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May 2, 2017

Meditation for Beginners: 3 Tips with Yoga Girl Rachel Brathen

Sydne Style interviews yoga girl rachel brathen on meditation tips for beginnersMeditation scares me. I could think of a thousand things I’d rather do than sit in silence trying to, well, not think. Knowing how great it is for the mind, I’ve attempted meditation a handful of times. It never worked. My mind raced over my to-do list, what photo I should post  on Instagram, what I’d be wearing later that evening… basically every thought that distracted me from stillness. So needless to say, when I saw meditation was going to be a daily activity during my Aruba trip I was nervous. But then I met Yoga Girl.

Rachel Brathen, who is known as Yoga Girl to her two million Instagram followers, hosted our weekend in Aruba with Philosophy. Rachel exudes positive, calming energy. Upon meeting her, you’re instantly relaxed. After our first meditation circle, I sat down with Rachel explaining that I just couldn’t meditate. She smiled and offered these three tips for meditation beginners:

Meditation Takes Practice

“Meditation practice is called a practice because we’re never done with it. People find it easier to practice the physical aspect of yoga because you move your body. It’s something you can tangibly touch. Meditation works the same way. You have to practice.

Anyone who’s been into yoga knows the first down dog you ever did is horrible. It’s so hard. And then you do a hundred, thousand down dogs and it becomes a resting pose. Meditation is the same. You have to practice. You have to train your mind to sit in silence. Some days it’s easy. Some days it works. Some days it’s totally crazy. But if you practice and stick with it you get better at it. The same way you train a muscle, you train your mind.”

all practices are Different

“There are different types of meditations. Some you focus on the mantra. There are ones that are breath focused. There are mindful meditations where you focus on your surroundings, and the smells. If you’re a visual person, try a visualization type of meditation. It depends what works for you.”

you always have time to meditate

“There is a really good saying, “If you don’t have time to meditate for 20 minutes a day, meditate for an hour.” The idea you don’t have time is an illusion. So if you feel like I don’t have time to give myself 20 minutes to sit in silence and cultivate my inner space, which is the most important part of everything, it’s more important than your job, than your relationships, it’s about how you feel about the world. So if you don’t have time for that, make yourself sit for an hour. Because you need it even more.”

Sydne Style interviews yoga girl rachel brathen on how to meditate for beginnersPhotos at Island Yoga by Mark Joseph

Did I return home a meditating pro? Certainly not! I’m still struggling with at-home meditation. But as Rachel said, it takes practice. But I am happy to report that during Shavasana back at my Yoga-Lates class at Hot Pilates, I finally entered a state of true release.

Learn more about my weekend detox retreat with Rachel in my Aruba post!

Leave a Comment

6 Comments

  1. Alice commented:

    Thank you for sharing, it’s really interesting! I think it will also be useful for you to expand your knowledge in this area https://siddhiyoga.online/courses/restorative-yoga-teacher-training-certification . Yoga is an ancient spiritual practice aimed at achieving a person’s elevated spiritual and mental state.

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    3.10.21
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  2. Emma Rossela commented:

    Great advice as always, thanks. I often use meditation to find my inner peace and strength. It also keeps you in shape. If you are interested in many spiritual things, I think you will be interested in the blog https://sodaliteminds.com/ which will help you find answers to many things.

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    4.19.21
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  3. saanjh mehra commented:

    I’ve had a migraine that follows me like my shadow. 88 hours of incessant pain, a nine on the ten-point scale. My doctor has suggested Tramadol, and I do not want to take a narcotic based drug to treat my Migraine. I have a CT scan, an MRI scan, I go to the neurologist, and the report readings are all inconclusive. I’m told it’s a migraine with an unknown reason. And suddenly Neurologist said, have you tried yoga, he asked? And this lead me to https://maharishiyogapeeth.com; where the Yog gurus understand my problem and taught me Yoga asanas which helped me to overcome my migraine issue. I’d highly recommend them.

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    2.4.22
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  4. Emma commented:

    Practices of this kind are an amazing opportunity to clear your thoughts and set yourself up for an easy and productive day. Sometimes meditation alone will not be enough, but you can always go on a yoga retreat https://www.yovada.com/ that will be filled with much deeper practices.

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    7.8.22
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  5. Elisa commented:

    Thanks for your ideas, helpful as always. I also did yoga and meditation often and even found good courses for myself https://schoolofpositivetransformation.com/meditation-and-mindfulness-teacher-training/ to reach a professional level and help other people join this movement

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    9.11.22
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  6. EmilyWilde commented:

    Great article! The article “Breath of Fire: Benefits of Pranayama in Kundalini Yoga” https://julstory.com/breath-of-fire-benefits-of-pranayama-in-kundalini-yoga/ also truly captivated me. As a long-time yoga practitioner, it’s not often I encounter a piece that sheds new light on such a fundamental aspect of the practice – breathwork.

    The author’s clear and accessible explanations made the complex concept of Pranayama easily applicable to practitioners of all levels. The article’s insights have significantly enriched my practice, deepening my appreciation for the transformative power of breathwork within yoga.

    I find myself revisiting this article often, discovering new nuances with each read. It’s a testament to the quality and depth of the content, and I look forward to exploring more of the author’s work in my ongoing yoga journey.

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    10.20.23
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