Meditation for Beginners: Definition, Benefits & How to Start
- THE SPIRITUAL PUNK
- 2 days ago
- 10 min read
Updated: 2 minutes ago
I want to talk about something and I want to try and explain it in a way that can actually help you. Something that might make your everyday life feel just a bit better and that’s meditation.
If you are in a hurry, or want to skip to a particular section I've added these as quick links
You will hear it all over the spiritual channels like in this article on headspace and I did too, but this channel is a bit different, this is what the SPIRITUAL PUNK mindset is all about, so I want to talk about meditation in a bit more of a real way. I write about topics like Spirituality, Meditation, Manifestation & Mindset and more, but in a way that’s a bit different, from a more male perspective, one that a bit against the man. A bit more punk. I’ve spent time on retreats and learned about meditation from Buddhist monks and more. I've gained wisdom from many sources and I want to share this with you.
I also added a post with a Guided Meditation for Beginners that you can follow along with and practice your meditatuion.
This blog post is available as a video on my youtube channel. Watch our full beginner’s guide to meditation on YouTube.
How to start mediation if you struggle with it ?
I really struggled to get into meditation, it was always something I wanted to try for a long time. I knew the benefits, but I just struggled to actually get my head around it and to just, well… do it.
When I learn about new things, I always want to understand them. The why’s, the how’s and the what’s the point, so I can be a bit of a slow learner.
I’ve always been like this.
As a bit of a contradiction I am actually pretty fast paced kind of person. Fletch and the kids always joke that I’m “too fast for this world” usually because, I’ve just set off, on some task, tried to go too fast and bumped into something.
But with learning something new and getting to grips with it, I can be a bit slow on the uptake, but that’s because rather than just accept something is what I am told it is and to just do it, I always want to understand it.
So, I was like this with meditation. I wanted to know what it would mean for me, as a 40 odd year old guy, with a pretty busy mind. With stuff going on.
So with meditation I wanted to know:
What was I doing it for?
What was the point?
What would it actually do?
Fast forward to today and I’m now well into it. I really enjoy meditation and it is now an essential part of my day and my life and it is something that I do every morning. I meditate as a priority, before I check any screens, social media or even have a coffee.
So, I wanted to talk about it and share my thoughts, from my point of view, in a way that can hopefully help someone else who feels the same. Someone who’s maybe not sure what it’s all about and maybe isn’t finding the answers they need online etc.
So, here’s my thoughts on meditation, why it’s worth doing, what you actually do and how you can get started.
Learning to meditate with Buddhist Monks at the Meditation retreat in Chiang Mai
What is meditation (Definition) ?
You’ve Probably Heard About Meditation… You might be at the start of a Spiritual awakening, or you might be wanting look deeper into What Spirituality is ?
…but maybe you’re not really sure what it is, or what you’re supposed to do. I really just wanted a clear meditation definition, but I just couldn't find one that explained it to me.
I used to get people telling me all the time:
“Oh you should try meditation.”“Meditation is so good for you.”
Etc, etc.
But honestly? It used to annoy me a bit.
Because every time I looked for advice online I’d find all these guided meditations (here's my guide to the best guided meditations youtube), people talking about how “amazing” it is, or someone being a bit of a guru on a mountain talking in metaphors and it just wasn’t what I was looking for. I just wanted to know, in terms i could vibe with, the meditation benefits.
I just wanted someone to explain it simply. In a way that would actually mean something to me and that I could relate to.
Like:
What actually is it?
What are you supposed to do?
And what’s the actual point?
I didn’t grow up meditating. I’ve got a busy mind. I just wanted to try it and see if it helped, without feeling like I had to be some kind of expert.
What Is The Monkey Mind ?
Honestly, my mind is all over the place, it’s always jumping to the next thing, always wanting more, always buzzing. I have a seriously busy mind.
What is meant by Monkey Mind - Monkey Brain ?
That’s what is known as the monkey mind. You’ll probably hear this a lot.
It’s like there’s a monkey in your brain, swinging from thought to thought like it’s in a jungle gym.
You sit down to meditate, try and clear your mind and suddenly all of the thoughts just keep coming, things like:
“Did I reply to that email?”
