Meditation practice is like the gym for the mind, a time we practice cultivating inner wisdom. This site focuses on the practices of mindfulness and compassion. Meditation can be practiced formally. It is recommended to dedicate time each day (even a few minutes) to awareness training, to opening the heart, to listening to the body. You can practice with or without guidance. When starting a new practice, using guiding meditations can be quite supportive. There are many teachers out there. Try out a few to find the styles that resonate with you. While many practice in a seated position, you can practice while standing, laying down or walking. Always choose what is most supportive to you at that time.
Also, meditation can be practiced informally. Go to Supportive Practices for examples.
When I first began meditating, I tried so hard to do it right. Every time my mind wandered, I would get frustrated and felt as if I would never be able to meditate. I am hoping to help you avoid this situation. Meditation is not something we achieve (are you listening my fellow perfectionists?). It is a means to training the mind to become more aware, to open our hearts to gently be with all of our experiences. In essence, meditation is a way to wake up to our lives.
There are many ways to meditate, but the most common is breath focused meditation. This is a common way to anchor your attention as you develop your skill of concentration, a foundation of mindfulness. However, there are other ways to anchor attention like in the body or sound.
Please go to Guided Meditations to use recordings to help you begin and deepen your practice, or use the guides below.
Here are some tips for beginning a mindfulness meditation practice focused on the breath:
- Find a place to sit where you will not be interrupted or easily distracted.
- When seated, find a comfortable and upright position. Make sure your spine is erect (not slouching) but your body relaxed. Some practitioners call this "soft front, strong back." If using a chair, have your feet flat on the floor. If using a cushion, make sure to sit closer to the edge so that your knees are lower than your hips. This will support your spine.
- Find a comfortable place for your hands. Some people will rest their hands gently on their knees face down or face up (which is a way to support a feeling of openness), rest the hands inside each other in a cup-like position on your lap, or simply let them rest on your thighs. As time goes on, you will find your preference. The key is to relax and be comfortable.
- Take a deep breath in through the nose drawing the air down into the belly. Exhale out the mouth like a deep sigh. You can do this a few times to help relax the body.
- Allow your breath to find its natural pace. There is no need to control it.
- Now pay attention to your breath. Where do you notice it most? Perhaps you follow the rise and fall of the chest or the sensation in the nose. Some people will label the breath with words like "inhale/exhale" to support their concentration.
- Your mind WILL wander, likely immediately. This is normal; it's what the mind does. Notice when thoughts arise. You may be lost in planning for the future or replaying something in the past. Whatever happens, it is when you notice that you are no longer tending your breath that you are cultivating mindfulness. GENTLY and WITHOUT judgement bring your attention back to your breath.
- LET GO OF JUDGEMENT & EXPECTATIONS. A key part to meditation practice is letting go of what you should be experiencing, looking like or feeling while you meditate. Even if you feel like nothing is happening, rest assured that it is. There have been many times when I have meditated and my mind was racing the whole time. Yet, the fact that I sat and attempted to refocus had an impact.
- PRACTICE DAILY!! It is hard to develop a habit, especially when you feel pulled in a million directions. Even if you only have 2 minutes when you sit up in bed in the morning, take that time to focus on your breath. Whatever you can do EVERY DAY will add up. There is quite a bit of research that is showing the cumulative effect of meditation practice. So keep on meditating, even when you feel resistance. Notice the resistance. Remember you are cultivating inner wisdom.
