Meditation For Dummies
Explore BookHow to prepare for meditation
- Meditation cushion, bench, or favorite chair
- Quiet, tidy spot, preferably reserved for meditation
- Regular time slot, if possible
- Loose-fitting, comfortable clothing
- Phone turned off, answering-machine volume turned down low
- Comfortable sitting position
- Basic meditation technique(s)
- Stretches to prepare your body for sitting
- Altar of special objects, pictures, candles, or incense
- Warm sweater or shawl (if you tend to get cold)
- Hallway or path for walking meditation, if you want
- Meditation teacher to consult in case you get stuck or want to go deeper
How to open your body, mind, and spirit to meditation
- Discover how to relax your body (if you don’t already know) by practicing some deep relaxation techniques.
- Experiment with different sitting positions (cross-legged, kneeling, on a chair) until you find one you can hold comfortably for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Explore the basic meditation techniques (mindfulness, loving-kindness, mantra, visualization), choose one, and stick with it — for a few weeks or months at least.
- Take a meditation class with an experienced teacher, join a meditation group, or attend a meditation workshop or retreat, either online or in person.
- Talk with your family about your interest in meditation to make sure they feel comfortable with your practicing at home.
- Reflect on the many ways your mind stresses you out, as well as the power of meditation to help you work with your mind.
- Remind yourself of the scientifically proven health benefits of meditation, from lower cholesterol to greater longevity to an enhanced immune system.
- Consider what motivates you to meditate and rededicate yourself to the practice, especially if your enthusiasm flags.
- Follow a healthy lifestyle: Eat well, exercise regularly, and, if possible, avoid smoking, drinking, and watching too much TV or engaging in other mind-numbing activities, especially right before meditating.
- Read spiritual books (if you’re so inclined) that connect you with the sacred and inspire your meditation.
How to get the most from your meditation
- Meditate regularly — preferably every day.
- Set aside a quiet area where you can meditate undisturbed.
- Decide beforehand how long you’re going to meditate — and then follow through, no matter how restless or bored you become.
- Don’t sit on a full stomach; wait at least an hour after a meal before meditating.
- Find a comfortable sitting position, and be sure to gently straighten your spine.
- Rest your tongue lightly on the roof of your mouth and breathe through your nose.
- Take a few deep breaths before you start, and consciously relax your body on the exhalation.
- Drop any expectations about what you’re supposed to be achieving or experiencing, and just let yourself be, exactly as you are.
- As much as possible, extend the qualities of mind and heart you develop in your meditation to every area of your life.
How to make sure you're meditating correctly
- Do I relax when I meditate, instead of tensing up?
- Is my mind alert and aware, yet open and receptive?
- Do I remember to come back to the focus of my meditation when my mind wanders off?
- Do I remain relatively still, instead of fidgeting or shifting constantly?
- Do I take one moment at a time, rather than trying to achieve some goal like quieting my mind?
- Am I enjoying my breath (or my mantra or other focus) instead of working hard to get it right?
Popular meditation techniques
- Repeating a meaningful word or phrase, known as a mantra
- Following or counting your breaths
- Paying attention to the sensations in your body
- Cultivating love, compassion, forgiveness, and other healing emotions
- Concentrating on a geometric shape or other simple visual object
- Visualizing a peaceful place or a healing energy or light
- Reflecting upon inspirational or sacred writings
- Gazing at a picture of a holy being or saint
- Contemplating the beauty to be found in nature, art, or music
- Bringing mindful awareness to the present moment