Meditation for Beginners: 20 Practical Tips for Quieting the Mind

Tina Su - Think Simple. Be Decisive. Says:

November 7th, 2007, 5:33 am

Great article Todd. I like how you made meditation sound simple with the quick tips. I like the list of 20 and have bookmarked it. :)

I’ve actually spent a good chunk of this year getting more serious about meditation and integrating it to my daily routine. It’s really tricky. I think, it’s helpful to start with just giving yourself 5 minutes everyday, do it everyday, if you don’t have 5? try just one minute. It’s important to establish the habit. And then, once you have a routine going, you can move up to 10, to 15 or 30.

Here are some recommendations I have:
- Check out Stan Richardson’s Shakuhachi Meditation Music. It’s really calming and great to have running in the background. I met you’ll love it.
- Guided Meditations by Deepak Chopra (you can find on amazon) is also a good intro with exercises in gratitude as well.
- Guided meditation called “Nithya Dhyan“ created by a enlightened swamiji from India. You can find this online for $10.
- Find a local meditation group. Check out meetup.com for a gathering in your home city.

I have more articles on the topic of meditation and finding peace. Feel free to contact me if you have questions.

Love & Gratitude,
Tina
Think Simple. Be Decisive.
~ Productivity, Motivation & Happiness

AI Says:

November 7th, 2007, 5:48 am

I think meditation essentially does not mean concentration on a single thought.

I could mean making the mind free of thought as well. It is this thoughtlessness that a human desires to achieve.

I usually meditate with some positive thoughts about myself. I repeat to myself the qualities that I wish to see in me. I visualize them appearing in me. I do this slowly so that each sentence i said to myself seeps deep down inside me.

Slowly after the nth sentence, mindlessness gives me a glimpse. It doesn’t stay long but i realise its there and that is enough to keep me going.

Early morning is the right time to do this.

brothajohn Says:

November 7th, 2007, 7:14 am

I actually have a very simple technique that is great for beginners. As you sit and become relaxed and begin breathing you simply ask yourself “I wonder what my next thought will be?” then wait….when it finally shows up, label it “I am thinking about such and such” breath deeply and ask again. Breath ask breath label repeat. Easy as shampoo.

Pat Says:

November 7th, 2007, 7:37 am

This article was great and so were the comments. I am just beginning at this and was so glad that my frustration is normal. Every time I start, I find my mind racing to thoughts of what I should be doing and what I could be doing. I reel my mind back in but as soon as I relax, my mind goes off in a gazillion directions again. I will try the candle thing because I think that may help.

moruku Says:

November 7th, 2007, 7:37 am

Thanks for the article, I’ve tried to get this into my daily routine a couple of times, so far I’ve failed, but it’s a goal I have..

And brothajohn, that’s a great idea, because as a beginner, thoughts seem to seek attention whenever they can in my mind, and simply passing them on like that, that’s just brilliant, thanks!

Zia Says:

November 7th, 2007, 10:52 am

Be careful with the posture - beginners might want to try something other than lotus or half lotus, but lying down might bring on fatigue, and it will be hard to focus. Just a thought :)

Gisele Says:

November 7th, 2007, 11:03 am

Leo,

What a great article on meditation.

I started meditating in August 2005 and have been doing so without fail for about 1 hour a day. It’s hard to put in words how much difference this daily activity has had on my life.

What first started as a way to control stress has turned into a lifetime habit for me.

It takes some time to get comfortable meditating. I actually started in January 2005, but it took me 8 months to really include meditating as a daily activity.

Gisele
http://www.mybeautymatch.com

Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:

November 7th, 2007, 13:14 pm

Great post, Todd! I think the most important thing for beginners is to start small to prevent any “performance anxiety.” I initially began with just a few minutes before each meal (mostly so I couldn’t forget!) but have now built it up to half an hour everyday.

I read a really interesting quote in Fortune Magazine recently that said if you can’t spare half an hour to meditate everyday, it means you need one hour! We should never be too busy to take a minute and slow down. In the end, you more than make up for that by being calmer and more focused going forward.

Michael Says:

November 7th, 2007, 14:25 pm

Glad to see articles on meditation, but meditation is *not* hard work. If you are working hard, that is not meditation. It can be concentration or dharana in Sanskrit, but that is not yet meditation or dhyana. Focus implies a certain amount of strain and narrowing of the consciousness.

