Starting Buddhist Meditation

Buddhism Meditation
Find a comfortable place you can remain in, pick a time of a day that will work. Some people like to start their day with meditation while others use it to unwind at the end of their day before going to bed. Find as calm atmosphere as possible to practice, where there should be nothing overly disturbing. Loud noises are not a problem unless you attach to them as a problem. Sounds with meaning, such as people speaking, are more of a problem for those just learning to practice. If you can't find a quiet place, pretend there aren't any sounds. Just be determined to practice and it will work out eventually.

Sit in a place where you can breathe comfortably. Sit up straight on the floor. Keep your head upright. Direct your eyes towards the tip of your nose so that nothing else has seen. Whether you see it or not doesn't really matter, just gaze in its direction. Once you get used to it, the results will be better than closing the eyes and you won't be encouraged to fall asleep so easily. In particular, people who are sleepy should practice with their eyes open rather than closed. Practice like this steadily and they will close by themselves when the time comes for them to close. (If you want to practice with your eyes closed from the start, that's up to you.) Still, the method of keeping the eyes open gives better results. Some people, however, will feel that it's too difficult, especially those who are attached to closing their eyes. They won't be able to practice with their eyes open, and may close them if they wish.

Lay the hands in your lap, comfortably, one on top of the other. Overlap or cross your legs in a way that distributes and holds your weight well, so that you can sit comfortably and will not fall over easily. The legs can overlapped in an ordinary way or crossed whichever you prefer or are able to do. Fat people can only cross their legs in what is called the "lotus posture" (diamond posture) with difficulty, but fancy postures are not necessary. Merely sit with the legs folded so that your weight is evenly balanced and you cannot tip over easily, that's good enough. The more difficult and serious postures can be left for when one gets serious, like a yogi or rishi.


For some people the most comfortable position is lying down so the body can completely relax. However, keep in mind that when meditating you are attempting to learn a skill to help you deal with stressful situations and you do not want to fall asleep. Practicing meditation will help you to learn to stay calm in situations. Then it shouldn’t be lying down.

In special circumstances, when you are sick, not feeling well, or just tired, you can rest against something, sit on a chair, or use a deck chair, in order to recline a bit. Those who are sick can even lie down to meditate.

If you are new to meditating, you may find that your mind wanders a lot. This will get better with practice. When you notice that your mind has wandered away from your breathing juts simply and without judgment brings your attention back to your breath.

It is important to not try to rate or compare how you did and refrain from labelling it as a good or bad practice, just allow it to be what it is. It does not matter if your mind wandered a lot and you had to keep bringing your attention back. The important part is that you took time from your day to take care of your health and to manage your stress.
Buddhist Meditation