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Meditation Techniques for Beginners

The president of Shoval & Co, Benjamin “Ben” Shoval oversees
the firm’s private market investments. In addition to his
entrepreneurial experience, Ben Shoval enjoys yoga, walking, and
meditation.
Meditation has been shown to have many benefits,
whether it’s something done for several hours or just a few minutes.
However, meditation can be a challenge for beginners. Here are a few
quick and simple techniques to try.
- Take in the moment. Begin
by taking deep breaths and focusing on your breathing. Close your eyes
and expand your focus to the edges of your body. Then, take in all of
your non-visual sensations in time with your breath. Finally, bring your
focus back from your senses to your body and ending with your breathing
again.
- Meditate in motion. While walking at a slow or medium
pace, focus on your feet and the mechanics of stepping. After focusing
on your feet for a time, notice as your mind wanders and guide your
attention back. By paying attention to when your attention wanders and
taking the effort to refocus it, you can be in more control of it in
everyday situations.
- Be mindful of your thoughts. You can do
this anywhere; simply notice your thoughts as they wander. Although
stillness can be beneficial for this technique, especially for
beginners, it is not required. By calling awareness to the thoughts, you
can become more aware of your instantaneous judgements of situations
and work to achieve a healthy balance.