I’m sure you’re no stranger to the science of meditation. That said, I’m sure you’re already aware that there are a number of benefits that you can experience as a result of practicing it. And while this is all well and dandy, one question still remains for those who tend to be of the ADHD/anxious mind variety: How in the world do you meditate when you can’t sit still? This post is full of tips on how to meditate if this is the case for you.

I used to hate even the idea of meditating

Prior to starting my own practice of meditation, I was a total hot mess. ADHD. Anxious. Stressed out to the max. Bipolar mood swings. My poor kids had to piece their mama together. The worst part was that I felt like I had ZERO control over my life.

I remember someone suggesting to me that I should try meditating. I was like…WHAAAT?!!?! Have you SEEN the hot mess that I am? You’re asking ME…the girl that stands in the back of the room at faculty meetings doing yoga poses, doodling mustaches on all of my coworkers, totally checked out so that when you ask me to participate I have NO idea what you’re talking about…you want ME to meditate?

Yeah. Right!

But what I DID love was moving.

I looooove to move my body, like my mind looooves to chatter constantly about things that would just wind me up and freak me out.

Eventually I attended a Nia intensive training where my trainer had us act out…through movement…what happens in the brain when we practice presence and mindfulness. Meditation. We formed a big circle around a smaller group of our peers and we held hands. Meanwhile. the group that was in the middle of the circle did everything they possibly could to rattle those of us that were instructed to simply notice what was happening inside the circle. As we stood and watched, some of the peers in the middle lost steam and grew quiet. After that, we got to switch.

This exercise was an excellent way to demonstrate the way that mindfulness meditation works. We (the mind…the Self) sat and witnessed the antics of the peers on the inside (the thoughts) do whatever it was that they felt they needed to do. Eventually, they couldn’t keep it up anymore. Those that were part of the outside circle (representing the Self) knew that everything was going to be okay.

We were calm.

We were entertained by the antics of those inside the circle.

We understood that this was what peace was supposed to feel like.

At the end, we all walked away with our own embodiment of what it meant to achieve that calm state within our minds. I want to share some of those with you.

The most important thing to remember is that the purpose of mindfulness meditation is to calm the mind.

That’s all there is to it. However you choose to do it is up to you. Below is a list of ways that you may want to explore your own method of finding your Zen. Check out these 20 tips on how to meditate.

1. Play an instrument
2. Dance
3. Cook
4. Take a walk in nature
5. Hang out with your dog
6. Practice this Body Scan Meditation (especially great at bed time!)
7. Simply notice all of the colors you see around you
8. Eat a meal slowly, noticing every single texture and taste you can. you may even want to journal about it!
9. Take out some essential oils and play with mixing scents
10. Grab some watercolors and paint
11. Pick up a pen and a paper and write about all of the things you see
12. Put on some music and sing along
13. Notice how it feels to breathe in, and then to breathe out
14. Spend time with children
15. Get out in the garden
16. Doodle, tinker, and dabble
17. Do a jigsaw puzzle
18. Play a “mindless” computer game
19. Stare at a candle
20. Look up at the sky at night

CHALLENGE: Set a timer for 5 minutes. Write down as many things as you can that help your mind feel calm and peaceful. Next, place the list somewhere in your house that you will see it. When you notice yourself feeling anxious or as if your mind is spinning, choose one of those activities to help your mind calm down.

So there ya go! Meditation isn’t so scary, right! I hope that after reading about these tips on how to meditate, you have discovered how to meditate even if you find it impossible to sit still (just like I do!). For another fun and quick meditation strategy, check out this post: Overcome Anxiety With This Quick Trick.

Make sure to grab this freebie: 30 Days of Mindfulness Challenge . It’s a super fun list of tips on how to meditate, and a way to build a mindfulness practice and become more present without wearing out your booty bones.

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