1. Take a Comfortable Meditation Posture
For this practice it is best to sit on a chair or cushion. Find a seated posture that is simple and comfortable. Starting in a chair could be good, as this will minimize physical distractions as you’re beginning to meditate. If you wish to meditate sitting on a cushion make sure you are comfortable. Make sure your spine is straight, as this supports a settled and wakeful mind. Your eyes are open and your gaze is slightly downwards in a relaxed manner.
2. Mindfulness of Breathing
The next element is mindfulness of your breathing. This means to place simple attention on the sensation of each breath moving in and out of your body. This should be gentle. You don’t have to focus hard or “concentrate” on your breathing, the way you might concentrate to take a test. Instead of “concentration,” mindfulness is more like how we pay attention to riding a bike: we notice riding the bike in a simple way, while also having space for relaxation and appreciation of our body, mind, and environment.
3. Let Thoughts Arise Naturally
As you are sitting with a good posture and noticing your breathing, thoughts will arise continually in mind. You can simply let them come and go, without trying to push them away and also without engaging with them. For example, if you wonder what you’ll have for lunch, simply notice the thought—without trying to stop it, and also without going into a further visualization of the food you have at home, restaurants in the area, and so on. Simply let thoughts come and go, without trying to push them away and without engaging with them.
4. Return to the Breath When the Mind Wanders
This leads into one of the most important meditation tips for beginner practitioners: expect your mind to wander, and don’t be upset or discouraged when this happens. As you meditate, you will find that your mind starts to wander and you become distracted by thoughts. (An example would be noticing that your attention has been occupied by imagining the restaurants in the area.) This is completely normal! Simply notice when your mind has wandered, and gently bring your attention back to your breath. When you notice that your mind has wandered, gently bring your attention back to your breath. If you like, you can label each thought “thinking” as you return to your breath.
Body-Centered Therapies