Shadowing Practice: How To Meditate For Beginners - A Definitive Guide - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Today we're going to talk about exactly how to meditate.
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Today we're going to talk about exactly how to meditate.
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I'm going to go over everything from where to meditate,
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what you should do with your body,
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what you should do with your mind,
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and even how long you should do it for,
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so you can start reaping some of these benefits.
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All of the information I'm giving you today is taken from a book
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that is recommended by just about every meditation forum on the internet,
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Mindfulness in Plain English.
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Where should I meditate?
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Technically, you can meditate anywhere you like because it is an exercise for the mind.
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You can meditate sitting in a chair,
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sitting on the floor, and even laying in bed.
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However, there is an optimal way to meditate.
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It's best to avoid meditating in bed because you tend to fall asleep.
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Meditating on the floor with your back straight up is actually considered to be the most formal and beneficial way to meditate.
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And this is because it keeps you wide awake and allows you to sit for long periods of time.
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What do I do with my body?
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The first thing you want to keep in mind when meditating is your feet.
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A lot of well-seasoned meditators will preach about how your feet need to be on top of each other.
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However, for the majority of people who are beginners,
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it's perfectly fine to have them criss-crossed on top of each other like a pretzel.
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Your arms are resting on your thighs,
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your hands rest on top of each other and form a cup shape.
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Your thumbs can touch, it's up to you.
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What's important is that your arms feel relaxed.
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Your back is straight and your head is completely level.
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Your head is not tilted upwards or downwards, just forward in terms of what to do with your eyes.
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You have an option of meditating with your eyes open or with your eyes closed.
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However, for most beginners, I would recommend you to meditate with your eyes closed as it's easier to focus.
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If you do choose to meditate with your eyes open,
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do not focus your eyes on an object in front of you.
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Instead, look into the distance.
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How long should I meditate for?
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Now, before you start your meditation session,
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you'll want to set an alarm.
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This is because time tends to feel a lot slower when you first start meditating.
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So setting an alarm helps prevent a constant need to wonder about how much time is left in the session.
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For first time meditators, I'd recommend you start with just 5 minutes on the clock.
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As you make meditation into a daily practice and get more used to sitting in the meditative position,
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for long periods of time,
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you can increase the time.
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Most people recommend meditating between 10 to 20 minutes.
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What to do during meditation?
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Here's where it gets tricky.
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Now there are many different forms of meditation.
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Some focus on the things around you,
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some involve reciting words in your mind.
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The one you'll be learning today is one of the most commonly taught forms of meditation and it's called Mindfulness Breathing Meditation.
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It's very easy to learn and it's considered to be just as powerful and insightful as any other form of meditation.
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The focus of breathing meditation is,
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well, you guessed it, on your breath.
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First, you want to make sure that you're breathing through your nose.
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Then all you have to do is focus all of your attention on your breath.
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Observe the way the air feels as it flows through your nostrils.
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Observe the way your breath transitions from inhale to exhale.
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Observe that little pause between those two actions.
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Observe every single aspect about the way it feels.
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Do not judge it.
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Do not criticize it.
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Simply observe.
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What you'll quickly notice is that thoughts will start appearing in your mind and will distract you from this simple, simple task.
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Oh, what should I cook for dinner?
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Hmm, maybe I should order takeout instead.
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Wait, I'm trying to lose weight, so I shouldn't.
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Or should I?
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When you notice your mind wandering like this,
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simply pull the focus back to the breath.
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This is how you train your mindfulness muscle.
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Now, most people who meditate for the first time will find
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it extremely hard to focus on just the breath for even a couple of seconds.
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They'll find themselves lost in thought quite often.
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This is totally normal, so don't criticize yourself if it happens,
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which it probably will.
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All you have to do is simply bring your attention back to your breathing.
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A good trick
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that I personally use to quickly bring my focus back is
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to focus all of my attention on the little bridge between inhale and exhale.
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That little pause where your body transitions during its act of breathing.
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While meditating, try as hard as possible to avoid moving.
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Itches and urges to fidget will arise throughout your meditation session.
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This is normal.
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This is to be expected.
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Simply bring your focus back to your breath and the feeling will eventually go away.
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And that's all there is to it.
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It's a very simple exercise.
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What's important to note is how often you work on it
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and how much time you put into it by making it a habit.
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You'll notice that you'll be able to have your entire focus on your breath for longer and longer periods of time.
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Think of this as your mindfulness muscle getting stronger and stronger.
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How often should I meditate?
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In order to really start seeing the benefits of meditation,
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you should meditate on a daily basis.
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My routine is 10 minutes a day every single day when I wake up.
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Some people like to do it twice a day like Arnold Schwarzenegger who does it 20 minutes a day
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when he wakes up and 20 minutes right before he goes to bed goes to bed,
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as long as you make it into a daily habit that is the most important factor.
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When will I start seeing the benefits?
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Well first of all you have to be doing it on a daily basis.
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The length of each session also plays a part on how fast you see the benefits,
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but ultimately it's hard to say because it really does differ from person to person.
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Certain people are less mindful in general due to the way they were brought up,
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so it'll take them a little bit longer to start seeing the benefits.
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In my personal experience it took me about a month of meditating every single day before I noticed any benefit myself.
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I found myself in a better mood overall and was less likely to get consumed by certain negative emotions.
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As I continued the practice,
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I noticed more and more benefits along the line.
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And that's it guys.
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Meditation is very simple.
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It's just the act of making it into a daily habit that is hard.
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If you guys have any more questions,
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leave them in the comments below and I'll try to answer as many of them as possible.
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Also, I'm planning on doing more Q&A videos in the future.
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If you want to be featured or if you have something very urgent to ask me.
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Send me a letter to the PO Box listed below and I'll pick the best ones to make a video about.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will delve into the essentials of meditation, focusing on techniques that allow you to improve your concentration and mental clarity. The video outlines how to meditate effectively, addressing posture, duration, and mindfulness techniques. This is not only beneficial for personal relaxation but also serves as a practical exercise to enhance your English speaking skills through a method known as shadow speaking. By shadowing the instructions and insights presented in the video, you’ll practice your pronunciation and rhythm, helping to boost your confidence in English speaking practice.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Meditation - A mental exercise for focusing the mind.
- Posture - The way you position your body while meditating.
- Mindfulness - The practice of being present and fully engaged.
- Concentration - The ability to focus one's attention.
- Alarm - A device to help time your meditation session.
- Breathe - The act of inhaling and exhaling, crucial in meditation.
- Criss-cross - The position of placing your legs over one another.
- Duration - The length of time for which an activity is performed.
Practice Tips
To maximize your English speaking practice while shadowing the video, consider these tips:
- Slow Down: The speaker’s tone is calm and deliberate, allowing you to easily imitate the pace. Take your time as you pronounce each word and phrase.
- Repeat After: Use the shadow speak technique by pausing the video after key phrases. This gives you the chance to mimic the pronunciation and intonation before moving on.
- Use a Shadowing App: Consider utilizing a shadowing app to repeat sections of the video. Playback features allow you to listen closely, enhancing your comprehension and retention.
- Focus on Clarity: Pay special attention to how the speaker articulates terms related to meditation. Shadowing this clarity will improve your own speaking skills, which is especially useful for IELTS speaking practice.
- Practice Regularly: Consistency is key to improvement. Make meditation a daily habit along with your English practice, enhancing both your mental and linguistic capabilities.
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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