If you have decided you need to look after your body and mind better, you’re not alone. While many are turning to yoga and home workouts, meditation is gaining popularity as well. However, we still have questions like how to begin, where to start, what will the experience be like and what it will feel like!

According to Anshul Agrawal, Director and Partner at Zed Black and a meditation practitioner himself, meditation is the subtle skill of doing anything but letting go of all struggles in order to relax and reconnect with your actual nature, which is love, joy, and peace.

“Meditation allows you to relax completely. It is critical to maintain mental health and lower stress levels. It is a simple exercise of inhaling and exhaling. It’s a stimulating activity that’s simple to integrate into your everyday routine.”

Meditation is simple to learn and involves some fairly straightforward techniques, he says. Before getting started, here is what Agrawal suggests:

Know the basics

Today, meditating daily is not a luxury but a necessity. We must harness the power of meditation if we want to be unconditionally joyful and have peace of mind. The goal is to make you calm, stress-free, pain-free, healthy, and happy. Meditation is beneficial to one’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Meditation has been used to accomplish enlightenment. It has been preached by great minds as a method of alleviating misery. Meditation has been shown to be beneficial for a variety of life goals. It is referred regarded as “meal for the soul” by modern-day meditators.

Meditation increases focus and allows you to be aware of the present moment. If you give heed, you’ll see that the mind oscillates between the past and the future.

Make it a routine

Commit to a regular practice, a few times a week if possible. Ten or 15 minutes initially, daily — and where you will sit, relatively undisturbed with some light music if that makes you happy. Initially, it takes discipline and perseverance to make a habit, so honour your routine and time for self-love.

Opt for a healing fragrance

To create a space of Meditation one can burn fragrances or incense sticks which elevates the mood. Camphor is a sensation that transports you to a higher realm. Since historic times, it’s known for its fragrant and therapeutic properties. The use of incense in healing has been a part of Ayurveda since its inception. Zed Black has introduced Aarogyam Camphor Incense sticks. The Camphor induced agarbatti will help create positivity in your surroundings, stimulate creativity, help in better concentration, relieve stress and anxiety and aid in peaceful and sound sleep and creates a sense of spirituality.

Feel your breath

Follow the sensation of your breath as you inhale and exhale. When you notice that your mind has wandered in a few seconds or a minute or more, simply return your attention to the breath. You will realize, meditation isn’t about not thinking, your mind won’t automatically shut off and become thought-free. Instead, meditation can help you become more aware of your thoughts, and better regulate them over time.

Stick with it

It’s always easy to start something new — a new diet, a new exercise regime, a new hobby — but the tricky part is to keep it going. For this to happen you need to be clear of your reasons to meditate and practice meditation. One needs to be clear about what you want to get out of your sessions — whether it’s to feel happier, feel calmer, be more focused and productive at work or be less stressed. This fundamental thought will help you in creating the right attitude of mind and help you to maintain the commitment for your peaceful self.