Meditation for Beginners

The simple meditation for beginners technique I described earlier in this section may be all you ever you need. Many, many people do this and nothing more and find that it satisfies their need to be connected to their internal self. Such a practice really doesn't need to be complicated and this one isn't. It should be really easy for you to follow along with me.

I’ll call the technique "The Only Meditation Technique You’ll Ever Really Need” or "Meditation for Beginners.”

So, here are some simple instructions for the meditation for beginners technique. Many, many people use this practice as a way to reduce stress in their lives. And that’s a perfectly legitimate way to approach it. If you just want a few moments in your day all to yourself, then you can use this meditation for beginners technique.

You don't need a special room. You don't need a special chair or bench. You don't need any tapes or bells or songs. You don't need your own special mantra or beads or poses. Just find a spot that’s all yours – even if it’s only all yours for the next 10 to 20 minutes. It could be the bathroom – at home or at work. Or your car in the parking lot or garage. Or an empty conference room at lunch time. Just be sure you’ll be comfortable there. You’ll want to be both physically comfortable and emotionally comfortable. You won’t want to worry about someone entering your space while you’re using it. So, take a few minutes to locate such a place. It would be good if you could always use the same place. It would also be good if you could meditate at the same time every day. That way, it’ll soon become a habit. Now, don’t think if you miss a day that there’s anything wrong with you. Many people find that occasionally they do have to miss a day – or even more than one day. Don’t let yourself become stressed by this. Life happens. Just make the best effort you can to be consistent. This meditation for beginners technique will help bring some consistency into your life.

Once you’ve found your time and your place, make it all yours for that 20 minutes. It isn't really necessary to have a lot of stuff. Maybe you need nothing more than to put a nice shawl over the chair you use. Or you might have a little picture you like to place in front of you. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. Keep it simple and you won’t give yourself an excuse to not meditate just because you couldn’t do whatever it is you’ve chosen as your ritual. It’s probably best if you can sit in a seat with a back on it. It’ll be easier for you to relax that way. But, if you’re comfortable sitting on the floor, that’s OK too. Maybe using a cushion would make that a little easier. And if you don't know what that means, then don't worry about it right now. Remember, this is a meditation for beginners technique. You're not supposed to know everything right now.

Although it’s not really necessary, try to have the light kind of low if you can. Now, of course, if you’re sitting somewhere out of doors and the sun’s shining, there’s not much you can do about it. But if you do have some control, let the lights be a little dimmer than usual. This just helps to create a cocoon-like effect for you.



Now you’re all ready. So sit down and lean back and relax. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath through your nose. And now take another one. Continue breathing in this manner. Let your breath be a little longer and deeper than it ordinarily is. Just allow your attention to fall softly upon your breath. Let yourself really feel it. Don’t make a big deal about it. Just feel it. And continue to feel it.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

And continue in this manner for the next 10 to 20 minutes.

Initially you may find that is quite easy to keep your attention on your breath. But at some point, you might come to realize that your mind has wandered and that you’re thinking about some other part of your life. Don’t let that disturb you. Simply bring your attention back to your breath.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Whenever your attention wanders, come back to the breath. Don’t let the fact that your attention wanders distress you. It happens to everyone who meditates – even those who’ve been meditating for many years. It’s the nature of the mind to have thoughts and emotions. Your mind has been thinking thoughts and feeling emotions for many years now. So be kind and gentle with it as you take this step into your new practice of meditation. Soon you’ll find that there are spaces between your thoughts and emotions. It’s hard to say how long this’ll take. It’ll be different for everyone. But using this meditation for beginners technique will definitely bring you to this point.

It’s the spaces you’re looking for. It’s in the spaces between the thoughts and the emotions that the true YOU lies. It’s from within those spaces that creativity arises. It’s from within those spaces that compassion arises. It’s the spaces you’re looking for. And, if you are consistent in your practice, you WILL find them.

So, just start.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

And continue.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

When your 20 minutes has passed, take a moment to reintegrate into your normal reality. Open your eyes and return to whatever life is calling you to do.

You don't need a special meditation timer but if you want to use a clock to time your meditation, that’s OK. Keep it in front of you and gently open your eyes during your meditation to see if your time is up. As your meditation practice deepens, you may find yourself wanting more of it. And if that happens, let your meditation time increase to whatever is comfortable for you.

Oh, by the way, this meditation for beginners technique can be used by anyone who wants to meditate - not just beginners.

May you have many blessings.

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