The Best Guided Meditation For Beginners: Learn All About Guided Meditation

Millennials are focused on their total health and wellness. They are seeking alternatives to medication and gearing towards more natural solutions. When it comes to relaxation and reducing stress, guided meditation is one of the best tools available. If your looking to learn guided meditation for beginners you’ve come to the right place!

 Here’s everything you need to know about guided meditation: what it is, the benefits, the different types, and how to get started. 

You’ll also learn a few guided meditation exercises that you can use to help you relax and de-stress. So if you’re looking for a natural way to improve your mental health and well-being, guided meditation may be just what you need!

What is Guided Meditation?

Guided meditation is a form of mindfulness meditation that is guided by a teacher or instructor. During guided meditation, you will be asked to focus on your breath and/or a mantra (a word or phrase that you repeat over and over again). The instructor will provide verbal guidance throughout the session, which can help you to stay focused and relaxed.

The Benefits Of Guided Meditation 

So what are the benefits of using guided meditation to relieve stress?

Some potential benefits include:

• decreased stress levels with consistent practice
• improved sleep quality
• reduced anxiety and depression symptoms
• decreased negative rumination (the act of thinking over and over again about negative events) 
• increased focus and concentration 
• a decrease in physical pain
• an improvement in your physical health, including a decrease in blood pressure and a reduction in the symptoms of conditions like anxiety, depression, and pain, improved cardiovascular health 
• increased self-awareness and insight 

Why Is Guided Meditation Good For Stress Relief?

Guided meditation can help shift your focus from whatever is causing you stress and anxiety to the present moment. In other words, it helps you take a break from ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. 

Guided meditation can also help you learn how to control and focus your attention. This is beneficial because it can help you become less reactive to stressors in your life. When you’re better able to control your attention, you’re less likely to get caught up in the stress response and its associated symptoms, such as anxiety and negative thinking

The Different Types of Guided Meditation 

There are many different types of guided meditation, so there’s likely one that will fit your needs. Some popular types include:

• mindfulness meditation: focus on the present moment and observe your thoughts and feelings without judgment  
• guided imagery: imagine a calming scene or experience to promote relaxation 

• mantra meditation: recite a phrase or word over and over again to achieve a state of calmness 
• walking meditation: focus on your breath and the sensation of your feet hitting the ground as you walk (I loveeee this in the snow at night when it’s extra bright outside)
• progressive relaxation: tense and relax different muscle groups in your body to release tension 
• breath awareness meditation: pay attention to the flow of your breath in and out of your body to center yourself 
• body scan meditation: body scan meditation is a type of mindfulness meditation. The goal of this type of meditation is to focus on the body and its sensations. This can help to improve your body awareness and reduce stress. 

How To Get Started  

Guided meditation is one of the best ways to improve your mental wellbeing. It’s easy to learn, and there are plenty of apps and guides available to help you get started.

If you’re interested in giving guided meditation a try, here are a few tips:

• Find an online guided meditation class or download an audio file to listen to at home. There are many great options available online. 
• Subscribe to an app that has guided meditations such as Headspace, Insight Timer, Aura App, and many more.
• Personally, I always recommend guided meditations from Youtube.com. They are free and you can find many that are developed by qualified mental health professionals. 

Guided Meditation Exercises 

Let’s look at youtube for guided mediation examples. 

Type ” guided meditation” into the YouTube search bar. You’ll get a lot of results, with plenty of variety to choose from. 

One example is this guided meditation for sleep by Deepak Chopra

I recommend guided imagery more than anything to my clients because it adds a visual element to your meditation to increase your sensory awareness. 

Here’s an excellent guided imagery meditation from John Hopkin’s: Guided Imagery 

You can also find plenty of guided meditations specifically for anxiety and stress relief.

Check out this guided meditation for stress relief. All you need is five minutes. 5 Minute Guided Meditation 

Guided Meditation Tips

When you’re ready to start your guided meditation, find a comfortable spot where you can sit or lie down. Make sure you won’t be disturbed for the next few minutes. You might want to set a timer so you don’t have to worry about time passing. 

If you’re a busy parent, make all members of your home aware that you need 15 minutes of alone time and turn on that sound machine for zero distractions! 

As you settle in, focus on your breath. Inhale and exhale slowly and deeply. If your mind wanders, that’s okay! Just gently bring your attention back to your breath. 

Guided meditations usually last between five and 30 minutes. After your timer goes off, sit for a few moments before getting up and give yourself lots of gratitude for loving yourself enough to take this much-needed time to be the best you.

The Takeaway

When used consistently, guided meditation can be an incredibly powerful tool to improve your mental and emotional health. It’s a great way to learn how to meditate, relax, and de-stress. 

Have you tried guided meditation? If not, what are you waiting for? This practice can help melt away your stress and leave you feeling more relaxed and centered. There are so many different types of guided meditations to choose from, so find one that resonates with you and get started today. 

Let me know some of your favorite guided meditations in the comments below – I’m always looking for new ones to try!

Happy meditating!