Shadowing Practice: How to Meditate as a Beginner - Meditation Guide for Beginners (animated) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Suppose you read about a pill that you could take once a day to reduce anxiety and increase your contentment.
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Suppose you read about a pill that you could take once a day to reduce anxiety and increase your contentment.
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Would you take it?
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Suppose further that the pill has a great variety of side effects, all of them good: increased self-esteem, empathy, and trust; it even improves memory.
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Suppose, finally, that the pill is all natural and costs nothing.
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Now would you take it?
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The pill exists.
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It's called meditation.
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Meditation can sometimes seem very complicated and difficult to learn.
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However that shouldn't be the case.
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A lot of people think mediation is just for hippies or monks, but that's not true.
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It has nothing to do with religion or spiritual practice.
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Actually it has been scientifically proven to be the best exercise for keeping a healthy mind.
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It trains the brain as if gray matter were a bundle of muscles.
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You work those muscles and they get stronger.
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Just 10 minutes of meditation a day, can have huge physical and mental benefits.
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Today I'm going to teach you, exactly how to meditate and get those benefits.
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First: Pick a spot.
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Pick a quiet location, somewhere nobody will distract you.
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I simply use my room, because it's quiet and there are no distractions.
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If you live in a noisy environment, meditate early in the morning or before you hit the bed.
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Usually people are asleep and nobody will bother you.
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Now pick where you're going to sit: It can be on the chair, on the floor, on your bed..
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Wherever you can sit comfortably.
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I usually do it sitting on the floor, on a pillow.
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Second: Set a time Before you begin, you should decide how long you are going to meditate.
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Many seasoned meditators recommend twenty minute sessions a day.
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As a beginner, meditating every day is far more important than the amount of time per day.
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Try to aim for 5 minutes daily to begin, either when you wake up, or before you go to bed.
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It's way more beneficial to meditate for 5 minutes each day, than to meditate for 30 minutes once a week.
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Start small then slowly work your way up to 10 or even 20 minutes every day.
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Don't just decide how long you're going to meditate, but also set an alarm before you do.
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You want to avoid thinking about the time and checking your watch if those 5 minutes have passed.
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You will notice that during meditation, time seems to move slower than usual.
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Third: Posture.
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Some meditators say your legs should be on top of each other, in a lotus position.
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But for the beginners it's ok if you just criss cross them.
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Like this. Now whether you sit on a chair or cross-legged on the floor, make sure that your spine is upright with head up.
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Traditional analogies say that your spine should be like an arrow or a stack of coins, one on top of the other.
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You want to feel uplifted when you sit down to meditate.
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However it is still important that you are comfortable, relaxed, and your torso is balanced so that way, your spine supports all of your weight in a natural way.
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Rolling back your shoulders should help a bit.
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The traditional hand placement involves resting your hands in your lap, palms facing upward, with your right hand on top of your left, forming a cup shape.
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However, your can also just rest your hands on your knees or leave them hanging down by your side - whichever you prefer.
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Close your eyes.
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While it is very possible to meditate with eyes open, I don’t suggest it.
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As a beginner you might get distracted by any external visual stimulation that prevents you from focusing on calming your mind.
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Now after you're all set: Pick an anchor.
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An anchor is what you basically use to point your attention at.
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You want to bring your mind back to this anchor whenever it wanders and believe me, it will wander.
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You can focus on your breath, you can focus on a mantra, you can count to ten and then repeat.
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I personally love to follow my breath.
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Just place the attention on your breath as it comes in, and follow it through your nose all the way down to your lungs.
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Notice how the body moves with each inhalation and exhalation.
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Notice the movement of your body as you breathe.
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Observe your chest, shoulders, rib cage, and belly.
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Simply focus your attention on your breath without controlling its pace or intensity.
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When your mind wanders, which it will, simply bring your attention back to the anchor.
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You can also try counting your breaths.
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Count “one” as you take in the first breath, then “two” as you breathe out.
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Repeat this to the count of 10, then start again at one.
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When you notice your mind wandering simply return to your anchor.
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Count “one” again, and start over.
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It’s perfectly OK to not stay focused, we all do it.
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Many people worry whether or not they're doing the meditation right.
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You can't really do it wrong.
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Meditation is only a technique for relaxing your mind and body.
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Don't get upset with yourself if your mind is racing constantly.
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During meditation you will start thinking about what you should be doing, all your troubles and worried will pop up, you might even realize that you're hungry.
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The point of meditation is not to stop all thoughts, although that can happen.
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The goal is to notice them, acknowledge them and gently push them away.
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Basically: The whole game is just to notice when your mind is wandering and to come back to your breath, over and over and over...And when you do that, it is a bicep curl for your brain.
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Thanks for watching.
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If you enjoyed this video, please hit that like button, and make sure to share it will your friends or someone who can benefit from it.
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Meditation is one of the ways you can become better than yesterday.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will practice English speaking skills through shadowing techniques based on a beginner's guide to meditation. By mimicking the speaker's pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation, you will enhance your understanding of conversational English, while also gaining insights into the benefits of meditation. This engaging content provides an excellent opportunity to work on your English fluency and articulation, making it ideal for those preparing for IELTS speaking practice or seeking to improve English pronunciation.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Meditation - A practice that involves focusing the mind to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state.
  • Anchor - A point of focus, such as breath or a mantra, to which the mind returns during meditation.
  • Posture - The position in which you hold your body while sitting or standing; crucial for effective meditation.
  • Criss-cross - A way of positioning your legs during meditation; not necessarily adhering to traditional practices.
  • Upright - Sitting with your spine straight; important for meditation and overall health.
  • Distraction - Anything that takes your attention away from focusing on your meditation.
  • Relaxed - The state of being free from tension; essential for a good meditation session.
  • Routine - A consistent daily practice that helps build the habit of meditation.

Practice Tips

To get the most out of this lesson, consider using a shadowing app to enhance your practice. Begin by listening to the video at a normal speed, paying attention to how the speaker articulates words and phrases. You can use the shadowspeak method by repeating after the speaker, mirroring their pronunciation and intonation. This technique is particularly effective for improving English pronunciation.

When shadowing, try to mimic not only the words but the overall tone and pacing of the speech. Since the content is calm and informative, practice slowing down your speaking pace to match the speaker. This will help you better convey the same relaxed feeling in your own speech.

If you find yourself struggling, break the session into shorter segments. Focus on just a couple of key phrases at a time, and gradually increase your duration as you grow more comfortable. Regularly practicing for as little as five minutes daily can greatly improve your fluency over time, making it easier for you to participate in conversations, including those common in IELTS speaking practice. Embrace the journey of shadowing, and enjoy the benefits of both language learning and meditation!

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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