If you’ve been meditating for years, congratulations! We’re sure you’ve seen the difference meditation can make in your life and are eager to take things to the next level. And if you’re new to meditation — are just taking up the practice, or are about to embark on your first-ever meditation — welcome! Within just your first few meditation sessions, you should begin to notice a significant shift in how you’re feeling. That’s the wonder and power of meditation! Maybe you’ll notice that you’re less stressed than usual, you’re sleeping more soundly, or you’re just enjoying everyday life a lot more.

These developments are a win on their own and are fantastic side effects of introducing meditation into your life. At this point, you may also begin to ask, “How can I take this further?” If you’re feeling this much better already. What kind of transformation can occur by deepening your practice even more?

Going Deeper

One great and highly tangible way to take meditation to the next level is to start meditating for even longer or more regular periods throughout the day or week. You may have started with five or ten minutes, so see if, over time, you can take your meditation to twenty or even thirty.

As you increase the duration of your sessions, you might also experiment with different types of meditation to find what resonates most with you at this stage of your journey. For instance, you can explore guided meditations, breathing techniques like pranayama, or even outdoor walking meditations to keep things engaging and to address the specific needs of your mind and body on any given day.

By mixing in new techniques, you allow your practice to evolve with you and can focus on deeper aspects, such as increasing self-awareness, managing emotions, or even fostering creativity. Just like with physical exercise, varying your meditation practice can help prevent stagnation and keep you motivated to continue progressing.

A common struggle many people have in meditation is taming the mind and curbing restlessness. This is because it can take up to thirty minutes for the mind and body to get truly settled, so be patient with yourself! See if you can remain present a bit longer within your meditation and then marvel at how this peacefulness continues throughout the day.

It’s also helpful to remind yourself that restlessness and wandering thoughts are completely natural, especially in the beginning or on particularly stressful days. Rather than resisting these moments, try to embrace them as part of the process. Gently guide your mind back to your breath or your chosen focal point, and with time, you’ll notice the distractions fade more quickly. Think of this as mental training — each time you return your attention to the present moment, you’re strengthening your ability to focus, both in meditation and in everyday life. Over time, this practice of gently refocusing will also create more space for clarity, focus, and deeper inner peace.

Fine-Tuning Your Practice

Next, when looking to elevate your meditation sessions, you can also create a specific goal. Maybe you want to work on being more present, both in meditation and in life. Perhaps you’re tired of being so distracted and you want to get more tuned into whatever is in front of you. Or maybe you’re the type who is always putting everyone else’s needs ahead of yours, and you want to commit to meditation as self-care.

In any of these cases, take some time to think about what you hope to get from your meditation, so you have something you are moving toward in your practice. This will help you stay on track and remember why you’re doing this.

Once you have a goal in mind, work on focus. As mentioned earlier, it can take a little bit of time to let go of racing thoughts and the stressors of life while meditating. But the more you practice, the easier this gets. Once your mind has relaxed, try to be more intentional with your focus. Really try to “feel” the goal you have set for your meditation. Maybe you’re working with a mantra — a significant word, phrase, or sound that you repeat either silently or audibly to help you focus during your meditation. If so, see how much you can tune out the outside world and let that word or phrase envelop you. Or perhaps you’re working with visualization. In that case, let yourself be taken to that restorative, beautiful place within and let go of all that life demands of you… just for this bit of time! You have the rest of the day to worry about your responsibilities. The more focus you give to your meditation practice each time you sit down to do it, the more it will give to you.

Making Meditation Work for You

Another great way to elevate your meditation to the next level is to work on improving each aspect of meditation, one at a time. For example, you could spend a week working on posture and developing it more each day. The next week, get really disciplined about meditating consistently without skipping a session. It might be helpful to designate a specific time you meditate every day so that the space is automatically created in your schedule. Then, maybe the following week, you prioritize stillness. See how long you can go without fidgeting. Remaining still will really assist you in dropping into a settled state much more quickly. This form of habit stacking is a great way to optimize your meditation practice and ensure it becomes more natural and effortless over time.

The possibilities for elevating your life through meditation are endless, and these small additions can really help you make the most of any new or existing practice. Most importantly, when it comes to really reaping the benefits of meditation, don’t give up! Even if you fall off track for a few days, jump back in the saddle. Persistence is the key to success. And the more you work at honing and developing your meditation skills, the better the practice can serve you, today and every day for years to come!