Transform Your Mindset: Beginner Meditation Practices for Daily Calm

Sometimes life feels a bit chaotic and filled with frantic, jerky movement — sometimes you don’t feel level-headed or tranquil at all — and I’ve been there, too. Fortunately, I have learned a simple practice that has helped me find daily calm and even change my entire perspective: meditation. If you are just beginning your meditation journey, you might be interested in this guide that helped shape mine. Let’s explore how meditation can offer you a sense of peace and calm, whenever you want it.

The Modern-Day Mindset Struggle

These days, there are hardly any moments of peace to be had. Between work and family obligations, planning meals and navigating to-do lists, it sometimes feels like we’re running ourselves into the ground. There are still times when I fail to switch off at the end of the day, releasing my grudges and relaxing my muscles. Before I started practicing meditation, my days were cut short by the awakening of my mind.

What’s Holding You Back?

Taking time: I don’t have time to meditate, I used to think — 10 minutes a day is all you need.

Still, Sitting: meditation is not about sitting still. Well. It is, really. And I don’t ‘do’ meditation. At least, I used to think I didn’t. I didn’t see any point in it. My thoughts were a riot of ideas, the rambling inner dialogue of opinion, self-doubt and manic possibility. By the time I heard about ‘mindfulness’, it sounded as if it required you to sit still for hours. That wasn’t going to happen either. So I didn’t try it. Or at least, that was my excuse until recently, when we received some peer-reviewed research from experts who had used fMRI scans of the brain to test the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation. What they found excited me enormously. In just four 20-minute daily sessions of meditation, significant changes occurred in the white matter (nerve tracts) of the brain’s connections involved in concentration, emotion and self-reference (the ‘me-model’ your brain uses to understand and remember itself). Most importantly, the changes lasted for at least a month after the meditation sessions ended. What if a few months of practice could contribute to life? I started with the instruction to find myself a comfortable seat, an instruction I usually ignored. Then we were invited to focus on a simple mantra, a word or phrase augmenting our breath — anything that would allow us to observe our own breath for a few minutes. How disappointed I was by those first few minutes of breath. Usually my breath is long, deep and calm. But not today. On this first attempt at meditation, my breath felt short and noisy, like someone else’s. I tried to focus on a ‘so-hoom’ that came at the end of my in-breath and wove itself into my Out-breath. This is a gentle and soothing instruction. It does not ask you to stop your thoughts. It asks you to observe how these thoughts drift with or without your noticing. It’s part of the story.

Not Knowing How: I didn’t know how to meditate at the beginning – but there are simple techniques you can use to help you begin. Then it’s practice, practice, practice. 

Getting Started with Meditation

Here's how I began my meditation journey, and how you can too:

1. Find Your Space

Find a place where you won’t be disturbed – a corner of your bedroom, perhaps (which is where I find mine) or a quiet nook in your living room or garden or another favourite spot outside.

2. Get Comfortable

Sit or lie on the floor in whatever way feels comfortable to you. I use a meditation pillow to keep myself upright, but whatever works for helping you to be still will be fine. Little by little, allow your focus to expand to bodies and eventually, the entire space around you that is otherwise unseen – blind spots excluded! You will be so surprised at how much you have been sensing and filtering out until now.

3. Focus on Your Breath

Sit with your eyes closed and take some deep breaths. Focus on the air going into and out of your body. If your mind starts to drift elsewhere, gently guide it back to your breath. Doing this every day is guaranteed to help. You might find it to be just another distracting activity, like I did. Still, you might give it another try. You could even start out with using a breathing necklace.

4. Start with Guided Meditation

Guided sessions (where you listen to a person’s voice on a recording) were and still are indispensable for me in my beginning years of meditating – you can find a ton of free, guided beginner’s meditations online in the various apps and as tracks on YouTube. They can help you get into the habit of meditating by providing you with a step-by-step instruction.

5. Practice Gratitude

Give one last thought to something for which you’re thankful at the end of your meditation. This can help to shift your mindset from a place of stress to one of appreciation, so you start your day feeling positive. I often used this as a way to close my sessions. Keeping a daily gratitude journal is something that I’ve come to do, which has resulted in an overall feeling of gratitude for everything around me. There is so much more to be grateful for than to be ungrateful for - air to breath, sun in the sky, lungs to breathe with, the ability to smell, the list goes on…

6. Consider Using a Mala Necklace for Grounding

Using a mala necklace for meditation has truly transformed my practice and brought a deeper sense of peace into my life. I remember the first time I tried it—I was a bit unsure, but the experience was profoundly grounding. Sitting comfortably, I held the mala in my hand, feeling the smooth beads drape over my fingers. Starting at the guru bead, I began to recite my chosen mantra, moving my thumb to the next bead with each repetition. The tactile sensation of the beads, combined with the rhythmic chanting, helped me focus and prevented my mind from wandering.

Each bead felt like a small anchor, drawing me back to the present moment whenever my thoughts started to drift. The repetitive movement created a soothing rhythm that made it easier to sink deeper into meditation. Over time, I found that using the mala not only enhanced my concentration but also made my meditative sessions feel more structured and intentional. It became a cherished part of my routine, a simple yet powerful tool that helped me cultivate mindfulness and connect more deeply with my inner self. If you’re looking to deepen your meditation practice, I highly recommend giving a mala necklace a try. It’s a beautiful, tangible way to bring more focus and tranquillity into your life.

Keeping the Momentum

My number one challenge to starting any new habit has been sticking to it.  Here are some tricks that have been helpful for me keeping the meditation habit going:

Habitualise: Set aside the same time each day to meditate.

Take your time: Meditation is a skill, and skills take time. Be patient with yourself. It’s normal to have some days where it feels harder than others. 

Get connected: Sometimes all you need is a community of others on the same path as you. Join a meditation group or online community to share your experiences.

Set up a sacred space for meditation: Set up a comfortable, appealing space for mediation. I have a meditation blanket, bolster pillow, singing bowls, crystals, a suncatcher, and a few other props in my space. It’s your sacred space - make it yours! 

The Benefits of Daily Calm

Just a few of the benefits I have experienced since bringing this practice into my life are less stress and anxiety, and better emotional health. Meditation opens your ability to become more self-aware. Life has become a more enjoyable experience that has allowed  me to soar through life’s not-so-pleasant moments. Improved quality of sleep - I found that I slept better after meditating; it helped to reduce physical tension in the body and quieten my hamster-wheel mind.

Embrace the Calm

And that mindset change – daily calm – can really happen, and can be deeply rewarding. You don’t need to be on a retreat or in a big city swanky dancing class or at the theatre opposite Stephen Fry. You just need to sit down, start, and keep at it. Give yourself just a few minutes every day for a week. Experience the meditations, but also notice how you’re feeling, how the practice makes you feel. Then give yourself 10 minutes a day for the next week. Keep notes. See if you notice any differences. You’ll soon discover how to calm your mind. There really is a peaceful place inside. 

If you’re ready to quiet the mind amidst the crazy, find a quiet place, take a breath, and watch the miracle of change happen, your daily calm is just a breath away. I am so happy for you to experience the calm and insight into life that has come with such a simple practice of meditation.