How to Start a Meditation Practice

When you still the body through sitting meditation, the mind begins to still.

This makes the practice of dropping into and staying located in the 5 senses a bit easier. If you have not meditated before, no problem! I hope this will inspire you to begin this simple, yet transformative practice.

To Begin:

Find a comfortable pillow or cushion to sit on, cross your legs (or find another position that is more comfortable like a meditation bench). No need to sit full lotus!

The important thing is to have 3 points of contact – each knee on the floor, as well as your sitz bones. Sit up straight with an erect spine, while also relaxing your shoulders down your back. Rest your hands in a comfortable position on your lap or in a mudra if that’s part of your practice. Let your eyes have a soft gaze, looking down at a 45 degree angle. It can be helpful to face the wall, so you are not distracted by what is in your visual field.

If you’re new to meditation try sitting for 10 minutes.

You can follow your breath or engage your sense practice and when you notice a thought, simply notice, let it go, and come back to the breath. There are many resources out there now that you can use to support meditation like a meditation timer (Insight app is a nice one). The timer serves as a cue to let you know that the meditation period is over, so that you are not staring at a clock while you are sitting. I also find it helpful to simply use a timer on your phone, as to not invite yet another app and social dimension into our lives. Keep it simple.

It’s also supportive to sit at the same time each day. If we let our preferences come up or only sit when we want to or “feel good,” we simply won’t do it. For some that’s early in the morning before the family is awake or shortly before bed. Pick a time and commit to it – it’s only 10 minutes!

Sitting meditation is a wonderful way to observe our own minds over time. After meditation you may notice that you find yourself often thinking about the past or about the future. This is useful information.

With regular meditation, you may also notice that you start to feel and see the world differently. Colors are more vibrant, smells are more pronounced, your partner’s touch is more sensitive. These can be some of the fruits of practice.

If you are looking for other mindfulness practices to support relaxation check out this post.

With beginning a meditation practice, the most important thing is consistency. To just sit. Regardless of how you are feeling – rested, tired, sick, irritated, joyful. That’s all part of our experience. Sitting each day at the same time supports the practice of accepting things as they are, which ultimately leads to a more equanimous mind. This can be for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, an hour, up to you! Gentle Leaps friends.