How to Practice Meditation

Buddhists use meditation to transform themselves and to move beyond the distractions of
the world to see the true nature of things. And it works. Clinical evidence shows that
mindfulness meditation – in which the practitioner focuses on his or her breathing – improves
cognition and emotional control,[1] and can also reduce blood pressure, decrease stress,
anxiety, and depression, help with insomnia, and even slow the aging of the brain.
[2] [3] Loving-kindness meditation – in which the practitioner focuses on developing
unconditional kindness and love – is useful for dealing with anger control issues, marital
conflict, and the challenge of providing long-term care to a relative or friend.[4] To get the
benefits of meditation, you'll need to prepare get in the right frame of mind, find a quiet
place, and practice regularly.

Getting Ready
1. Pick the time that works best for you. Many people
find it helps to meditate first thing in the morning in order to start
the day fresh and with a clear mind. Others like to meditate in the
evening to help them relax and clear their mind before bed, or to
meditate in the middle of the day in order to manage work stress.
Any time is a good time to mediate. Pick the time that works for
you.

2. Make sure you are not too tired. Meditating requires

concentration and focus. If you're tired, it will be much more
difficult. This is another reason why many people prefer to
meditate in the morning.

3. Wear comfortable clothing. The goal of meditation is

to calm your mind and to transcend negative emotions. Loose,
comfortable clothing will help to ensure you are distracted as little
as possible by physical discomfort.

4. Find a quiet place.  You will want to find a room

where no loud noises or sudden interruptions will disturb
your meditation.
The room should be a comfortable temperature. Tibetan monks begin meditation by cleaning
the room. You can make the room more relaxing and conducive to meditation by keeping it
free of clutter.
5. Make sure you will not be interrupted. Turn
off your cell phone or pager. If you have a landline, turn off the
ringer. Ask your family not to interrupt you during your session.

6. Sit in a comfortable position. The classic mediation

pose is with the legs crossed before you, hands folded in
your lap, but it does not matter you sit does not matter so
long as you are comfortable and your back is straight to
allow you breathe deeply and fully.[5]

 You may choose to sit on a pillow for comfort.

 You can also sit in a chair if you find that more comfortable or if you need
back support.

7. Relax your body. Adopting the proper pose can

help you to remain comfortable and relaxed as you
meditate. Keep your head slightly bent forward, your teeth
slightly apart, and your shoulders relaxed. It is best to
keep your eyes half-closed, but if that is too distracting,
you may close them.

 Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth and swallow. This will create a
slight vacuum that will reduce saliva and the need to swallow.

8. Set a minimum time you will meditate. Start with 15

minutes. Use a timer; you don't want to be glancing at the clock
repeatedly. Try to last the entire time you have allotted, but if
you get tired or too distracted, it's ok to stop.

9. Understand why you are meditating.

You may have particular reasons you are
meditating: to help you move past negative
 actions – e.g., fighting with your wife – or to deal with stress. Meditation can
help by calming your mind and helping you to set aside negative emotions,
particularly if you focus on one emotion at a time. In addition to considering
your own reasons for meditation, you might consider starting your session
with one of prayers that Buddhists use to remind them why they are
meditating: Generating Bodhicitta:
 By virtue of giving and so forth,
 may I become a Buddha for the benefit of all sentient
beings. (3x)
 The Four Immeasurable:
 May all sentient beings have equanimity, free from
attachment, aggression and prejudice.[1]
 May they be happy, and have the causes for happiness.
 May they be free from suffering and causes for suffering.
 May they never be separated from the happiness that is free
from suffering. (3x)
 The Seven-Limbed Prayer
 Respectfully I prostrate with body, speech and mind;
 I present clouds of every type of offerings, actual and
imagined;
 I declare all the negative actions I have done since
beginningless time,
 and rejoice in the merit of all Arya’s and ordinary beings.
 Please teacher, remain until cyclic existence ends
 and turn the wheel of Dharma for all sentient beings.
 I dedicate the virtues of myself and others to the great
Enlightenment.

