Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned, "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness. There are many different meditation methods.

1. Introduction
* Meditation is a mental discipline by which one
attempts to get beyond the conditioned, "thinking"
mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness.
There are many different meditation methods.
* At the core of meditation is the goal to focus and
eventually quiet your mind. As you progress, you will
find that you can meditate anywhere and at any time,
accessing an inner calm no matter what's going on
around you. You will also find that you can better
control your reactions to things as you become
increasingly aware of your thoughts (letting go of
anger, for example). But first, you have to learn to
tame your mind and control your breathing.

2. Step #1
* Make time to meditate. Set aside enough time in your daily routine for meditating. The effects of
meditation are most noticeable when you do it regularly, rather than sporadically.
* Some people will find a five minute meditation worthwhile, for others, the benefits of longer
meditation are well worth the time.
* You can meditate at any time of day; some people like to start their day off with meditation, others
like to end the day by clearing their mind, and some prefer to find refuge in meditation in the middle of
a busy day. Generally, however, the easiest time to meditate is in the morning, before the day tires
your body out and gives your mind more to think about.
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3. Step #2
* '''Find or create a quiet, relaxing environment'''. It's
especially important, when you're starting out, to
avoid any obstacles to attention. Turn off any TV sets,
phone(s) or other noisy appliances. If you play music,
make sure it's calm, repetitive and gentle, so as not to
break your concentration. Meditating outside can be
conducive, as long as you don't sit near a busy
roadway or another source of loud noise.
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4. Step #3
* Sit on level ground. Sit on a cushion if the ground is
uncomfortable. You don't have to twist your limbs into
the half lotus or full lotus position or adopt any
unusual postures. The important thing is to keep your
back straight, as this will help with breathing later on.
* Tilt your pelvis forward by sitting on the forward
edge of a thick cushion, or on a chair that has its
back legs lifted off the ground 8 to 10 cm (3 or 4
inches).
* Starting from your bottom, stack up the vertebrae in
your spine, so that they are balanced one on top of
another and support the whole weight of your torso,
neck, and head. Done correctly, it feels as if no effort
is required to hold your torso up. (A small amount of
effort is in fact required, but with the right posture, it is
so small and evenly distributed you don't notice it.)
* Relax your arms and legs. They don't need to be in
any special position, just as long as they are relaxed
and don't interfere with balancing your torso. You can
put your hands on your thighs, but it might be easier
at first to let your arms hang at your sides - the
hanging weight helps reveal where things are out of
alignment.
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5. Step #4
* Relax everything, and keep searching for things that aren't relaxed. When you find them, (and you
will), relax them. You may find that you can't relax them unless you adjust your posture so that you are
better aligned, and that place doesn't need to work anymore. This commonly happens with muscles
near your spine. You may also notice that you are twisted a little and need to straighten out. Little
muscles in your face often keep getting tense, too.
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6. Step #5
* Let your attention rest on the flow of your breath. Listen to it, follow it, but make no judgments on it
(such as "It sounds a little raspy...maybe I'm getting a cold?"). The goal is to allow the "chattering" in
your mind to gradually fade away. Find an "anchor" to settle your mind.
* Try reciting a mantra (repetition of a sacred word) A single word like "om" uttered at a steady rhythm
is best. You can recite it verbally or just with the voice in your mind. Beginners may find it easier to
count their breaths. Try counting your breath from 1 to 10, then simply start again at 1.
* To circumvent images that keep intruding on your thoughts, visualize a place that calms you. It can
be real or imaginary. Imagine you are at the top of a staircase leading to a peaceful place. Count your
way down the steps until you are peaceful and relaxed.
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7. Step #6
* '''Silence your mind.''' Once you've trained your mind
to focus on just one thing at a time, the next step is
focus on nothing at all, essentially "clearing" your
mind. This requires tremendous discipline but is the
pinnacle of meditation. After focusing on a single
point as described in the previous step, you can
either cast it away, or observe it impartially and let it
come and then go, without labeling it as "good" or
"bad". Take the same approach to any thoughts
which return to your mind until silence perseveres.
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8. Tips
* For some people, focusing attention on a point or object does exactly the opposite of what
meditation is all about. It takes you back to the life of focus, concentration, strain. In this case, as an
alternative to the above techniques, some meditators recommend un-focusing your attention. Instead
of focusing attention on a point or an object, this type of meditation is achieved by attaining a '''state of
zero'''. Take your attention above all thoughts to a point where you lose all attention and all thoughts.
* What you do with a silent mind is up to you. Some people find that it is a good time to introduce an
intention or a desired outcome to the subconscious mind. Others prefer to "rest" in the rare silence
that meditation offers.
* You should be comfortable enough to concentrate, but not so comfortable that you feel the urge to
fall asleep.
* Make some effort to be mindful of your mood and thoughts when not meditating. You may notice
that you feel calmer, happier, and sharper on days when you have meditated, and notice a decrease
in these qualities when you have not.
* It may be beneficial to mentally review or replay the previous day at the start of your sessions, if you
can do so in a relaxed, passive way. This often happens naturally, and sometimes it's best to allow
this to happen, as long as you don't get emotionally wrapped up or let it go on too long before
beginning meditation. This procedure is known as "processing" of recent events, and becoming
skilled at performing a non-judgmental review of events does much to increase awareness and
emotional well-being.
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9. Tips
* The benefits of meditation can be experienced long before the practitioner has been successful in
maintaining focus or clearing the mind, simply as a result of the practice.
* Set aside a specific time each day for meditation, but don't overdo it. If 20-30 minutes in the morning
isn't enough, add another session later in the day instead of trying for a single, longer session.
* It is easy to lose track of time while meditating. Being concerned about time can be distracting to
meditation. Some people find it liberating to set a timer and let it be concerned about how long you
have to meditate. Choose a gentle timer. If it is too jarring, the anticipation of the alarm can be
distracting also.
* With good posture, it will be easier to breathe as your lungs will have more space. In fact, you may
notice how most of the muscles in your torso work to help you breathe, from the muscles in the base
of your pelvis to the ones in your neck, centered on the main breathing muscle, the diaphragm. They
work just a little, assisting the diaphragm. If you notice this, it's a good sign you have established a
good posture. The right posture is easy and comfortable. You almost feel like you are floating.
* Do what works best for you. What works for some people might have other techniques that might not
work for you. Don't let that get you down.
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10. Warnings
* Don't expect immediate results. The purpose of meditation is not to turn you into a Zen master
overnight. Meditation works best when it is done for its own sake, without becoming attached to
results.
* If you find your mind is wandering, try not to scold or beat up on yourself about it. Wandering
restlessly is the normal state of the conditioned mind. This is the first lesson many people learn in
meditation and it is a valuable one. Simply, gently, invite your attention back to your breath,
remembering that you've just had a small but precious "awakening." Becoming aware of your
wandering mind is a success, not a failure.
* Some people find it's difficult to meditate immediately before bedtime. If you're very sleepy, you may
find yourself nodding off. Conversely, meditating may energize your mind, making it more difficult to
fall asleep.
* As you meet other people who meditate, you may encounter a few who will boast about their
endurance for long meditation sessions, even hours and hours at a sitting. Don't be tempted to
change your practice to "keep up." Meditation is not competitive. It's a way of life.
* If your posture is good, you will almost certainly feel a stretch on the back of your neck, and possibly
in your shoulders. Just relax. If the stretch is so pronounced that it is painful, work on stretching and
relaxing that area when you aren't meditating.
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