Meditation is who you are, it is awareness, it is effortless. When you are simply there, no effort, no straining, relaxed, settled in your own being, then you can say you are in meditation.

I’ve found Osho’s books on meditation to be quite helpful. There are many pathways into meditation. Just have to find the right one and once you know it, it is just like riding a bicycle. You can easily settle into the joy and ecstasy of meditation :)

Alex Shalman Says:

November 7th, 2007, 15:28 pm

My only comment is that I’m on my way upstairs to meditate. Great list ;)

etavitom Says:

November 7th, 2007, 15:47 pm

meditation is a profound way to quiet the mind and create tranquility and poise. thanks for the fantastic suggestions!

Bobby Rio Says:

November 7th, 2007, 15:50 pm

#20 is the most important rule in my mind… Several times I have gotten into meditation, practiced regulary for several months, and then just sort of let it fiddle out.

I need to find away to prevent that from happening as I would love to take my practice to the next level… ala wayne dyer, deepach chopra, marriane williamson.

Peter Says:

November 7th, 2007, 16:05 pm

Great article Todd. I have just recently started to incorporate meditation into my daily ritual, and the benefits were almost immediate. There are many of these tips that I will be able to use.

Sharon Says:

November 7th, 2007, 16:44 pm

Thanks for the list. I have meditated off and on for several years, but got hit by # 20. Later, I remember how much better my life goes when I meditate, and I start again.

Frank Gilroy Says:

November 7th, 2007, 16:50 pm

I use to find “clearing my mind” one of the most difficult things to do and could never find a good tip for achieving it. It was almost like I had given in to the idea I was not in control of my own mind. After reading “Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle I started trying again. I recently (over the past few months) finally found something that works for me.

When I was a kid my parents took me to a tourist cave site in Illinois for a weekend road-trip. While in the cave the guide stopped at a point and told everyone that she was going to shut the lights off to show us what complete darkness looks like when under ground. It was the coolest thing ever. You could put your hand directly on your noes and couldn’t see it with your eyes wide open. You could concentrate as hard as you could to find some bit of light to draw in with your eyes and wouldn’t find a thing. She then lit a match that illuminated the entire cave.

Now when I need to clear my mind, either because I’m attempting to meditate, or trying to get to sleep, I put myself back into that cave. I make sure the room is as dark as possible, and I close my eyes. I concentrate on the remnants of light bouncing around in the darkness under my closed eye-lids until it disappears and act as if my eyes are wide-open searching for light the way I did in that cave.

Works for me every time. Hope it helps at least one other person “clear their mind”.

RadOwl Says:

November 7th, 2007, 17:01 pm

Great article. I just taught a Zen class at work and went on the web to find on easily printable list of suggestions. However, when I printed the article using the print button at the top of the page, my printer loaded 99 pages composed of two pages of writing and 97 pages of blanks. You might want to look into how your software assigns pages for printers because it is NOT printer friendly. Thanks for the post.

Paul J. Macchi Says:

November 7th, 2007, 17:14 pm

The key is not to try and still the mind or manipulate the mind. Watch the thoughts as dispassionately as you are able. Watch them arise and fall and work on not getting engaged. Practice being the silence that arises from this. Begin the inquiry, who or what is doing the watching? After 15 years of Zen practice and several wonderful Buddhist teachers it seemsyou really only need to read Nisargadatta and/or Papaji for very powerful, transformative instruction. Rest in the awareness that is not inside or outside but rather in-between. You are that!

c awar Says:

November 7th, 2007, 17:30 pm

i agree great post ,very helpfull tips

Seamus Says:

November 7th, 2007, 17:32 pm

Hmm … lotus position is just a position. There’s nothing magical or special about it. If you want to be still, be still. If you want to focus, focus. One can observe the mind by writing stream of consciousness as in the Artist’s Way. One can practice observing the mind while running.

Focus the body. Focus the mind. Observe. Sitting meditation is but one way of doing these. Running. Writing. Art. Zazen. They all are useful.

There’s no such thing as enlightenment, satori, nirvana. That’s just magical thinking and a superstition made popular by the priestly class of eastern thought.

Be mindful but don’t be fooled.

