of meditating completely overwhelming. You see, I had never been successful at trying to sit still and quiet my mind. It felt like every time I sat down alone in silence, my inner dialogue took off and ran the show. My mind was all over the place and I could not stop thinking about random things like- what was for dinner or why did so and so say that, and I better not forget to do “x”.

One day in the women’s recovery center, I was asked to attend something called “relaxation time.” Little did I know, I was about to fall in love with guided meditation! 

As I went through the guided journey (something about a babbling creek, if I remember correctly), I felt my thoughts drift away and a sense of calm came over me. It was a kind of relaxation I hadn’t felt in a very long time. 

After that, I was hooked! This experience sold me to using guided imagery above all other types of meditation. Since that day I’ve regularly practiced guided meditation and have shared its magic with thousands of people around the world. 

Why practice meditation? 

A regular meditation practice can support us in many areas of our lives. 

Today so many of us live hectic lives with full schedules. We work, manage families, drive in traffic, get exposed to the constant news cycle, and scroll social media. In other words, we are overloaded with stimulation. It’s no wonder so many of us struggle with anxiety, overwhelm, and other mental health concerns.

We weren’t designed for this level of intensity! Our minds and spirits need spaces of calm and stillness to return to baseline. When you practice meditation, it gives you the ability to drown out all of the noise and connect with your inner self. 

People who regularly practice meditation have lower levels of stress and anxiety. This is in part because it allows you to keep a sense of inner calm regardless of what’s going on in your outer world. Life is never going to stop being stressful and fast-paced, but with meditation, you can learn to stay calm and grounded no matter what life throws your way. 

Why guided meditation is good for beginners

There are many wonderful types of meditation, each with its own benefits. If all you do is sit down for 5 minutes a day and focus on your breathing, you’re already meditating and getting the benefits of meditation! It doesn’t have to be complicated. 

Another one of my favorite types of meditation is mindfulness meditation. You can learn more about mindfulness meditation here.

Today though, I want to specifically share the benefits of guided meditation for beginners. 

Personally, I think this is the best kind of meditation for people who are new to meditation. This is partly because of the way guided meditation helps us bypass the subconscious mind. Not only does it quiet our thoughts, but it also helps us move into our unconscious, dreaming mind and out of the patterns and stories of our subconscious, which is the trained and conditioned mind. 

The benefits are twofold – for one thing, it’s often much easier to stay still and not feel so fidgety when you have guided imagery to lead the way. And on top of that, it actually takes you past those old patterns and stories that run on repeat in your mind and allows you to tap into something deeper all without trying. 

Another benefit of guided meditation is that you can find one for almost any theme or topic you want to focus on. There are guided meditations for healing, anxiety, stress, peace… the list goes on! 

Later in this guide, I’m going to share the best-guided meditations of 2022 with you. 

How to start a guided meditation practice

Feeling sold on the benefits of guided meditation yet? Great! Now let’s talk about how to start guided meditation for beginners. 

The only thing you need to begin your guided meditation practice is a curiosity to get started and plenty of compassion for yourself. No need to be perfect or get anything right. Think of this as a project of self-discovery. Set an intention to try out a few meditations and take it one day at a time. 

If you’re overwhelmed by the number of guided meditations out there, I have the perfect starting place for you. I created this 11 Minute Guided Meditation for Beginners to help people just like you begin their guided meditation journey. 

Where to find the best-guided meditations

Continue Reading on ColetteBaronReid.com 

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