1. Doing Mindfulness Meditation (Anapansati Meditation)

 1. Focus on your breathing. Breathe
through your nose. Concentrate on
each inhalation and exhalation. Feel
the rise and fall of your abdomen. Do
not control your breath, simply be
mindful of it. Clear your mind of
everything but this focus on your
breathing. The goal is to achieve
peace and stillness of mind.[6]

 You can count your breaths to ten to help focus.

 If you lose count, start over at one.

2. Allow thoughts to come and go. Thoughts will

inevitably pop into your head, particularly when you are new
to meditation. Don't be upset if they do. "Do not try to stop
thoughts, allow them to arise, but recognize their arising and
do not pursue them. The goal is not to have no thoughts but
for thoughts to arise and yet be rendered powerless"
(Garchen Ripoche). Let them leave your mind of their own
accord.

"Meditation isn't just about peacing out. It's a tool that enables you to look deeper
and discover what's happening below the surface."

3. Learn to deal with common distractions. Pain from

sitting so long, sleepiness, desire and more can make it
hard to meditate. Don't worry. Everyone experiences these
things. The more you meditate, the better you will become
at moving past distractions.

 Pain – If you feel discomfort, do not move. Study yourself and your pain.
Allow time to explore the feeling. Imagine your body as empty, a vessel with
you standing outside of it. If the pain is too intense, take a break by standing
up.
 Sensual desire – It can be hard to put aside thoughts of a lover or even a
desired object. Realize that desires are transient; fulfilling one will only lead
to another. Remember the reality of the desired object: bodies are just skin
and bones and flesh.[7]
 Restlessness and worry – Notice these feelings, but do not pursue them.
Return your attention to your breathing and movement of your abdomen. If a
 thought persists, you may write a short note to remind yourself to deal with it
later.
 Drowsiness – Remember why you are meditating. Focus on a white light
between your eyebrows to increase wakefulness. If you still find yourself
nodding off, take a rest and return to mediation when you are refreshed.

4. Increase the length of your meditation. Begin by

meditating for 15 minutes at a time, once a day. 15 minutes
might seem long at first, but as you get better at relaxing
and clearing your mind, it will get easier. Try to extend the
length of your mediation by 5 minutes each week until you
are able to mediate for 45 minutes.[8]
2. Adding Loving Kindness Meditation (Metta Bhavana).

1. Use meditation to train your mind to be kinder. The

goal of this type of mindfulness meditation is to train your mind
in kindness and compassion.[9] You will try to develop feeling
of loving kindness towards:[10]
 Yourself
 A respected, beloved person – i.e. a spiritual
teacher
 A dearly beloved (it is easiest to start with someone you are not sexually
attracted to)
 A neutral person who you have no special feeling towards
 A difficult person.

2. Begin this meditation after practicing mindfulness

of breathing. Once you are in a focused, contemplative state,
you will work on sending feelings of love and happiness first to
yourself, then to each of the other four people in turn.

3. Arouse feeling of loving-kindness.

There are three main techniques to inspire
the proper emotions within you:[11]
 Mantras – As you think of yourself, then the other four
people, repeat an internalized phrase or mantra, such
as: "May I be well and happy. May I be peaceful and
calm. May I be protected from dangers. May my mind be free from hatred. May my
heart be filled with love. May I be well and happy." [12]
 Visualization - Create a mental image of yourself or the person you are considering.
See them smiling joyously.
 Reflection – Think of the good qualities or actions of the person you are considering.

4. Focus on the feeling. The emotion is

the key, not the device you use to
evoke it. When the feeling of loving-
kindness arises, concentrate on that
 feeling. However, if the feeling fades, you may return to the device you
used to evoke it.[13]

5. Radiate feeling of love.

Project your feelings of loving-

kindness to the four points of the compass. It
may help to think of people you know in cities
in each direction that you can direct your love
towards. The ultimate goal is to not have to
direct your love in this way, but rather to simply radiate feelings of
unconditional universal love in all directions.[14]

It may help to use a mantra to direct you love outwards, such as:

 May all beings be safe, happy, healthy, live joyously…..

 May all living beings be safe, happy, healthy, live joyously…..
 May all breathing beings be safe, happy, healthy, live joyously…..
 May all individuals be safe, happy, healthy, live joyously…..
 May all beings in existence be safe, happy, healthy, live joyously…