A Fan Of Zenhabits Says:

November 7th, 2007, 17:41 pm

I believe practicing Tai Chi and Yoga is the most sincere way to meditate. Stretch your body, stretch your mind. Integrate the practice into your daily life. The practice becomes you. In our modern word, and especially in the world of Computers, are are coerced into thinking in a linear way to the detriment of our spirit and health. Through these practices, you regain a balanced life and perspective while becoming physically stronger.

david atkins Says:

November 7th, 2007, 18:43 pm

Meditation is one of life’s many paradox… embrace.. you can’t try to just be, you just gotta… be. An earlier poster said Enlightenment is not real.. maybe for him. check this: http://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-Losing-Mind-Jerry-Stocking/dp/0962959340

Seamus Says:

November 7th, 2007, 19:55 pm

Nope. Enlightenment, like a lot of spiritual vocabulary, is simply meaningless claptrap. Heaven is another one. It’s used to inspire and motivate but let me tell you .. anyone who claims they’re enlightened or going to heaven and that you are not … well … that person is deluded and arrogant.

And if there are no people who can legitimately claim to know that they are enlightened or that they are assuredly going to heaven.. then what’s the point of the word enlightenment, other than to put up a false impression about what’s possible and to add a mystical reflection to what is in essence an ordinary human non-magical endeavor: knowing the mind and its power.

Be mindful of the nature of your mind. Learn to discern the essential from the non-essential. Be simple. But beware the priestly class of eastern thought (just as you ought to beware the priestly class of western thought).

Putta Says:

November 8th, 2007, 0:07 am

May I add a lesson I’ve learned over the years when I first practiced meditation.

Our mind is so quick and sometimes relentless that the first step to meditate is to monitor our mind…

I start with counting breathing in and out in pair: inhale - 1, exhale - 2; inhale - 2 , exhale -2 til it goes to five. Afterwards, I start the whole process allover, from 1-1, 2-2, 3-3. … but the second time, I go up to six. The third time, I go up to seven and on and on until I can go up to ten… (Please excuse my English)…

By doing this, I’ve learned to concentrate and began to meditate at the same time… Besides, counting this way forces me to be conscious, which is, to me, a key to mediation….

Manny Baez Says:

November 8th, 2007, 0:35 am

These are some great tips i have been trying to integrate meditation into my busy student life and these tips definitely help out.

lovelydisturbance Says:

November 8th, 2007, 1:55 am

meditation is relaxing yet difficult for me. i try to incorporate many of these techniques, but often find myself wandering…

Tamlyn Says:

November 8th, 2007, 4:25 am

What a wonderful article. I was struggling with meditation until I discovered I could meditate in my bath :) It may sound strange, but it works for me!

fraggle Says:

November 8th, 2007, 5:10 am

“Beneath a Bonsai tree”?

Mike S Says:

November 8th, 2007, 7:51 am

I agree meditation is great for “stillness.” However, once we “meditate with purpose” I feel that we then run into problems.
The thing is that there is no purpose to anything (though we do demand things be meaningful) and that’s what Zen will finally take you to - NOTHING. There’s where the freedom awaits you! When nothing means nothing - that’s freedom!
It’s our engagement with the constant scurry of activity, the striving to “do,” that keeps us locked up in the body and the suffering inherent in identifying with form and substance as “reality.”
Otherwise, great post and I really love your site!
Thanks

Mike S

Paul A. Fortin Says:

November 8th, 2007, 9:13 am

Just be there and no where else. I meditate while I am doing my daily run… Count the trees, count your breath, feel your body, notice and try to remember everything that is on your route and recall it later. You will be completely involved in your run and be less likely to notice any small discomforts that your body may try to put you through.

Run and be Zen!

Evoka0 Says:

November 8th, 2007, 12:44 pm

The mind wandering is part of the experience, you just have to let it go / flow until there is nothing on your mind but your breathing.

Dot Hage Says:

November 8th, 2007, 13:46 pm

Thank you for your interesting article. Unfortunately, it seems there are many definitions of meditation and many approaches. I haven’t had success with it, even after many starts. What worked the best for me is when I came up with the same idea described in the comment by Brotha — just identify each thought, label it, and wait for the next. But even that was hard to stick with.

