Meditation

How to Meditate

There is no one perfect way to meditate that will work for everyone. However, here are some tips that can help you get started.

Find a comfortable place where you will not be disturbed. You don't need to be in absolute silence or even alone. Just try to find a place where you won't be disturbed or distracted.
Sit or lie in a comfortable position. Then, close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Begin by focusing your attention on your breath. Notice the movement of your body, your chest rising and falling with your breath. Your mind will wander and that's ok! Don’t punish yourself. Gently guide yourself back to focusing on your breath.
Meditation can be as long or as short as you want. The goal is to try to ground you in your body and breath.

Styles of Meditation

After you’re familiar with the basics, try these techniques...or stick with focusing on your breath! It’s about what works best for you!

Mindfulness Meditation

The opposite of concentration meditation (focusing on your breath), mindfulness meditation is about training your attention to achieve a mental state of calm concentration and positive emotions.

Observe wandering thoughts as they drift through your mind. Feel the carpet or wood beneath your feet, the weight of your hands resting on your lap. Release the tension in your body.

The goal is to let go of all your worries and just be present in the moment.

Compassion Meditation

This meditation comes from a traditional Tibetan Buddhist lineage. It is meant to cultivate one’s ability to empathize with others and develop positive emotions toward oneself, as well as increasing feelings of purpose in life.

The concept is that instead of being mindful or concentrating on something, actively develop loving-kindness towards a person. Start with yourself, then, a good friend, a neutral person, a difficult person, then the entire universe.

Examples of developing loving-kindness could be imaging yourself or a friend in great suffering and observing the feelings of compassion that arises from you. Then, apply those same feelings to a stranger. More complex than mindfulness meditation, the more you practice, the more joy you will experience.

References

American Psychological Association. (2019, October 30). Mindfulness Meditation. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/mindfulness/meditation.

Team, C. E. (2024, March 20). Compassion Meditation: What it is, benefits, & how to practice. Calm Blog. https://www.calm.com/blog/compassion-meditation#:~:text=Think%20of%20someone%20you%20know,transformed%20by%20your%20compassionate%20intention.

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