How To: Enter Meditation

It’s good to realise that the other activities you in your day can support or detract from your meditation practice. Ideally, before meditating you want to be alert, slightly energised (i.e. not sleepy) and with a mind that is settled, reflective and not remorseful. Anger and frustration (such as from a recent arguement) will detract from your practice. If you need to, give yourself five minutes to reflect on your day first and try to let things pass. If you meditate after you get home from work try turning the radio off for the last five minutes of your drive to start to quiet the mind.I also find it good to exercise before meditation instead of after as the mind can be more settled, energised, and happy for you having achieved a hard task for the day. This sort of state of mind will aid your practice.

Designate yourself some time in your day to meditate. Depending on the exercise, you’re looking for 15-30 minutes. 20 minutes is good for beginners, but however long you meditate for the important thing is that you do it. It helps to allocate the same time each day so that you know that this is your time and you don’t have to be searching your day to try to fit it in. That said, when you’re just starting out, try meditating at different times of the day and see what works best for you.

Find yourself a quiet spot. This should be somewhere where you can sit uninterrupted for the duration of the practice. Tell your housemates what you’re up to and ask them to please not disturb you for the next however many minutes. There are many meditation timer apps you can download to help you keep time. On iphone the “Shanti” timer (the one with the purple lotus) is very good and on android the “Meditation Timer” app (with the green lotus) is very good as well. Insight TImer is also very good on both systems. Most phones also have inbuilt timer functions, but I recommend against these because they can be quite abrupt at the end, which can give you a real jolt coming out of meditation. Remember to put your phone on “do not disturb” as well. 

Sit in a relaxed, alert, upright position. You’ll need to sit in this position for the duration of your practice, so make sure you’re comfortable. If you’re sitting on the ground, a few cushions can be very helpful. Try to get your hips above your knees, this will make it easier. If it makes it even more comfortable, you can put some cushions underneath your knees for support as well. If you’re sitting on a chair, again, make yourself as comfortable as possible. Wherever you are sitting, make sure you are as upright as possible, with your shoulders back and without slouching. 

Hold your hands in a comfortable position on your lap. Having your fingers interlaced or one hand on the palm of the other can be most comfortable. Take three deep breaths to tune into your surroundings, then commence the meditation.

When your timer sounds at the end of your meditation, stay relaxed and don’t immediately open your eyes. If you have been in a deep state of awareness, opening your eyes suddenly can be very disorientating and uncomfortable. Slowly take some deeper breaths, like at the beginning of the practice, then gently start to move your fingers and toes, all in your own time. When you are ready (and feel free to keep meditating if you wish), slowly open your eyes and lift your gaze. If you want to stay in meditation, do so as long as feels comfortable.

Thank yourself for your practice with a sense of love, kindness and compassion.