What's the simplest form of meditation for a beginner to attempt?

Question

I'm on the verge of beginning meditation. How do you clear your head and settle down to get started. What about breathing? Should I just attempt "sitting" for a while or is that the same as meditation? Sorry I'm a baby Buddha and full of questions.

Answer 1

The simplest is probably just sitting quietly for 10 minutes and focusing on your breathing, each inhale and exhale.

Don't worry about clearing your head at first b/c you won't be able to. That takes practice. Find a quiet place and set aside 10 minutes when you are least likely to be interrupted. Sit, close your eyes and focus on each inhalation and exhalation. Your brain will race with thoughts at first but don't try to fight it. Let the thoughts come and go and gently bring your focus back to your breathing. Gradually increase by a minute or two a day until you get to 20 - 30 minutes.

Answer 2

Don't try and clear your head or control your thoughts that's WAY advanced meditation and I believe basically impossible to do. For a beginner don't even try and sit still. Walking is probably the best thing to do if you can walk in relative peace and quiet. Walk alone or with someone else doing the same thing as you. You don’t want conversation. While walking just focus your attention on your breathing. Become conscious of it. As you focus your attention on your breath thoughts will inevitably spring into your awareness and fight for your attention. Just notice the thoughts when they come and don't try and stop them. You can’t so don’t even try. Imagine that your thoughts are like the cars of a moving train you are watching go by. A thought comes along and then moves on down the track. When you become attached to the thought you move down the track too and are no longer meditating. Just notice when this happens (and it will) and once you notice just gently let the thought go.

Meditation takes practice so be patient with yourself. I’ve been told that meditation is the foundation for a sane life. The more you do it, the better you will be able to handle the stresses of life.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Meditation does not have a way of working, or a place to work. There is no such thing as a beginner, and no such thing as an expert. I can meditate while playing video games, while I'm swimming, on my computer, listening to old records, or anything else I enjoy. You can't just say "How should I hold my hands?" or "What place has the most chi in the house?". Because all of that is a bunch of nonsense. Meditation is the relaxation and clearing of the mind. There are many ways to do it, not just one.

People will often ask me "Samuel, how do you meditate playing video games of such complexity?". It is something that I am able to do, because video games are a second nature to me. I don't recommend it to most people. However, if you were very fond of, oh say, Pacman for example when you were a kid, perhaps you should play a few games of that at your local arcade and get some nostalgia, which, in my humble oppinion, is the best sensation a human being can feel. Swimming can be done just by floating, or just by listening to the waves carressing the beach as you swim up and down a coast. Really, what you need to do is do something you relax and enjoy. The name of the game is life, and to win, you must be happy with yourself.

Remember this one final strand of advice: There is no such thing as a correct way of meditating.

Answer 4

Sit in a relaxed position. Close your eyes. Don't lay down you may fall asleep
Choose a word or phrase that has some meaning for you, e.g. "One" "Love" "God" "Jesus" (or could be some prayer or affirmation)
Relax and breath in slowly through your nose through your diaphram.
Exhale slowly and repeat the word (in your mind or outloud)
The inhale/exhale should be rythmic.
Do this for 20 minutes

The most important element here is an relaxed attitude. Don't try to stop thinking or anything like that, just relax and focuz on your breath and the word.
This is the method developed by the research team at Harvard U by Herbert Benson, titled "the relaxation response."
The "faith factor" proves the necessity of the meaning in the word your choose, results were doubled when a patient chose a word which signified something.

If you do this method 2wice a day for 20 minutes, you will feel more relaxed and happier, less anxious, etc.

Answer 5

Find a place with soft lights and very few noises and distractions. Either sit comfortably or lie down. Close your eyes and slowly breathe in through the nose, hold it and slowly breathe out through the mouth. This is a cleansing breath.

When you feel comfortable with the breathing pattern, work to empty your mind of thoughts by concentrating on a single, comforting concept such as peace, clarity, or even sleep.

If necessary, whisper the word as you exhale, and focus on this until all else has left your head and you have mental clarity, or peace, etc. It may take a few tries but it's a good place to start.

Answer 6

I even have extraordinary insomnia that keeps me getting up each 30 to 60 minutes for the time of the night. while i'm up i'm at evening looking on the ceiling and the recommendations come. I also have a fan going each night as nicely notwithstanding it helps little at this factor. in case you have adequate time what worked for me when I had time became to upward thrust up early- 4:30 a.m- and workout on the bike for and hour. No naps! Then, after artwork i might get each little thing achieved then consume and unwind and hit the mattress around 11 p.m. Drink as little liquid as achievable to decrease getting as much as flow. I slept extraordinarily ok in those days yet you like the time to be waiting to upward thrust up that early and dedicate time to flow to mattress early as nicely. For me meditation keeps me up. of direction often times i visit doze if I meditate while i'm torpid yet i do no longer sleep and if i attempted i does no longer be waiting to. the main suitable meditation appropriate element to purpose may be hatha yoga. carry out a little novices asanas and end with the corpse pose. the finished element shouldn't take greater desirable than an hour on the main and it may depart you feeling rested and refreshed. test to confirm if it advantages you maximum suitable formerly mattress or in the morning. Yoga can act as a refresher to maintain you going or it may calm you down.. then consume, take bathe and lay right down to mattress.

Answer 7

What a great question! I started my meditation practice with a form called "Vipassana", which means Insight meditation. It is basically sitting and breathing, but paying attention to your breath and letting your thoughts come and go without judgement.Find a quiet place and sit on a chair or in half-lotus position. Just notice how your body feels...are you tense...are you cold...just feel yourself as you are and try not to lable it...just feel....just breath and when thoughts arise, simply acknowledge them and then return to paying attention to breathing. Also, I reccomend reading a book called " A Path with Heart" by Jack Kornfeld and perhaps visiting a Vipassana meditation spot...they are scattered all over the US. Check out www.spiritrock.org for a great one in California. Good luck...and remember ...just breath... =)

Answer 8

You begin by sitting comfortably with spine straight, pay attention to your breathing---deeply and slowly, exhale the same way.
Start your body into relaxation from your feet, up your legs, hips, trunk, neck, shoulders, arms & hands.
Try to empty your mind as much as you can and use your imagination of some quiet peaceful place, be as elaborate as you wish. Then imagine your spirit guide comes to you. Ask any question you wish and take your first thoughts as your answer.
Don't worry about content, it will become easier with time.

Answer 9

What I've learned throughout the years is that meditation is good and everything, but I have better luck with relaxing by calmly sitting down on some pillows, listenining to some mellow music and just concentrating on my breathing. A lot of people want to tell you 'how' to do it, when really you just need to experiment and see what works for you.

Answer 10

light a candle, focus on the flickering and all the colors in the flicker. clear your mind and focus on the candle and your breathing. this was the first time i could actually meditate, i read it in a meditation book for beginners and it worked :)