What is meditation?
I guess we should start with clearing what meditation really is. Cause many of us don’t have a full understanding of practice which leads to misconceptions and skepticism around the topic.
Meditation is an attention-focused and awareness-driven practice that helps you achieve a state of emotional stability and mental well-being. The process is oriented on calming your mind and getting free from your thoughts by focusing on your breath or sound or something else. Overall meditation is a form of selfcare as with the constant training it is completely possible for you to reduce stress and anxiety. How great is that!
Meditation can feel like too much if you are new to practice. In this article we collected all the important information for the beginners.
Why might it be good for you?
There is so much external noise. Access to the Internet and a huge base of information changed how our brain works. Constant news flow, social media content and endless variety of movies and tv shows took over our attention. Is it good for our mental health? The short answer is no. Add to that lack of stability, worries about relatives and close ones, stress around job or retirement. And for these reasons you need to make sure you provide space to get some rest from all the thought and external and internal noise. If you are easily getting overwhelmed, feel constant or situational stress and anxiety, meditation can be a good option and at least a part of the solution.
According to WHO around 332 million people suffer from depression and more than 359 million of people live with anxiety disorder. Moreover, more than 5.9% of adults aged 70 and older have depressive disorder. For me these statistics are crazy! If you are the one who suffers mentally and emotionally, I truly feel sorry for you. And while it is highly crucial to get professional help, don’t rush to give up on self-soothing during such conditions.
Here comes meditation with its benefits. Among these are:
- Feeling of mental clarity
- Inner peace
- Better sleep
- Anxiety reduction
- Stress reduction
- Clear understanding of self
- Improves concentration and memory
Feeling of mental clarity
You know that sensation when your mind finally “clicks” after days of fog? Meditation helps build that feeling intentionally. When I first tried meditating, I remember having an “aha” moment after a week — nothing dramatic, just suddenly realizing I wasn’t doom-scrolling at 7 a.m. and actually felt awake. That’s mental clarity right there. When your thoughts stop racing, it becomes easier to make decisions, prioritize tasks, or simply get through the day without feeling mentally tangled.
Inner peace
Inner peace sounds like something only yogis on mountains feel, but honestly, it’s much more grounded. It’s that moment when you sit with your cup of tea, breathe slowly, and notice you’re not as reactive as you were yesterday. For me, inner peace didn’t arrive like a revelation — it came quietly, after a few days of listening to meditation music before bed instead of watching another loud TV episode. Over time, meditation helps your nervous system stop treating everything like an emergency.
Meditation and Sleep
Sleep meditation is a whole category on its own — and an extremely helpful one. Many people struggle to fall asleep because their brain refuses to shut up at night. I’ve been there: head on the pillow, eyes closed, and suddenly every embarrassing thing I’ve ever done shows up like a movie marathon.
Sleep meditations guide you through gentle breathing, visualizations, or calming body scans. They help switch your body from the stressed “fight-or-flight” mode to the restful “rest-and-digest” mode.
A few nights of listening to meditation music for sleep or a 10-minute nighttime meditation can genuinely change your routine. It did for me — I used to spend over an hour trying to fall asleep, and now most days I’m gone by minute six of the recording.
Meditation and Anxiety
Anxiety shows up in different ways — tight chest, racing thoughts, sweaty palms, or just a vague sense of “something is wrong.” When my anxiety was at its worst, I didn’t believe meditation could help. It felt too simple for such a heavy feeling. But the key wasn’t expecting immediate relief — it was showing up daily, even for a short 5 minute meditation.
Meditation trains your brain to pause before spiraling. It teaches you to observe thoughts instead of fighting them. Over time, you start noticing anxiety earlier, and you gain control over how you respond. It’s not a cure, but it’s a tool — and for many people, a very effective one.
Types of Meditation
There are many types of meditation as practice may differ a lot according to countries, regions, traditions and religions. It’s not possible to highlight the best one, but you can choose the one that really works for you.
Let’s unpack it.
First, there are guided and unguided meditations. These are pretty self-explanatory. In guided meditation you follow the teacher’s voice, who covers the whole practice step-by-step. That is such a great variant for beginners.
Unguided meditation, on the other hand, is more like sitting with your thoughts and observing them. I remember trying unguided practice too early — within two minutes I was thinking about laundry, groceries, and an argument from three years ago. But after some practice with guided audios, unguided meditation started to feel more natural.
Here are a few other popular types of meditation:
- Mindfulness meditation: focuses on the present moment and awareness.
- Breath-focused meditation: ideal for anxiety and grounding.
- Loving-kindness meditation: great for emotional healing and forgiveness.
- Movement meditation: can be walking, stretching, or gentle yoga.
- Body scan meditation: helps release physical tension.
Each one offers a different path to the same goal: a calmer, more focused version of you.
Meditation Exercises
If you’re wondering how to start, here are a few simple meditation exercises — the same ones that helped me when I felt completely lost:
1. 5-minute breathing meditation
Set a timer for 5 minutes, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. When your mind wanders (and it will), gently bring it back. This was the first one I ever tried — surprisingly effective.
2. Body scan
Lie down and slowly bring attention from your toes to the top of your head. Notice tension and let it go. Perfect for sleep meditation.
3. Morning meditation
A short 10 minute meditation after waking up can seriously change the tone of your whole day. I started doing this with a cup of warm water in hand — became my soft little ritual.
4. Anchor object practice
Pick an object (a candle flame, a plant, a cup) and focus on it. This helps train attention, especially if sitting still feels challenging.
Meditation YouTube Videos
If you want to start today, here are formats that work for beginners:
- 5 minute meditation — quick grounding for busy days
- 10 minute meditation — perfect for building consistency
- Morning meditation — boosts focus and sets calm energy
- Meditation for sleep — pairs well with meditation music
- Meditation for anxiety — short, reassuring, and effective
Platforms like YouTube have thousands of free options — some even include meditation music for sleep or calming soundscapes like rain, forest, or ocean waves. I personally started with YouTube before moving to apps, and it worked perfectly.
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