Meditation for Beginners

There are countless methods of meditation, but the easiest way to start is to focus on the breath.

1. Take a comfortable and alert posture on the floor or on a chair. Gently close your eyes and find a sense of presence within your body. It’s often helpful to start with two or three deep breaths to help shed the preoccupations of the mind. Then, simply focus on the physical sensations of breathing in and breathing out without trying to control or manipulate your breath. 
2. As you become familiar with your breathing, pay attention to the area of your body where the breath is most present. This can be the rising and falling of the abdomen, the movement of the chest, or the sensation of air passing through the nostrils. To promote this awareness of breathing, you might silently label the inhalations and exhalations as rising and falling or in and out.
3. Mindful awareness of the breath develops your capacity to calmly settle into the present moment. However, it’s normal to become distracted by the surface chatter of the mind. When that happens, gently and without judgment, refocus your attention on the breath. 
4. Sometimes, though, a thought may be so intrusive it becomes the center of attention. One way to deal with this is to distinguish between the foreground and background of your awareness. Place your breathing in the foreground of awareness, letting all other thoughts remain in the background. If you can do this without strain, let the background experiences simply be. 
5. It’s important to sense, feel, and remain fully present for whatever experience arises. Once the thought no longer dominates or demands your attention, return your focus on your breathing. 
6. As you learn to become alert, calm, and present in your meditation, you develop a deeper intimacy with yourself and the world. As you cultivate your ability to remain mindful without interfering, judging, avoiding, or clinging, wellsprings of peace, insight, and wisdom have a chance to surface.