How to Meditate...The Easy Way (VIDEO)
Meditation can be intimidating. Sitting there, doing nothing, just breathing can be trickier than it sounds. It may feel strange, uncomfortable, or even put you to sleep. Distractions try their best to pester you. Thoughts of the weekend, family, work, finances, politics, what's for dinner, all invade your aspiring-to-be-still mind. You start to fidget, adjusting your seat, clothes, and hair, anything to have something to do. Meditation can be like a battle with yourself, your thoughts, your body. But if you stick with the uncomfortable moments, they will start to fade away and cool things will happen.
The experience of meditation has been described and taught thousands of different ways. One detailed instruction may click for you that won't make sense for someone else. For me meditation is a practice to get rid of useless junk cluttering my mind, and useless ticks inhabiting my body. Once you can sit and breathe and get past all of this, then it's like your whole being is plugged into the all-knowing light socket that's always there. To get motivated, I remind myself that practice reduces stress, builds focus, compassion, sensitivity, confidence and more.
Here are a few suggestions that I've collected along the way that help with meditation.
Any Time, Any Place, Any Outfit. You can sit and breathe anywhere. You don't have to be in your best yoga outfit sitting on your yoga mat to do it. Take a couple minutes first thing in the morning, at work, at home, before bed, whatever works for you.
Conscious Breathing. That's all meditation is really, paying attention to your breath. Focus on watching your breath coming in and going out and you'll be doing a whole lot of good.
No Pressure. Try sitting first for only a couple minutes and build slowly from there. There is no rush. This is something that you can do your whole life. Meditation will sharpen your senses and your awareness. Everything you ever wanted to know is right there waiting for you.
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I have been doing meditation for over a year now without fail every morning before I get into the day's activities. I feel so much better since I started this and I am more focused and balanced. I call it connecting to Source. I so wish I had started this years ago.
You started exactly at the right time. A few years ago it might have not worked out for you. Everything happens at the right time.
Enjoy the ride.
Thank you.
Mindless meditation as outlined above is comparable to popular newspaper astrology: pap for the masses. True meditation is anything but "mindless". Raja yoga or mind-directed meditation is an exercise to bring the everyday conscious mind under control so that higher mind can get through. It requires subjugation of the physical, emotion and concrete mind in order to connect with higher mind or soul-mind. An example of how challenging this can be to start, sit quietly, eyes closed.. Visualize a simple geometric figure (a star, a circle, a square) hovering directly in front of your brow. Keep it there for 15 seconds without it fading, wavering or trying to move away. When you can do this effortlessly, you are one small step in the right direction. Once you can corral the conscious mind and get its nonstop babbling under control, you are making progress. Your goal is increased awareness. Side benefits include better all round health, improved concentration, inner peace and calm and better able to handle stress and everyday problems.
"Right direction"
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Trying to control the mind is like trying to catch the wind. Just stop and be still. Let the mind settle naturally. Peace of mind, Bliss is our nature. Our true mind is like the sky. It is transparent. In the sky there are storms, rain snow, clouds but the sky remains, the sky, It is not affected by these conditions. Likewise our true mind, our true nature is not disturbed by any condition. such as worries, concerns, fears, dramas and the like. There is nothing to achieve. No higher mind or lower mind just pure mind which is freedom.
When the Buddha 'woke up' it is said that he simply was practicing breathe awareness ('Shamata') Tara is teaching what may appear very ordinary yet it is profound.
In the dharma, Ed
I beg to differ with you on your comment. What she is essentially describing, badly, is vipassana, a venerable Buddhist meditation technique. It is not 'mindless meditation,' but 'mindfulness meditation
I appreciate your describing a different meditation technique, however, as meditation is not 'one size fits all.'
She's describing the first step in learning Vipassana.
There is no such thing as "mindless meditation" - the phrase doesn't even make sense. It's like saying "my meditation is better than your meditation and to prove it, look how much harder mine is than yours."
Purpose defeated.
...and it is comments like this that discourage would be meditators from even trying. Meditation is not a competition, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to meditate. All we need to do is to set aside a bit of quiet time for ourselves and watch our breath.
Then it is up to each individual to explore to which hights (or depth) to take the practice, you may want to become a buddhist monk, or just cut down on your daily worries and stress. Whatever it works for you is good for you.
Just sit down and do it!
