orangwutang

I usually just link to stuff like this in my shared Google Reader items over there on the right side of the page, but recently several people have emailed me to ask about various meditation-related issues, so I thought I’d actually devote a post to this Meditation for Beginners: 20 Practical Tips for Quieting the Mind post from www.zenhabits.net.  It’s a good summary and I agree with all of the points except maybe #17 - and that only just because I don’t have any experience with “tandem meditation.”

Note that the author recommends the same book on meditation for beginners that I mentioned in an earlier post:  Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn.  It really is an excellent book and I would encourage anyone interested in meditation to check it out.

Link:  http://zenhabits.net/2007/11/meditation-for-beginners-20-practical-tips-for-quieting-the-mind/

Text:

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Todd Goldfarb at the We The Change blog.

Meditation is the art of focusing 100% of your attention in one

area. The practice comes with a myriad of well-publicized health
benefits including increased concentration, decreased anxiety, and a
general feeling of happiness.

Although a great number of people try meditation at some point in

their lives, a small percentage actually stick with it for the
long-term. This is unfortunate, and a possible reason is that many
beginners do not begin with a mindset needed to make the practice
sustainable.

The purpose of this article is to provide 20 practical

recommendations to help beginners get past the initial hurdles and
integrate meditation over the long term:

1 Make it a formal practice. You will only get to the next level in meditation by setting aside specific time (preferably two times a day) to be still. 

2 Start with the breath. Breathing deep slows the heart rate, relaxes the muscles, focuses the mind and is an ideal way to begin practice.

3 Stretch first. Stretching loosens the muscles and
tendons allowing you to sit (or lie) more comfortably. Additionally,
stretching starts the process of “going inward” and brings added
attention to the body.

4 Meditate with Purpose. Beginners must understand that meditation is an ACTIVE process. The art of focusing your

attention to a single point is hard work, and you have to be
purposefully engaged!

5 Notice frustration creep up on you. This is very

common for beginners as we think “hey, what am I doing here” or “why
can’t I just quiet my damn mind already”. When this happens, really
focus in on your breath and let the frustrated feelings go.

6 Experiment. Although many of us think of

effective meditation as a Yogi sitting cross-legged beneath a Bonzi
tree, beginners should be more experimental and try different types of
meditation. Try sitting, lying, eyes open, eyes closed, etc.

7 Feel your body parts. A great practice for

beginning meditators is to take notice of the body when a meditative
state starts to take hold. Once the mind quiets, put all your attention
to the feet and then slowly move your way up the body (include your
internal organs). This is very healthy and an indicator that you are on
the right path.

8 Pick a specific room in your home to meditate.

Make sure it is not the same room where you do work, exercise, or
sleep. Place candles and other spiritual paraphernalia in the room to
help you feel at ease.

9 Read a book (or two) on meditation. Preferably
an instructional guide AND one that describes the benefits of deep
meditative states. This will get you motivated. John Kabat-Zinn’s Wherever You Go, There You Are is terrific for beginners.

10 Commit for the long haul. Meditation is a
life-long practice, and you will benefit most by NOT examining the
results of your daily practice. Just do the best you can every day, and
then let it go!

11 Listen to instructional tapes and CDs.

12 Generate moments of awareness during the day. Finding your breath and “being present” while not in formal practice is a wonderful way to evolve your meditation habits.

13 Make sure you will not be disturbed. One of the
biggest mistakes beginners make is not insuring peaceful practice
conditions. If you have it in the back of your mind that the phone
might ring, your kids might wake, or your coffee pot might whistle than
you will not be able to attain a state of deep relaxation.

14 Notice small adjustments. For beginning
meditators, the slightest physical movements can transform a meditative
practice from one of frustration to one of renewal. These adjustments
may be barely noticeable to an observer, but they can mean everything
for your practice.

15 Use a candle. Meditating with eyes closed can
be challenging for a beginner. Lighting a candle and using it as your
point of focus allows you to strengthen your attention with a visual
cue. This can be very powerful.

16 Do NOT Stress. This may be the most important
tip for beginners, and the hardest to implement. No matter what happens
during your meditation practice, do not stress about it. This includes
being nervous before meditating and angry afterwards. Meditation is
what it is, and just do the best you can at the time.

17 Do it together. Meditating with a partner or
loved one can have many wonderful benefits, and can improve your
practice. However, it is necessary to make sure that you set
agreed-upon ground rules before you begin!

18 Meditate early in the morning. Without a doubt, early morning is an ideal

time to practice: it is quieter, your mind is not filled with the usual
clutter, and there is less chance you will be disturbed. Make it a
habit to get up half an hour earlier to meditate.

19 Be Grateful at the end. Once your practice is
through, spend 2-3 minutes feeling appreciative of the opportunity to
practice and your mind’s ability to focus.

20 Notice when your interest in meditation begins to wane. Meditation is

hard work, and you will inevitably come to a point where it seemingly
does not fit into the picture anymore. THIS is when you need your
practice the most and I recommend you go back to the book(s) or the
CD’s you listened to and become re-invigorated with the practice.
Chances are that losing the ability to focus on meditation is parallel
with your inability to focus in other areas of your life!

Meditation is an absolutely wonderful practice, but can be very
difficult in the beginning. Use the tips described in this article to
get your practice to the next level!