How to Meditate

Learning how to meditate can be a bit challenging for some people because of all the misconceptions about meditation out there. Allow me to tell you from experience, anybody can meditate. It just takes practice and willingness. If you start out with short increments and give yourself time to grow into it, the end results are truly rewarding.

Commit to Sit

When you first start meditating a couple of minutes may seem like hours. That is perfectly normal. The mind loves to whirl and whisk around from topic to topic whenever a whim of thought enters. When I meditate, I have a certain point of attention that I bring my mind to when it goes astray. I use an old mantra, “Om Mani Padme Hum”, to bring me back to meditation. I used to use the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, but have shifted my focus to the mantra. For now. When my mind goes astray, I simply reel it back in by going back to the mantra. Before I start I commit to a certain amount of time and stick to that commitment. That way I practice some self-discipline at the same time as mediation. By sticking to the commitment of the time length I strengthen my commitment and am able to sit for longer times.

Draw the Senses Inward

If you sit with the intention to do a certain act, this intention will be on your mind while you meditate. Make it a point to not focus on anything except your mantra or your passage. If you prefer to focus merely on your breathing, that is fine too. Whatever it is that you prefer, keep in mind that the goal is to remove yourself from your senses and let go of the material world around you. When we meditate we are connecting with the universe through our subtle bodies. We are connecting with our energy and combining ourselves with the ultimate energy that provides all energy. Although our brains and our bodies and our minds are in a sense separate from our spirits, they are all still deeply connected in the grand scheme of things. When we silence the material parts of ourselves, the spiritual parts can be heard and give us the direction we seek.