Start Meditating Today: A Beginner's Guide

In our last discussion, we explored the philosophical underpinnings of meditation within Buddhism, noting that serves a far more significant purpose than mere productivity or stress relief. Meditation is a transformative tool for cultivating a deeper understanding of the nature of our minds and fostering a more harmonious relationship with the world around us. As we grapple with the inherent suffering (dukkha) woven into the fabric of existence, meditation equips us with the skills to break free from the cycle of craving, aversion, and ignorance that perpetuates this suffering. By quieting the mind and developing focused awareness, we gain the capacity to observe our thoughts and emotions with detachment, fostering a more mindful and ethical way of being.

Getting Started: The Right Mindset

Before diving into specific techniques, it’s crucial to approach meditation with the right attitude. Cultivate patience, as meditation is a skill that takes time and practice to master. Don’t get discouraged if your mind wanders—that’s perfectly normal! Instead, embrace the journey of observing your thoughts and feelings without judgment. Let go of the idea of perfection; there is no single “right” way to meditate. What matters most is finding what works for you and building a consistent practice.

There’s a wealth of meditation techniques available, and it’s natural to be curious and want to explore different approaches. Sampling various practices can be a valuable way to discover what resonates with you. In fact, one of the ways beginning meditators can, I believe, get led astray, is by latching too quickly onto the first technique they’re taught. You download an app and follow what that teacher tells you. If you’re lucky, it works. But because each of us is different, it’s often the case that the technique isn’t actually the right one for you, and that another will be easier, more natural, or just more fun. This can lead us to feel like mediation is harder than it could be, or less interesting, and so we give up our practice. If we instead experiment, sampling techniques, the likelihood of finding the one that best fits your needs goes up.

That said, it’s important to avoid the temptation to constantly switch techniques. Each meditation method requires dedicated practice to yield its full benefits. If you flit from one technique to another every day, you might find it difficult to make significant progress.

Think of it like learning a new language. Wouldn’t you struggle to achieve fluency if you swapped between French, Spanish, and Mandarin every week? Similarly, in meditation, consistency is key. Once you’ve explored a few techniques, choose one that resonates with you and commit to practicing it daily for a period of time, perhaps a month or two. This sustained practice will allow you to experience the technique’s full effects and determine if it’s a good fit for your long-term goals. If, after consistent practice, you feel a different technique might be more beneficial, you can always revisit your initial exploration and choose another one to dedicate yourself to.

Simple Techniques to Try

Buddhist traditions offer numerous meditation methods. Here are three accessible practices for beginners:

1. Breath Meditation: This grounding practice cultivates focus and present-moment awareness. It’s also the most commonly taught. If you’ve googled “How to meditate,” or downloaded one of the popular meditation apps, chances are this is the form you’ve come across.

• Find a comfortable seated position with your spine naturally erect. You can sit on a meditation cushion on the floor, a chair, or even your bed. Experiment to find what works best for you. The key is to be able to maintain a relatively stable posture for the duration of your practice.

• Close your eyes, or softly lower your gaze. This helps to minimize external distractions and allows you to turn your attention inward.

• Bring attention to the natural flow of your breath. Notice the sensation of the breath entering and leaving your nostrils. Feel the rise and fall of your chest or belly as you breathe. There’s no need to control your breath, but instead simply observe it with a sense of curiosity.

• When your mind wanders (and it will!), gently bring it back to the breath without self-criticism. It’s natural for your attention to get pulled away by thoughts, emotions, or bodily sensations. Acknowledge them gently, and then guide your attention back to the breath. Over time, with consistent practice, you’ll develop the ability to maintain your focus for longer stretches.

2. Open Awareness Meditation: This practice cultivates mindfulness by observing the ever-changing flow of experience.

• Maintain a similar posture as in breath meditation.

• Instead of focusing solely on the breath, allow your awareness to expand to encompass your entire experience in the present moment. This includes internal sensations like bodily aches, tightness, or warmth. Notice any thoughts or emotions that arise, without getting caught up in their content.

• Pay attention to sights, sounds, smells, or tastes you might be perceiving through your senses.

• The key is to observe these experiences with a sense of detached curiosity, like watching a movie. Don’t judge them as good or bad, but simply acknowledge their presence and then let them go as your attention shifts. The point is to simply be aware of what’s happening and what you’re experiencing right now, in the moment.

3. Loving-Kindness Meditation (Metta): In most beginning meditation instructions, metta meditation either gets ignored or else is an occasional supplement to breath or open awareness. I’d suggest it’s actually, for a lot of people, the best place to start and can be the whole of their initial practice. The idea is to bring into your awareness feelings of goodwill, let those feelings fill you, and then keep your attention on them. Thus you’re still developing your skills of awareness and focus, but you’re also cultivating an ethical perspective towards yourself and others. Metta can feel a little artificial at first, but I encourage you to try it, and to try it long enough that you get through that initial sense that it’s just kind of weird. Metta is a lovely practice, and the joy and contentment it brings, and typically rather quickly, can help in maintaining a practice. Metta feels good, and we tend to stick with things that feel good.

• Sit comfortably and close your eyes.

• Begin by silently generating feelings of kindness and well-being for yourself. You can use phrases like “May I be safe,” “May I be happy,” or “May I be healthy.” These phrases are not themselves the point of the practice, and you can modify them to ones that feel more natural to you. Instead, the goal is to bring to mind the feeling of well-wishing, and then keep that feeling in mind. If you can do that without the phrases, that’s fine, too.

• Once you feel a sense of warmth and sincerity, rest in it. If you have trouble developing it as directed at yourself, try directing it towards someone you care about, but who your feelings about are uncomplicated. (Otherwise you might get lost in those complications.) You can even use a pet. It works better than you might think.

• Just rest in that feeling, keeping your attention on it, and bringing your mind back to it when it inevitably drifts away. The more your practice, the more natural the whole thing will feel, and that sense of artificiality will drop away.

Tips for Establishing a Practice

• Start Small: Begin with 5-10 minutes and gradually increase the duration as you feel comfortable. Thirty or 45 minutes in a single sension is a good goal to build to.

• Consistency is Key: Shorter, daily sessions are more beneficial than occasional long ones.

• Find a Quiet Space: Minimize external distractions to aid in focus.

• Resources: Explore guided meditations through apps, books, or online courses for additional support. These aren’t necessary, but committing to using an app, or reading a book and following its instructions, can help encourage you to stick with it long enough that you begin to see the benefits, and so no longer need that external encouragement.

Beyond the Cushion

The transformative benefits of meditation extend beyond the formal practice. As you become more mindful, you’ll notice changes in how you relate to yourself and the world. You might find yourself:

• Less reactive to challenges, with greater emotional balance.

• More attuned to the present moment, instead of dwelling on past or future.

• Experiencing a growing sense of clarity and inner peace.

Remember: Meditation is a journey with endless opportunities for self-discovery. Be patient, be kind to yourself, and embrace the process. Soon you’ll experience the profound power of this ancient practice within your own life.