In my case, there are three main reasons. The first is that I often have very little energy, due to multiple chronic illnesses, and it DOES take energy to focus enough to quiet the mind. Sometimes it takes more energy than I have. Second, once I quiet my mind, I fall asleep. Third, there are no clear rewards, short-term. I wish someone would write about exactly what is to be expected as a result, and how long will it take to get to it? Obviously, the process itself is not enough for this Westerner. :-D

Dot Hage Says:

November 8th, 2007, 13:47 pm

That should read BrothaJohn.

Quints Says:

November 8th, 2007, 17:56 pm

My problem with meditation is doubt. Committing 20 - 30 minutes twice a day EVERY day to any activity is a big investment of time that could otherwise be spent with your kids or whatever else is important in life. Is the time spent worth it? I am not convinced.

Katheryn Says:

November 8th, 2007, 18:59 pm

Great tips on meditation.

Denzuko Says:

November 8th, 2007, 18:59 pm

This is a great article thanks it helped a lot.

Marc Says:

November 9th, 2007, 15:57 pm

Great article on meditation! I’ve also started meditating a year or so ago first thing in the morning and I find it calms me before going to work. I’m still struggling to be present and not think about what I will do that day, but it’s getting better. I’ll try some of the tips above and see if they help me.

One further comment: I think meditation is a very personal thing and no one can really tell you how to properly meditate. If you meditate then do so the way you feel like. And if you don’t want to meditate, then don’t - no one is forcing you to. These tips listed here are for those that are interested and not everyone will use all the tips (or might try them out and only keep those that work for them).

Happy meditating. :)

bryant Says:

November 11th, 2007, 19:50 pm

Mwditation, or Yoga, which actually means, “Union With The Divine”, is not the same as “quietening of the mind”. Real Meditation is an absolute, meaning that it is not subject to interpretation, whereas meditation is a relative, which is subject to individual rationalities.

True meditation requires that thoughts [of the 3 minds and humans have 3 minds, namely subjective/emotional, objective/physical and projective/intellectual] cease which is an impossibility for most humans. Relative meditation is just using various methods to balance our minds, again an impossibility because you cannot think about the present for thoughts are either of the past or the future. As such, normal meditation is merely quietening down and not having much thoughts and this works for most people in giving them a sense of calm. This is not semantics or “my mumbo-jumbo against yours” sort of debate, rationality, etc. It it the truth.

Meditation is an actualisation whereby you are “thoughtlessly aware” and is the difference between the brain and the 3 minds. The brain is always in the present which is how we breath, see, and all the other autonomic functions which doesn’t require thought. In fact, if we were to think about breathing, say, we’ll soon choke. The brain is absolute and pertains to the 6th and higher senses whereas our minds/thoughts pertain to our 5 fundamental senses of relativities. [Like “seeing” with the ears when it comes to uncertainties and blind faiths.] The aim of meditation is to make absolute/enlighten, our 5 senses.

Realised/baptised humans [real and not some self-belief mumbo-jumbo pretence activity] can utilise their higher senses and the aim of evolution to to use the higher senses to make the lower senses, absolute. Our true “eyes”, the absolute senses, offer us discrimination of realty and when Meditation happens, we are in touch, finally, with all the nervous systems within the body and not just the left or right sympathetic nervous systems with which we control and maintain our 3 minds/realms of relativites through our 5 senses. Then we can sense what the brain senses, like the state of our body, say, and out goes greed of Big Pharma and their expensive pimps. [The medical profession is excellent at static illnesses but are a total failure on dynamic illnesses].

You cannot “access” the brain through the 3 minds. It is the brain which communicates with us when we can finally switch-off our minds. From that point onwards, like an infant, we soon will make sense of the absolutes as we “open” our higher senses to all that is real, like the so-called supernatural, telepathy, etc, which has nothing to do with science, religion and your typical, “I can sense a presence here and for x dollars, I can talk to him for you”, nonsense. Enlightenment of the 5 senses by the 6th & higher senses is just another term for Evolution and Evolution is the “resurrection” of Dust back towards The Big Bang. For more, witness, and not react for or against, what “Sahaja Yoga” means. It is NOT what the words reads.

