Learning to meditate; these are the 7 simple steps

Meditation never worked for me. I found the terms too vague, the voice guiding me annoying, and I had no moment of peace in my body. Until I came across Willemijn Welten through her course You Can Learn to Manifest and now it works. I asked her for easy tips so that you can try it too.

First things first: what does meditation bring you? Willemijn: ‘Actually, that's very personal. You have your own reasons. It's just like with sports: some do it for a fit body, others to clear their mind. At its core, meditation provides a moment to check in with yourself, so you can be yourself all day. Meditation reduces stress because you take time and peace, which leads to less cortisol and stress hormones being produced. We overthink a lot; by meditating, you literally sink into your body for a moment.’

Now to the tips, because starting to meditate isn't that hard. What I mainly learned is that you can't do it wrong. It's okay if you're distracted by the drilling from the neighbors, it's not a problem if you're replaying a conversation in your mind; you can't do meditation wrong. But thanks to Willemijn, you make starting easier.

1. Make time to meditate. It's a very simple tip, but schedule your meditation. Preferably at a fixed time, so it becomes part of your rhythm and routine. This way, it becomes ingrained in your system.

2. Start small. People think you have to sit on a mat on a mountain or in a cave with monks right away, but that's not necessary. I started with three minutes a day because I didn't have more time working in a corporate environment. But starting with three minutes a day is enough.

3. Always do it in the same place. This works just like at that fixed time. You don't have to think about where you're going to meditate, and your system is less likely to come up with reasons why it can't be done.

4. Make it easy for yourself. We're so used to thinking that meditations have to be difficult, but they don't have to be at all. Find meditations that you enjoy. I almost always do a guided meditation myself. You listen to a nice voice, someone keeps track of the time for you, and you know exactly how long it lasts.

Tip from Adeline in between: try this one from Willemijn.

5. Write down what you feel after a meditation. By making the result visible and seeing that it brings you something, you're inclined to do it again. People are results-driven; by recording it, you know what the benefits are.

6. Make it a challenge. If you think about doing something for eleven days, it gives you commitment to yourself.

7. Arrange to meditate with someone. With a friend, girlfriend, or colleague, and discuss it afterwards. You're not having coffee now, but by checking in after your meditation, you still make it a social event.

Want to meditate with Willemijn once? Every Monday morning at 9:00 AM, she gives a live meditation on her Instagram.