“What job did I forget?”
“Why didn’t I say that in an argument from ten years ago?”*
*I have actually had this thought pop into my head.
So yeah, with a mind like this, I didn’t think meditation was for me. I didn’t think I would ever be able to just sit, relax and stop these thoughts. I needed to find a good monkey mind meditation *****ADD LINK HERE***
If that’s you, if this resonates with you, then hello, this post is for you.
My (Chaotic) First Introduction to Meditation
I actually tried meditation for the first time at school. It was part of this retreat thing that we went on, which was a few days away in the last year of high school.
So you have to imagine the scene. A load of teenagers, away from school, being shown how to meditate, this was not exactly the most relaxing scene. We lay down, did a guided session. The guy leading it had an Eastern European accent and as he was talking through the guided meditation at one point said:
“Remember, it’s my life…”
Before he could finish, someone in the class responded with:
“Take it or leave it!”
Then the rest of the class started singing the song. If you don’t know the song Google it. (Dr Alban - It's My Life)
Not the most peaceful setting.
But weirdly, even through the chaos, I did feel something that felt good.
I remember that it felt good to just step away from school, from teachers, from other people and to just lie there. So that always kind of stayed with me.
Even though afterwards everyone was talking and saying how crap it was, how weird it was, that it was “bent” and I actually said that I thought it was good.
So, I guess that kind of stuck with me. It might have took me 30 odd years to actually revisit it, but better late than never hey.
What Is Meditation and it's Benefits?
Let’s start at the very beginning.
For me it’s just about taking some time and letting your brain rest.
There’s so many types of meditation, so many methods. You can manifest, you can chant, you can use solfeggio frequencies/sounds etc etc.
But for me, initially it’s just about letting your mind be.
Meditation is just training your attention.
It’s not about stopping your thoughts.It’s about noticing them — and gently bringing your awareness back to the present moment.
It’s like going to the gym, but for your mind.
In the gym, every rep makes you stronger.With meditation, every time you bring your focus back to your breath — that’s a rep.
You’re building awareness.
What’s the Point of Meditation / Why Meditate?
I used to think it was about having some magical moment.
Like you had to “do it right” to unlock this deep spiritual experience and get into some kind of “Zen” state.
But really, it’s just about creating space in your head.
So that your thoughts don’t control you.So you can respond to life more calmly.
It’s about stepping back from the noise, instead of getting dragged around by it.
Don’t try.
Just do.
Let go of any expectation.Let go of trying to “get it right”.
When I first started, I kept thinking I had to feel something specific. But that just left me feeling frustrated, that I wasn’t doing it right.
Meditation isn’t about achieving anything.
It’s about being.
We’re always doing something....... scrolling, chasing, fixing, striving, moving, thinking.
Meditation is about stillness. It’s about presence.
It’s giving your mind the rest that sleep gives your body.
What Happens in Your Brain During Meditation ?
If you’re like me, you might be wondering — what’s actually happening up there when you meditate ? What are the meditation brain benefits ?
The brain - What happens to it during meditation ?
Here’s a breakdown. Here's what is going on up there..... Time for some meditation neuroscience.
1. Calming the Alarm System (Amygdala)
Your amygdala is the part of your brain that’s constantly scanning for danger - triggering fear, stress, anxiety.
Modern life keeps it constantly switched on. There’s always something to check, to react to.
Meditation turns down the volume on stress.
With regular practice, your amygdala literally shrinks in activity and even in size.
2. Strengthening the Control Centre (Prefrontal Cortex)
This part of your brain helps with focus, decision-making, and self-awareness.
Meditation lights this up and strengthens it like a muscle.
So you can:
Stay present
Pause before reacting
Make clearer choices
You learn to respond instead of just reacting.
3. Rewiring Your Brain (Neuroplasticity)
Your brain is constantly changing.
Meditation helps it rewire, by building pathways that support calm, focus, and emotional balance.
It weakens the ones that feed stress and autopilot behaviour.
You’re literally training your brain to be more balanced.
4. Increasing Gray Matter
Studies show meditators have more gray matter in areas linked to memory, learning, and emotional regulation.
