by Sunshine Ross

Created on: May 22, 2009

Sit comfortable with your back straight. Keep the eyes open, just relaxed and cast down in an easy steady gaze. Place your hands on your knees to support your back or meditation mudra - right hand on top of the left with the thumbs touching. You can sit on a chair or if you prefer to sit crossed legged, you may need a bolster such as a hard pillow or thick folded fabric to sit on so that your knees drop lower than your hips.

Set a regular time and a place for meditation. The length of the actual meditation may vary day to day. Don't feel stressed about how long you should meditate but so set aside the time to do it. Deck out a nice spot in your room or a separate room for your practice. Make this space free of distractions. As you enter this space then it signals the mind to relax and calm down.

Sit and relax your whole body. Try and keep your spine straight. In front of the spine in the subtle body is the central pathway of energy. By sitting straight, you are allowing your energy or prana to flow in smoothly and stabilize. When the prana winds are stable, the mind can also be stable. Keep the body relaxed, yet also alert.

Begin to draw your attention to your breathing, The breathing will be the support of the practice. We will use it as an anchor. Because we are only beginners in meditation, our minds always want to follow a thought or emotion, one thought after another and jumping here and there.

There is no need to do any special breathing at this point, just watch the natural breath come in and go out of the body.

When a thought arises, simply let it go. Do not give it any energy. Gently guide the mind back to the breath. When a thought or a feeling arises, whether you perceive it to be pleasant or unpleasant, just know that the thought or feeling is there and allow it to dissolve back the same way it has arisen.

Don't get caught up in it. Again and again, bring your focus back to the breath. Watch the breath come and then go.

When you feel dullness settling in or the mind starts to drift off, intensify your concentration. When your focus gets too intense and rigid, soften and relax the meditative concentration. You are aiming for a state of mind that is relaxed but at the same time open and alert.

A mind that is balanced is not pushed and pulled by emotions. A calm peacefulness arises that will be the foundation or platform for analytic meditation on spiritual life, higher meditation and visualization practice.

Remember that meditation is a practice. The more you do it, the easier it becomes, the better you will be at it. Try to practice each day, for a few minutes, gradually lengthening the time as you feel comfortable. Be patient with yourself and you will progress slowly but surely.

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