Regular meditation, even for a few minutes a day, is physically and psychologically rewarding. There are many meditative techniques to choose from, but they all have one crucial element in common: concentration. Not the sort of hard, determined concentration that we used to learn in lessons at school, but a light, relaxed form in which you choose a point of focus and fix your attention on it. Every time thoughts or feelings intrude, you gently steer your mind back to this point of focus. Anyone can meditate; all you need is patience and quiet determination.
Getting Started
: Before starting a session of meditation, it is important to prepare properly. Choose a quiet time when you are unlikely to be interrupted. Most people prefer mornings, just after rising, but evenings just before bedtime are also good. Decide what time is best for you and try to stick to it, incorporating it into your daily routine. Choose a place where you feel comfortable and calm; the corner of a bedroom is often ideal. Wear loose, comfortable clothes (or none at all if you prefer). Ideally, you should sit on the floor cross-legged, with a firm cushion that raises your bottom about four inches from the floor. If you find this difficult or uncomfortable, sit in a straight-backed chair with your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on your lap, palms downwards, with the fingers interlocked or with one hand resting on the other. At first, it is helpful to close your eyes, but as you progress, you may like to practice with your eyes open.
The Practice
: Once you are comfortable, mentally scan your body for muscle tension. Whenever you find an area of tension, gently let it go. Keep your back straight; it may help to imagine your spine as a stack of coins that has to stay balanced. Now, focus your attention on your breathing. Make sure that it is coming from as low down as possible – from your diaphragm, not your chest. Don’t take huge breaths; just keep your breathing relaxed and natural in a gentle, quiet rhythm. Now direct your attention to a point just below your nose – the point where you feel the cool air as you breathe in and warm air as you breathe out. The sensation is subtle but clear. Keep your attention fixed on this point at all times, even between breaths.
Keeping Focused
: When you start to meditate, you will almost certainly find that thoughts bubble up and tug you away from your point of focus. Don’t try to push them away. Pay them no special attention; just let them rise and pass across the surface of your mind in the same way that clouds gently drift across the sky. If a thought does capture your attention and takes you away from your breathing, bring your focus gently back. If you find it difficult to stay focused, it is sometimes helpful to count your breaths. Count from one to ten on each out-breath, then back from ten to one again. Another helpful strategy is to remind yourself, ‘I have thoughts, but I am not my thoughts. If emotions arise, treat them in the same way as thoughts. Tell your self ‘I have anxieties/fears/ anger, but I am not my anxieties/ fears/ anger. If your body feels uncomfortable, treat the discomfort in the same way. Observe these distractions and let them go instead of becoming caught up in them.
Finding Time
: Five minutes of meditation a day is a good start for beginners. As you become more practiced, you will be able to stay focused for longer and longer – perhaps for 20 or 30 minutes. At the end of your meditation, be grateful for the time that you have spent quietly. Try to get into the habit of meditating whenever you have nothing pressing to do – while on a train journey, waiting for a bus, or before the start of a meeting (this can be particularly helpful because it calms the nerves).
Persevering
: Some people give up meditation after a short time, protesting that their minds are so busy that they will never succeed at it. But it is precise because our minds are so frantically busy that meditation is of such great value. If we were in control of our minds, we would not need to meditate. The key to meditation is quiet perseverance. Even experienced meditators have ‘off’ days when they cannot still their mental chatter. Simply note these good and bad days, and continue with your practice.
