Choose a certain time each day and keep your “meditation appointment.” This way your body and mind get into the habit of meditating just as they do to eating at certain times.
Times that are especially good are early in the morning just after waking and late at night right before sleep. Dawn, noon, dusk, and midnight are also good times.
It’s best to meditate on an empty stomach. You need your energy in your brain, not in your stomach. Best not to eat heavy foods for at least 2 hours before meditation.
Light exercise or stretching before meditation really helps some people. Taking your dog for a walk in fresh air, or doing a calm meditative yoga practice may work wonders for your practice.
Create a meditation space in your home. Use this space only for meditation. It can be very simple. After a month or two of daily practice you will find it easier to meditate here.
Have a focal point in your meditation area, like an altar. Whether it is elaborate or simple is completely up to you. It should make you smile when you see it, and be a source of upliftment and inspiration. When you find your thoughts and energy going in the wrong direction, just look at your little piece of heaven and it will help you to come back to your practice.
Find a comfortable way to sit with an erect spine. This matters. It’s easier to concentrate when you have an erect and vertical posture. If possible sit up without using a backrest. Sitting on a chair, the edge of a firm bed, meditation bench, or cross-legged on a cushion are all fine choices as long as you can relax in the position. A slight tension between shoulder blades to keep your chest open and shoulders from rounding forward is good.
Rest your hands in your lap facing palms upward. Let the hands relax.
Don’t over do it! Meditate with deep attention and a joyful heart and only meditate as long as you can stay enthusiastic and focused. Just 5 – 15 minutes is fine to begin with.
Focused on what? This depends on you. I recommend using a traditional technique and resisting the temptation to modify it. Creativity is also needed but focus that on the attitude you bring to meditation, the way you approach your technique etc., not the technique itself.
Choose a practice and stick with it for a while. Don’t measure your meditation practice by what happens during meditation, and do not expect immediate results. Instead observe over weeks or months how your life is going. Are you more patient, kind, and happy? If so, something is working. Or, are you becoming prideful, or stressed out? Then look at the way you approach your practice, it may be your attitude while meditating that needs adjustment, or other changes may be needed.
Be creative and keep it fun. Isn’t having more Joy the whole point of anything we do? Taking yourself, or your meditation practice too seriously is like starting to run a race with your shoes untied.
Next: A Simple Meditation Technique
Do you have a question or comment? Post it below and I’ll answer you asap.
March 21, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Thanks for this information Turiya!! I usually fall asleep when trying to meditate and didn’t know how to stop it… but this will help I’m sure!! think I was too relaxed and comfortable.. x
March 21, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Hi Shona,
It’s important to be comfortable. But to do that and maintain upright posture through the spine takes practice. It took months for me to get used to it. But it really helps develop the core strength we need to maintain great posture and a healthy spine for those “sunset years” down the road.
Not to mention how much it helps meditation!
March 23, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Thanks for that piece of advice again Turiya.. much appreciated.. it’s working better already!
March 23, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Great!
June 2, 2009 at 8:13 am
Thanks This was my first meditation appointment and i already feel better about everything in my life i still think is might take a bit of time till i get it perfect as i kept opening my eyesbut a great tip is if something is on you mind then say it out loud and it will soon go away
Have Fun
June 2, 2009 at 8:18 am
by the way your time is wrong
June 2, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Dear Ellie,
Thanks for your comments. Not sure about the time, I guess it just depends on where you are.
June 3, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Hi Turiya,
When I meditate without a back rest, my back starts to feel uncomfortable right away. I don’t suffer from back problems, and I’m in good health, but for some reason this only happens when I sit straight to meditate. The feeling gets me antsy. Have you ever heard of this before?
I’m going to link to this article from my site — I found it extremely helpful.
Thanks
Jen
June 4, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Dear Jen,
I’m glad you found this helpful.
Even though sitting with upright posture is great for your spine, it doesn’t feel natural to most people. This is usually because we are used to slouching. From what you have said, it sounds like you’ll do best if you continue sitting tall, but be careful not to over do it. Just sit up as long as you can in fair comfort, and then use a pillow or lean back into the chair or a wall for the rest of your meditation. Float back and forth as you feel to between positions so you don’t strain anything, and just be ok with that. I believe in time you’ll see improvement as your body get’s used to this way of sitting.
When I first started I had a very difficult time with the area between my shoulder-blades. I never thought it was going to improve, but it did. If you know someone with a good eye for body mechanics and posture (a good physical therapist or possibly a yoga teacher that meditates?) have them check the way you sit and what you are sitting on. Or if you are in the LA area I’ll be glad to do that. Here are a couple of links I tweeted to you but I wanted to make them available here also for anyone who reads this.
http://www.joyiswithinyou.com/videoinstruction.html#anchor_49
http://www.joyiswithinyou.com/meditationbench.html#anchor_31