It's important to remember that meditation is without a goal. You cannot succeed or fail. Simply observe, and connect with the only constant in life: change. And know that your experience is common to all humans. One cannot be a good or bad meditator and we cannot have good or bad sits. In fact, if you start to criticize yourself for a wandering or negative mind, simply note: "judging". Sometimes we will go a whole hour before realizing we were present for maybe only a breath or two.
So, get your tushie on the cushie and note the arising and passing away of sensations, thoughts, sounds, etc. As Tara points out, start small and expand your practice from there. 10 minutes a day is a fabulous gift to the world.
I second the motion to get some meditation tips for those with ADD, ADHD, either diagnosed or not.
Pleasssssssse!
Wow this does make meditation sound easy. Perhaps too easy. It also seems as though there might be some negative side effects from becoming a more calm person through meditation. It is possible, for example, that you might not be able to resist being coerced into cooking for someone else who is reluctant or incapable of cooking for themselves. On the other hand it seems simple enough to do WHILE cooking thereby bringing more of its more well known benefits to the person who has been coerced into cooking. Hmmmm....
I know my meditation was successful when my watch must tell me the hour. I have had meditations that occurred in minutes, and it seemed that many more minutes had passed than actually had. At other times, my perception of time was in seconds, ... and hours had passed.
The "need" to meditate seems to dictate the sense of time that passed, and never the reverse. What's with that, Tara?
In the Christian Right Fundamentalist media, there are actually strong opponents to meditation as you and I practice it, ... They claim that idle moments such as these must be focused on God and prayer, and Scriptural passages, ... and, ... and. Sad that the "Prince of Peace" has followers who advocate against finding inner peace. Without it, the pursuit of that, we Humans are prone to a constant and frenetic pursuit of nothing. Ironically repetitive prayer and Rosary, and bead counting practices lead a mind to the same place, I believe. If it needs a name, and "meditation" offends your training, ... call it something else!
Thank you, Tara, for offering meditation to many who might never have thought they could do it or achieve its benefits, without a degree, or special training or "the magic words" that make it work for others. There is a cult quality to the perception of meditation. A flannel shirt and an open heart are both great ways to dispel that whole thing.
The mind can create an infinite number of ways to delude and occupy itself. There are few ways it has to center itself. I am ashamed to say I did not teach my daughters anything about meditation. I taught them baseball, and cooking and dog-training, but not the one thing that would most have changed their lives. Bad dad, ... sorry girls!
Oh, .. I lasted only two minutes. I am so out of practice! ;-)
The 'Christian Right' is neither...
I also believe, after reading all the comments in the thread, that the elitists who argue that ONLY TM is 'true' meditation, yada, yada, yada...get over it! I have probably kept myself from 'meditating' for years because my sister and daughter 'bought' their 'individualized mantra' back in the early 80s, and there was something terribly wrong with that concept to me.
BTW... I tried Tara's advice and lasted for almost 3 minutes! Major success!! Peace, love and sparkling white light to all....
Great! It doesn't need to get any more complicated than this.
Hey, Tara. Any advice for people with A.D.D. I'll be damned if I can sit and concentrate on something like my breathing for more than 10 seconds.
Thanks Tara for your simple but helpful article. I’ve found in over 35 years of practicing meditation techniques that simplest is best.
Imagine if you had never slept before and wanted to find out how to achieve this incredible “mystical” state of consciousness. Your instructor says, “Well, put on some PJ’s, lie down and turn out the lights!” You might say, “Is that all, how can that achieve anything?”
In my training to become a therapist our director was asked if we could recommend meditation as an intervention for people experiencing all kinds of disorders, anxiety, depression and so forth. His response was “as long as it has science behind it.” He suggested we recommend the Transcendental Meditation Technique because of all the research behind it--I have to say, I have found it to be the cat’s whiskers--It’s soooooo simple---as simple as falling asleep---except you are falling awake! I feel delightfully clear and present after doing my TM--I believe there are many paths to inner fulfillment--but TM is a sure bet--
Peace out/Peace in
Acorns
Thank you, Tara, for introducing a simple mindfulness practice to many who may not have been previously exposed to it, or continue to question the basic point of it. Having meditated for several years, I can attest to the astounding power of mindfulness practice.
