The Institute for Jewish Spirituality

Essential Tips for Establishing a Regular Meditation Practice

Time of Day
We recommend practicing during a time of day when you’re fresh, energetic, and have few distractions pulling
for your attention. This might mean getting up a bit earlier, going to sleep a bit later, or stepping out of your work
environment for a short while.

Setting Yourself up for Success

Schedule dedicated time for meditation in your calendar, and do your best to really commit to that time.
The research shows that frequency is more important than duration. Begin modestly—say 5 minutes a day— and
work your way up to longer sessions rather than beginning with longer sessions and thereby setting yourself up
for failure. If you have been meditating for 10 minutes daily and one day you wake up too late or get caught up in
the busy-ness of your life and miss your scheduled time, practice for 5 minutes before you go to bed. Get in some
practice every day, no matter how short.
Before practicing, turn off your ringer and let people know that you are not going to be available. There will be
plenty of internal distractions to work with. Do your best to eliminate external distractions.

Setting up Your Space

Select a dedicated space for your daily practice—one that’s relatively quiet and that will afford you some
privacy. All you really need is a chair or a cushion, although some people like to create a meditation corner with
comfortable blankets and cushions, as well as phrases or images that serve as helpful reminders to practice.
Some people even light a candle or incense. The key is to begin to associate this space with calm, presence,
and relaxation.

Posture
If you plan to sit on the floor, it can be helpful to use a supportive meditation cushion or kneeling bench (both
available online) that allows your hips to be higher than your knees and enables you to create a kind of tripod
between your two knees and your pelvis. If sitting in a chair, make sure you’re comfortable sitting at a height that
allows your knees to be just below your pelvis. If you’re too low, prop yourself up on a firm cushion or a folded
blanket. If you’re too high, place a blanket, pillow, or some yoga blocks beneath your feet. Whether sitting on the
floor or in a chair, the key is to adopt a posture that allows for a slight tilt in the pelvis that creates extension and
opening in the lumbar spine. This will enable you to feel solid, relaxed, erect, and open. If you have back pain, you
might consider standing or lying on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground
with a blanket beneath you.
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Accountability
Holding yourself accountable to a daily practice regimen can be challenging. We recommend a practice buddy,
someone with whom you can check in regularly (by text, email, phone, or even in person) to share what’s coming
up in your practice. If you select a chevruta, your partner
may be willing to serve in that capacity. Joining a local meditation community can be very helpful as well, as is
writing in regularly to the discussion forum.
Reminders are also key. Set up alerts on your phone, in your calendar, and place phrases, or images in visible
places such that when you see them you are reminded to practice regularly.

Working with Common Obstacles

Common challenges that people experience in their meditation practice include sleepiness, restlessness, and
doubt (a sense that they’re not doing the practice “right” or that the practice won’t work). These may be forms
of resistance, the mind’s clever way of avoiding seeing what’s really going on. The first thing to remember is
that everyone who meditates experiences these challenges. Doing so will help you normalize them rather than
thinking you’re a special type of failure. And, here are some strategies for working with each obstacles:

• S
 leepiness: First, simply label sleepiness as “Sleepiness!” Your body might be telling you that you need
more rest. You might want to listen. Or, open your eyes and look around the room before resuming your
practice. Or, get up and stretch for a few seconds before sitting back down. Or, make the sleepiness the
focus of your meditation, exploring what it feels like in body and mind to be sleepy. Most importantly,
remember that sleepiness will pass in time if you keep coming back to your anchor for meditation.
• R
 estlessness: If sleepiness is too little energy, restlessness is often a surplus of energy. When it arises, you
can simply label it as “Restlessness!” You might try taking some deep, calming breaths, reassuring yourself
that your life won’t fall apart if you sit still for a few more minutes. Or, you might notice the thoughts that are
spinning in your mind, drop the story and direct your attention instead into the unpleasant sensations in the
body that accompany your inability to sit still, noting how they come and go. Or, you might take a moment
to discharge your restless energy by stretching and then returning to stillness. Or, if the restlessness is being
driven by anxiety about the to-do list, you might keep a pad or journal nearby where you can write down what
you need to remember to do and then come back to stillness.
• D
 oubt: If thoughts like “I’m not doing this right” arise, label doubt as “Doubt!” Or, you can try to reassure
yourself, “There’s no right or wrong here, I’m just paying attention to my moment-to-moment experience with
a warm and curious attitude.” You may also be expecting some grand result and your anticipation may be
driving your doubt around the practice. Try to let go of any such expectations, coming back to your anchor
and allowing things to be as they are. Have some faith that the practice and its insights will unfold in time.