How To Start Your Meditation Practice

             Meditation is one of the most incredible, simplest things you can do to improve your physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health.  It is a great tool for reducing stress, learning to manage your emotions, improving your memory and learning more about yourself and your priorities (See this article).  To learn more about the surprising health benefits of meditation, see this article.

            It can be overwhelming to think about starting a meditation practice-there’s so many resources about what you can/can’t do. The best advice I can give is to try many different things, and see what works for you.

Stop measuring days by degree of productivity and start experiencing them by degree of presence. — Alan Watts

Here are some things which have worked well for me and I recommend for anyone starting their own practice:

1. Commit to a regular practice. I started with 20 minutes a day, and after a few weeks decided to commit to 1 hour a day. To get the biggest benefits from meditation, you should sit for at least 20 minutes a day (Learn more here).

2. Make it clear to other people that they shouldn’t interrupt you. I made a sign for my door that says, “Please don’t come in, I’m meditating.” If my family is around, I tell them before I start.

 3. Find a group to practice with. Some people almost exclusively practice with groups: you can find local groups at community centers, gyms, Buddhist organizations, and many other places in your area. A simple google search with “Meditation in ___(your region)” will likely turn up many results.

4. Go on a retreat. An immersive retreat can be one of the best ways to start or build your practice. Instead of having to find time and a place to regularly commit to meditating, you are immersed in a place where that is all you are doing. Retreats can be a really great way to quickly learn many new meditation techniques and skills. You can also meet new friends on similar journeys, and visit beautiful places. Two retreat centers I recommend are: Blue Cliff Monastery and Insight Meditation Society but I would recommend getting suggestions specific to your area.

5. Talk about meditating. You might be surprised by how many of your friends already meditate and are part of groups or know of meditation classes you can take. It can be very beneficial to have friends to discuss your practice with regularly to keep you motivated.

6. Find a meditation coach. They will be able to guide you through various practices and give you advice specific to your experiences.

7. Read about meditation. I recommend books by Thich Naht Hanh, Sharon Salzberg and Pema Chodron. You can see a more thorough list in my previous blog post. It can also be advantageous to learn about Buddhism and other traditions that practice meditation to learn where these practices are coming from.

8. Get a meditation apps. These often have guided meditations which can give your practice direction and help you focus. I recommend the app Insight Timer.

9. Keep a journal of your practice. It is important to not only record when/how often you practice, but to note insights you develop from your practice, challenges you experience, and new techniques you’ve tried in order to track your growth in meditation.

10. Start! Instead of worrying about if you’re trying the right method, sitting in the right posture, or anything else, just start meditating. Choose one of these resources (or find some advice on the internet) and start your practice today.

What has been your experience starting a meditation practice? What would you recommend to someone looking to begin their own?