Beginner at Meditation and Yoga

Alright so I have never actually tried meditating or doing yoga and I know it is supposed to be super healthy mentally and physically. I am very interested in getting into doing both meditation and yoga but I just dont know how to start. I sort of mediate when I smoke weed but I dont think its the same type of meditation as when people do it sober. I want to try this type too haha. I tried but I just dont really understand how it works and I didnt feel any relaxation or any difference whatsoever. and with yoga ive just never tried that at all but thats cuz like how do you know what movements to make and how to do it exactly? If anyone has any tips or anything from when they first started doing yoga or meditation thatd be awesome. Thanks!

 

pick up a yoga dvd or a yoga book. I learned from a book. You can always take a class too.

I'm horrible at meditation so no tips there

 

the way i've gotten into it best is to join a local meditation center (i live in a pretty major city, so this wasn't hard to find). you are correct, sober meditation is much different than sitting down stoned.

i find that being around other people who are also just starting, some who have been doing it for just a little while and can offer advice/help, and getting pointers from those who have been doing it for years (instructors) is immensely helpful

as a side note the one i go to is drop-in and doesn't cost anything for the weekly sessions, so if you're tight on money, these do exist

as for tips, it depends on what type of meditation you want to do, or what tradition you want to follow. for example, contemplative meditation is done with the eyes closed, and instead of focusing on the breath, you focus on a thought or idea and work through it. some schools meditate with their eyes open (most notably the Tibetan traditions), but with the eyes soft, think of the opposite of staring.

the posture isn't meant to be spiritual in any real way, or at least that's how i learned. it's practical. if you're lying down, you'll fall asleep. if you're standing up, you'll get tired. sitting down with the back straight opens up the chest to allow for optimal breathing, while keeping you alert and awake. most westerners have hipbones that don't fully open, sometimes not until much later in practice, just because of the way we tend to sit day to day. so some assistance with certain types of cushions is usually advised- i've been using a block-type cushion for a few months to help open my hips until i can sit on a more flat cushion

good luck, i'll check back and add more if i think of anything else that's escaping me atm