Your brain becomes sharper and more emotionally resilient.
5. Slowing Your Brain Waves
Meditation shifts your brainwaves:
From beta waves (busy, anxious)
To alpha and theta waves (calm, creative)
Like going from rush hour traffic to a quiet country road.
Meditation: What Changes ?
When you meditate, your brain starts to change:
Stress circuits calm down
Focus and awareness strengthen
You become more balanced and less reactive
Like building any muscle — the more you show up, the easier it gets.
One day, you’ll think:
“How did I ever believe I couldn’t do this?”
So, What Do You Actually Do When You Meditate ?
Everyone thinks you need to be humming, lighting incense, surrounded by crystals.
I mean, you can — and that’s good — but you don’t have to.
Just start simple.
I want to put this in super simple terms. I will go into more detail in future videos/blog posts etc, but when you get a few minutes, just try this.
The best advice I can give you to start is to turn off your phone, turn off your laptop. Just for a bit.
Go somewhere quiet.
Practicing meditation at the Bali Meditation centre
How To Meditate For Beginners (Step by Step)
Sit or lie somewhere comfortable
Close your eyes
Just be still and relax
Focus on your breath
Breathe in…
Breathe out…
Relax every bit of your body
Feel heavy
Let your thoughts go
Almost like you are trying to have no thoughts in your mind
That’s it
If you treat it as something that simple it takes the pressure of....... Try it, practice it. Just see what it feels like to have no thoughts in your head.
Start short.
Then do it for longer.
Enjoy it.
Your mind will wander and you know what, that’s okay.
Notice it.
Come back to your breath.
If you are struggling with random thoughts coming in, again that’s ok. Just notice them and try to let them go.
In all honesty, this can be easier said than done, but try this:
Think of your thoughts as cars on a road.You’re sitting on the pavement, watching them pass.You don’t need to chase them.
Just let them drive away.
Or as clouds, that you are sat watching as they float away.
However you visualise it, it doesn’t matter. Just try to let them go.
At first, my mind raced, thinking about dinner, emails, all sorts.
But with time and practice, it got easier.
You don’t have to clear your mind perfectly.
You just have to show up.
So, just try it.
What’s the Point in Meditation ?
I have been on a couple of meditation retreats with real Buddhist monks (sounds far out, I know, but it was amazing). Read more about them here.
On one of the retreats in Chiang Mai, I was taught by a super wsie monk called Phra KK. He said something that I really liked, that I think explains what meditation is.
He said:
“Meditation is like medicine for the mind.”
He then went on to explain it like this.
If we have a headache, we take a paracetamol. If we cut ourselves, we clean it out with antiseptic. But if we feel anxious or down? We just carry on.
Why not treat our minds with care too?
Meditation helps:
Calm your stress response
Observe thoughts without reacting
Build focus and emotional clarity
Give your mind real rest
I really loved this way of looking at meditation.
For me, thinking of meditation not as a spiritual thing, just as something good to do really helped.
It kind of took the pressure off and let me just enjoy some time resting my crazy monkey mind.
Final Thoughts
When I first started, I found meditation really hard.
But I stuck with it, tried a few techniques and it made a massive difference.
You don’t need to be spiritual.You don’t need a special space.You don’t even need to know what you’re doing.
Just try it.
Even two minutes of being quiet and just breathing helps.
Meditation Isn’t About Being Perfect
It’s not about reaching a super zen state.
It’s not about being better than anyone else.
It’s about being present.
And feeling a bit better.
That’s it.
If this helped, and you want more, feel free to reach out, or leave a comment. I’ll be sharing more tips and techniques soon.
I want this channel to be a bit more real, a bit more honest and more for people that are spiritual, but still a bit of a rebel and just a bit more real.
So, if you like this and you think you could be a bit like this then jump on and subscribe.
Peace out and good vibes.
What Is Meditation? (Simply Explained)
What Meditation Actually Does to Your Mind
Meditation Explained for Beginners
What Is the Monkey Mind in Meditation?
Why People Meditate (And Why It Works)
Struggling to Meditate? Start With This Explanation
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