As has recently been documented in numerous studies of the brain's basic plasticity (which was believed to be immutable up until the end of the 20th century), meditation CAN CHANGE YOUR BRAIN if you keep at it. It's known to reverse the affects of childhood abuse (attachment theory); and it actually causes us to become more COMPASSIONATE beings! A good place to start, if Tara's instruction fails to bring about a self-sustaining practice, is with a meditation retreat of several days. At the end of it, it is almost inevitable that you will see the world, and yourself, in a much more compassionate, cooperative, and creative light.
There are many, many different meditation practices. The common element is mindfulness. A GREAT website with thousands of dharma talks (some with specific meditation instruction, but all with wonderful guidance for living consciously) is http://www
For those who feel fidgety, or annoyed, or bored, know that that is YOUR MIND in YOUR WORLD. There is hope for all of humanity through the development of mindfulness.
10 minutes.
I have been trying to watch my breath for the last 3 years, and when I get really agitated is when I need it the most and thats when its the hardest to do. I do the breathing thing when I am in a boring meeting or on the bus, its works well in those situations.
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When we meditate anything that arises is ok. Even if we are agitated or find it unpleasant it is all acceptable. Our mind is like a drunken monkey bitten by a scorpion. We need to tame the monkey. We do this by not struggling but just see it and no need to battle. The chatter and craziness in all our minds is part of the human condition. Just look at our world.
Whether we watch the breathe as Tara suggests or do any number of practices, being mindful, being aware is what is helpful. Many roads lead to Rome. The road that you refer is ok for you and is best.
Meditation is a like a precious gift. It reveals a great treasure. I am speaking from experience and have written books about it. Tara is sharing with us, may we drink from her cup.
Namaste, Ed
I was forced to learn how to meditate when a doctor gave me bad medicine that caused huge anxiety for about a year and refused to accept any blame or to treat the anxiety, I was on my own on how to deal with the pain, I lost 50 pounds, couldn't sleep laying down or for more than two hrs stretches. couldn't slow down or relax for a year.
Meditation and acupuncture finally helped.
Wow. That was cool. Thank you Tara. It looks like a few respondents know a lot about meditating, and maybe this was too elementary for them. But for me it was perfect. I found the more advanced comments helpful to my understanding, but as far as actually doing it - meditating - the single, simple instruction really worked for me.
I'm glad I tried it immediately after watching the video, without reading the other comments, because just listening to my breathing really helped me to quiet my head. Funny thing: I can't seem to get more than about a second or two of actual quiet. But here's the thing: that one little tiny moment tells me there's a hell of lot to this. I mean really, wow. I'll keep practicing this. Thanks.
The video was fun. Tara's adorable. This is one way to meditate. But it has become a cliche to refer to meditation as merely "watching your breath." Learning meditation properly, according to many of the world's venerated traditions of meditation, requires more than watching a short video.
In the Vedic tradition, meditation is a matter not of engaging the mind on the surface by watching the breath or letting the mind float aimlessly, but is a process of transcending, systematically expanding the mind's conscious capacity, taking attention to finer states of thought until the finest level is transcended and the mind experiences the source of thought—pure awareness. This is happens during practice of Transcendental Meditation.
Scientific studies show that during TM, the physiology enters a fourth state of consciousness, characterized by profound rest, EEG coherence and other indicators.
To transcend is the original purpose of meditation, not only in the Vedic tradition but many traditions. It is a very specific process that involves a shift from ordinary waking to transcendental consciousness. Mental activities such as watching your breath, listening to meditation CDs, concentrating or contemplating, have their effects but are not designed to elicit this shift in the physiology or take the mind to the source of thought.
To learn TM requires classes from a professional, rigorously trained teacher. It's not free because you must learn through the TM educational system, but it's worth the time and money if you want to get the most out of meditation.
If it helps you to put a brand name on it, by all means go ahead and do so. Similarly, if you need to pay someone to issue you a pass key to Nirvana or tell you about "states," finest or otherwise, go ahead. But please don't impose your monkey voodoo on us.
Serious, unbiased scientific studies on the value of meditation show conclusively that Tara is right -- it's all about breathing and practice. The more you do it, the better you get at it. What you call transcendence and claim can be reached only by a "very specific process" is easily measured as a shift in brainwave activity -- TM'ers do it, but so do others without the fees, structure or other trappings. Sorry, but we don't need your key. It's a pretty universal, equal opportunity door.
