The practice of meditation has powerful benefits: it can relieve stress and calm and clear the mind in as little as ten minutes a day. Yet finding the time, and making a habit, of meditating daily is itself a skill that requires some development. Here are a few key ideas to support meditation for beginners.
Choose From Among the Many Meditation Techniques
The numerous traditions and teachers each have their own meditation techniques to offer, and depending on one's religious background, intention, or teacher (as in Hinduism and Buddhism), a particular technique very specific in its instructions will be provided. Choosing a specific technique is key; otherwise, the mind will wander into discursive territory and reap none of the benefits meditation offers.
Among the many meditation techniques there are: Centering Prayer (Catholic), mindfulness meditation and vipassana meditation (various schools of Buddhism), and transcendental meditation (Indian).
Spiritual Teachings and the Practice of Meditation
There is a second important boon to selecting on tradition/teacher and technique when one learns to meditate: namely, the teachings that arose from the practice itself. Meditation is a tool for seeing reality as it is, without filters or preconceptions, and the teachings of that tradition will mirror that realization and provide a blueprint for that journey.
The acquisition of the essential texts of the tradition is an important support for the spiritual journey one takes; other materials such as audio and video teachings may also be helpful. Creativity encourages the realization of the teachings of one's traditions; keeping a journal, using contemplations, and attending teachings are all possible avenues for deepening the journey.
Spiritual Living to Support Practice – The Altar
Whether or not one feels inspired to follow a spiritual or contemplative tradition, setting the stage for meditation practice is the single best support one can have. Wherever one lives, one should find a quiet space (a corner of a bedroom or living room, say, or a small room if available), and mark it in some way, if only with a small rug.
Others will wish to create an altar to their tradition, teacher(s), or deity, and this is a wonderful tool for not only encouraging the practice but also relating to the teachings provided in a physical and symbolic way. Before meditating, one may wish to light candles, burn incense, and/or offer water in bowls. This will vary by tradition.
Supporting the Practice of Meditation – The Seat
For the physical support for meditation one may choose a straight-backed chair, meditation bench, gomden or zafu. The seat one chooses will vary depending on one's tradition and physical condition, but take care to maintain the posture described by the technique one uses. Whatever the technique, one keeps the back upright but not unnaturally straight, with the chin slightly tucked and the neck straight as well.
Ask an experienced meditator to check one's posture if possible. Some amount of discomfort is normal as certain muscles develop – within reason.
Developing a Practice When Beginning to Meditate
Once one chooses a meditation technique and 'sets the stage,' the job is halfway done. The practice itself will develop over time, with many people starting to meditate in the morning or at night for just 10-15 minutes per day. To learn about the power of group retreats - a potent additive to practitioners of all levels - see The Free Vipassana Retreats of S.N. Goenka and The Path of Shambhala Buddhism.
Josefine Cole - Josefine is a BA graduate of Naropa University's Religious Studies program, which emphasizes self-transformation through practice of ...
