How to Meditate

Change the focus of your attention, change your world. It was such a simple lesson, but profound enough that it never left me.

With practice, mindstrength is an effective tool to help one develop a deeply-grounded core rudder so that no matter what size of wave they encounter in their life they can recover quickly and proceed with more focus.

Zazen is traditionally practiced sitting on a zafu pillow or bench in cross-legged full lotus with erect posture of spine and zero slouching. Part of the traditional character of zen is that it can require mental and physical discipline.

The common perception of meditation is that it is a very personal experience, and in recent times the emphasis seems to be on its utilitarian value.

Look closely at the components of a meditative attitude, and you'll see them all reflected in the Occupy movement.

The question is, "Why are you meditating?" We each have different reasons, and those reasons can change daily. I distinguish between body-focused and mind-focused techniques.

An active mind is no hindrance to meditation -- not if you learn an effortless technique for transcending (going beyond thought).

The way to cultivate greater compassion isn't by forcing yourself to pretend you feel something you actually aren't feeling. It is by expanding your awareness so that you pay attention to yourself and others in a different way.

The real problem with people who say they don't have time to meditate is that they have not come to see its value.

Meditation looks like the simplest thing in the world. What could be easier than sitting on a cushion doing nothing? For many who try, the simple answer is: anything. How, then, to make meditation easier when you're starting out?

If you feel overwhelmed with work, family and personal responsibilities here are three quick meditations to help you release unwholesome emotions, shift your mood and open your mind.

The idea of sitting still and watching our breath can appear boring, meaningless, even a time-waster and not at all fun, challenging or creative. Yet meditation is all of this and much more.

Ahem, you might then ask, If I'm not supposed to meditate to feel better physically or emotionally, why on earth would I do it?

I guess when cabbies try to run me off the road, or a work project hits a snag, I'm being presented with the exact experiences I need to grow.

The words meditation and medication have the same prefix derived from the Latin word medicus, meaning to care or to cure. Meditation is likely to be the most effective remedy for an overworked mind.

The next time you see a baby learn to walk, pay some attention. That baby is really a Zen Master teaching you a thing or two about progress in your meditation.

The restless state is an agitated state. In it, there is no sense of completion- something needs to be done to "finish" things and move on to a state of resolution/peace.

It fascinates me that the legacy of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who faced adulation and controversy in his life, continues to attract such highly influential people from around the world.

Get thee to an eco meditation cushion, if only for a few minutes each morning before the day's madness ensues, and if you need a jump-start of inspiration or a little training, check out one of these Buddhist teachers.

Life is certainly not simple now, but we humans have gotten in the habit of making it more complicated. "Do more" is the message from every quarter. T...