She might have mentioned that these same studies suggest that having an exhale cycle about a third longer than the inhale (in 3 out 4 or better yet in 4 out 6) seems to be optimal.
But that's really all there is to it.
jbatch: your flaming post against TM is unwarranted, as is your presumption that your attitude and prejudice represent all Huff Post readers. Who the heck is "us?" 'Us' is you, dude. This forum welcomes diverse views and open discussion, despite your intolerance and negativity.
If you want to call over 350 peer-reviewed scientific studies on TM "voodoo" -- studies done at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, UCLA, etc., funded by $24 million in research grants over 20 years from the NIH, published in independent and unbiased scientific journals -- that’s your choice.
What I call transcendence is what the Upanishads and other great traditions of meditation call transcendence -- pure consciousness -- also called turiya or “the fourth” state. It is a universal experience. TM is not the only way to experience it, but it is one effortless, very effective way.
According to the scientific literature, however, the “global EEG coherence” measured during TM has not been found in other forms of meditation. Research in neuroscience shows that different meditations affect the brain in different ways, enlivening different aspects of the brain accord to how they engage the mind.
When I paid my course fee to learn TM, I was paying for comprehensive training in meditation and a lifetime of one-on-one support from TM teachers and continuing advanced classes. If you want to learn meditation from Youtube, that’s your choice. I wanted more, as do many others.
"She might have mentioned that these same studies suggest that having an exhale cycle about a third longer than the inhale (in 3 out 4 or better yet in 4 out 6) seems to be optimal."
This is unclear to me. Are you saying one should alter the breath rhythm according to these values (in 3, out 4; in 4, out 6)? Or are you saying that the breath will spontaneously assume this rhythm when we enter the meditation state?
In indian mythology. the route to meditation is first yoga, then pranayama then meditation. Yoga with its postures which involve bringing your head below the heart provides lot of blood for your head to calm you down. pranayma which is breathing alternate nostrils calms your total body and nerves. if you engage in deep pranayama you will realise that you are automatically taken into meditation.
another short cut to meditation is to start with focussing on a candle light or a color circle on a contrasting canvas or white sheet of paper. initially you will experience some sensation in the both sides of temples or the frontal cortex. It could also lead to slight pressure in the head. You should then space the focussing meditation between couple of days or focus on a larger object so that your eye balls have room to move around .
meditation is said to be neurogenetic helps in the genesis of the brain. it also activates both hemispheres of your brain ( actually alternate nostril breathing also does it ).
In my opinion what tara stiles describes here as easier form of meditation could be difficult for a novice or a self learner who has no guidance.
Um... alternate nostril breathing? Ok, this is the kind of thing that always screws me up. Now I can't stop thinking about how in the hell one breathes through one nostril then the other. Is this one of those one-hand clapping things - which btw just pisses me off cause I can't understand it? Hell I can barely alternate hands while masturbating, much less...
Hmmm, "alternate nostril breathing". I have been a respiratory therapist for almost forty years, and have trained patients to breathe more to one lung than the other. This occurs when a patient contracts or relaxes the chest muscles more on one side than the other, contracting and relaxing opposite sides at different times. Not easy to do nor teach. The difference is that your nostrils come together into a single passage at the back of your throat. There are only smooth muscle to control which is open at a given time. I'd love to learn more about this.
When a person lies on their left side or on their right side, the opposite nostril opens. This helps to prevent us having to constantly waken to avoid a sense of smothering in our pillow.
I think there is a general benefit from meditation, ... and then there is the eccentric benefits which border on circus sideshow sorts of effects. Examples would be practitioners who strive to drop their heart rate to extremely low levels. I can not pretend to understand the most elaborate levels of meditation, but can certainly attest to using meditation practices with my patients. They can allay fear, reduce suffering, reduce pain, and interrupt the very sorts of bodily symptoms that accompany anxiety, many of which can be life-threatening.
Wonderful post, Tara.
It is not like what you imagine. Alternate nostril breathing is to close one nostril with your thumb and breath thru the other and close it and release the breath thru the first. Then vice versa. They call it anuloma viloma or Nadi sodhana, youtube has lot of videos.
I have tried many times to mediate, use biofeedback and creatively visualize and it never works for me. Surfing works. The others were simply too passive. To each his or her own.
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