What to Expect When You Start Meditating
When you first start meditating, you probably wonder what should happen during your meditations. You may be asking yourself if what you’re experiencing is “normal.” And while everyone’s meditation experience is unique, there are a few things that almost every meditator encounters. Knowing what these are will help you ease your mind the next time you sit down for your practice.
It’s important to start with this: meditation isn’t about getting anywhere! In a sense, expecting something specific to happen or not happen in your meditation is an oxymoron. It can be hard for our mind to imagine not having a goal in mind.
We’re often conditioned to always have a target. But practicing meditation is about coming into the present moment to notice what is - without striving, judgement, or resistance. That is exactly why there is no right or wrong way to meditate.
Yes, there are many different types and styles of meditation. Some direct your focus to your breath. Some invite you to feel the sensations in your body. Some focus on visualizations. But these are all ways to retrain your mind to focus on the present moment - where your true power lies.
“Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already.”- Pema Chödrön
So here are five things you are likely to experience when you first start practicing meditation:
A NEVER-ENDING STREAM THOUGHTS
You close your eyes and start listening to the instructions of the guided meditation. Within a few short moments, you notice that your mind is running at a thousand miles per hour. Don’t worry, it’s not just you!
Our minds have been conditioned to think since we were little. There’s nothing wrong with thinking itself - it’s an amazing power we have as human beings! The problem is that many people aren’t doing their thinking in the present moment. They are caught up in stories from the past or worst-case scenarios of the future.
The wonderful thing that meditation will help you discover is that you don’t have to get caught up in your thoughts.
Imagine you’re sitting on a river bank. Your thoughts are like the river that’s flowing by. Initially you may feel unsettled by the fast-moving current. Wanting to stop your thoughts is like jumping into the river to try to stop the current. Not only is it impossible - it’s also exhausting!
Luckily, you don’t have to do that! All you’re doing in meditation is just sitting on the river bank, watching the current go by. Eventually, you change the way you look at the river of your thoughts. Rather than trying to fight the current, you notice that you are not the current. You are the one observing it from that peaceful river bank.
JUDGING YOURSELF
When that stream of thoughts keeps flowing by, you may be frustrated with yourself for not being able to “quiet your mind.” Notice that even those thoughts of self-judgement are just thoughts. They are part of the river that you’re watching from the river bank.
When you learn to meditate, you start to see how your mind is conditioned to judge everything. It’s often critical of anything it can find - including yourself. How do you overcome this habit? By cultivating a sense of compassion for yourself.
Imagine you are teaching a child how to ride a bicycle. Would you get frustrated with her for falling the first few times? Probably not. You can learn to be as compassionate and patient with yourself as you would be with a child. You are learning a new skill after all!
SUPPRESSED EMOTIONS SURFACING
If there are difficult emotions you’ve been pushing away, they may come to the surface. Sometimes we keep ourselves busy and distracted with so many other things in life because we are unconsciously afraid to face them.
But just like that current of thoughts, your feelings are also flowing by. This doesn’t mean they’re not real or that you shouldn’t pay attention to them. It does mean that you are greater than them. You can be with them - and they can’t hurt you if you allow them to pass through you.
When you notice these feelings arise, see if you can just be with the sensations. What does it feel like to feel anger, grief, frustration, stress in your body? A tight knot in your stomach? A heavy heart? A weight on your shoulders? Can you bring in a sense of curiosity without labeling these sensations as bad?
INTENSIFIED PHYSICAL SENSATIONS
As you bring more awareness to your body, you might feel unusual or more intense physical sensations than normal. When you no longer turn away from what naturally wants to arise, you become more sensitive - emotionally and physically.
You may notice your head spinning slightly as your body goes through different brain waves cycles as you go deeper into meditation. You may notice your breath slowing down. This is because your mind starts relaxing as your brain notices that your body is safe. If you felt discomfort or pain in your body before the meditation, you might notice it easing or intensifying.
As mentioned before, the key thing is to notice that you are the one who is aware of these feelings and sensations. Whether painful or pleasurable, they are all part of the current. You are the one sitting on the river bank observing them.
INSPIRATION AND THE CREATIVE MUSE
You may notice that during or after your meditation, you get unique ideas and insights. Meditation helps you get into the alpha brain state from which intuitive and creative ideas often arise. [1] This is also why we get a lot of our best ideas in the shower - because we are more present!
Your mental resources open up when the body no longer has to worry about protecting itself from that perceived threat that was in your mind. Meditation increases the connection between your left and right brain. [2] You may feel like you are making a lot more “new connections” between existing ideas.
You may notice unusual stories playing out in your head. You may see flashes of color or light. This is part of expanding your awareness beyond your conditioned way of thinking. When this happens, simply observe it. Don’t try to cling to these experiences or push them away. Just let them be and then perhaps journal about them after your meditation. Meditation will help you hone your intuition so that you know what to do with these ideas to help you be even happier in life!
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER MEDITATING FOR A FEW WEEKS
When you have a daily meditation practice for some time, you will notice that you are more present. The more present you become, the less you worry about what happened yesterday or what might go wrong tomorrow.
Your brain notices that right this minute you are ok. There is no imminent threat.
Those stress-related neurochemicals like cortisol and epinephrine now have a chance to naturally flush out of your system. You become more relaxed, grateful, and fulfilled. Feelings of stress, anxiety, anger, depression, or overwhelm start to dissipate.
This is where you discover the magic of meditation.
Hi, I'm Kelly. Your Empowerment Coach and Mindfulness Mentor. I am an experienced wellness leader, a former 18-year veteran of a successful commercial real estate career, a wife, a mom of 2 teens, a certified meditation teacher, a breathwork facilitator, and an energy healer.
I help high achievers manage the complexity of their minds and cultivate more joy and ease. If you'd like to explore whether my private program, Anchor Yourself Accelerator, is right for you let's connect. I combine empowerment coaching and mindfulness practices to help you create a life you love.
You can learn more about the program by clicking here, or book a free, no-obligation discovery call using the button below
Clients share:
“If my anxiety was a 10 it's now below a 1."
t completely shifted my perspectives and opened me to new ways of being new possibilities, and more opportunities.”
“My anxiety massively decreased, and my overall mood and sense of well-being dramatically improved within a few sessions!”
“I have much greater clarity and confidence, and I have been able to make significant changes towards freedom and authenticity.”
“I learned how to create a life that feels good without needing to struggle. I am less judgmental and more curious. I make fewer assumptions, take things less personally, know what I truly want, see my future more clearly, and see many more possibilities.”
“Coaching has completely transformed my family life. Family dinners are way better, and it’s amazing how we’re all much more connected, I have a much more nurturing, compassionate, understanding relationship with myself, and I know I am a better mom, wife, and person as a result of my work with Kelly.”
How to Manipulate Brain Waves for a Better Mental State, Thomas Jefferson University, 2019 https://nexus.jefferson.edu/science-and-technology/how-to-manipulate-brain-waves-for-a-better-mental-state/