Ivaylo Says:

November 13th, 2007, 12:25 pm

I’m not sure whether we are “accessing the brain”. There is a belief, which is quite logical, that our brain is only the device, that is the mediator between our true self and our bodies. Having said that, I believe that when meditating, we are giving more control to that self, and of course we become more effective in every aspect. I also believe that our mind is not that separate from the brain. We not only shouldn’t associate ourselves with our mind, but with our physical body as well. Our true self is perfect, so what we have to do is to surrender to it - this is exactly how I feel during meditation.

bryant Says:

November 13th, 2007, 18:56 pm

That which is absolute is not subject to interpretation whereas that which is relative is all about interpretation. Therein lies the problem for humans for without having experienced, we will never know. Discuss all about a taste and it will never be the same from one indidvidual to another. The brain and the limbic area is a reflection of the entire cosmos. The chasm between an ape and a human is visible and easily determined but the chasm between a human who dwells within his higher senses and one who exists soley through his lower senses is not visible nor easily discernable. Especially when weighed/gauged/viewed through the limited perceptibilities of the 5 senses. The egg has no measure of the chicken. The 3 minds can never perceive the brain. Logic, which is a technical interpretation of the brain, is limited when translated through the limited vocabulary of the 5 senses. One reason why the “qualifications” to evolve higher cannot be determined by the 3 minds or else all the scholars, intellectuals, muscle-men and their sympathetic counterparts will gain entry onto “sacred” territory. And debase it. People are already having a field day damaging their body, their tenancy of one lifetime [at any given period].

You cannot demand Truth which is what we do when we exercise our 3 minds in search of aliens, “god”, fame, fortune and immortality. Truth is for us to surrender our insanity to, not our sanity. You cannot talk-about/wanting-to-own/know-about, Truth. You can only be in Truth and being absolute is when both the potential [male/protein/aggression/projective-objective minds/oxygen/etc] and the kinetic [female/carbs/depression/subjective mind/hydrogen/etc] are complemented as one. In Balance which is why both aspects are available to any human. Balancing both apsects to achieve calm/”meditating” is not the same as being in Truth/Meditation.

This sort of ping-pong “debates”/exchange-of-views will be endless until we give up our minds and surrender to the innateness within [which is not blind faiths/religions/emotional instinct] and that only happens when we have reached the shores/boundaries of Truth through having pure desires for truth/love, not achievements for power. Feminine [moon/emotional] or masculine [sun/intellectual-physical] power. Truth comes before achievements because all that had been achieved, are being achieved, and will be achieved, had long ago been achieved before The Big Bang. That which is Permanent is merely Love and has no notion of power whereas all that is transient is about power for transient power is just another word for division, the division between the left and the right, between polarities. That which spins the zero-sum game/makes the world go, round-and-round. Like debates, finger-pointing, comparing, judgements, living others’ lives, busybodies, envy, arrogance, etc. Achievements of the relatives, which is also, “Born to merely die” … but damaging ourselves and others in the meantime.

Tabatha Says:

November 14th, 2007, 21:34 pm

This is definitely a habit I need to work on. I’ve always just gotten frustrated and stopped doing it before I even developed the habit. =/

Tabatha Says:

November 25th, 2007, 17:37 pm

I agree with Tabatha

Bhattu Says:

February 12th, 2008, 13:52 pm

All beginers, while you start the process of meditation, thoughts will come and go, cause you are a social animal , thinking of person, objects etc, just monitor the thoughts and slowly the pace of thoughts will decrease. I think basic idea is to control the flow of thoughts and when one becomes advanced this beginner problem will fade away , but do not get upset if you don’t get it first few times, it is a slow process, not an instant coffee. All the best folks.

LG Says:

February 16th, 2008, 1:48 am

I am new to this. I am coping with withdrawals from prescribed anti-anxiety and depression medication. My depression has been horrendous. Tomorrow I plan to begin my proactive process of self-therapy. “Light” therapy is something that definitely works for me.

In winter months I (and we) tend to hibernate from the cold. Additionally, winter months have shorter daylight hours. That combination deprives us from therapeutic light.

Tanning beds offer a wealth of light, plus time to meditate. When you are caught within the throws of suicidal depression, you can ponder the realities or myths of tanning related skin cancer, later.

Dave Says:

February 28th, 2008, 20:33 pm

I downloaded a 50 minute guided meditation audio file and have been meditating to it for a few days now. I do it at night, sitting upright in bed. 50 minutes goes by fairly quickly. when I previously tried while sitting on floor in the morning, I could never go more than 20 minutes. Obviously it’s not the length of time but what you are getting out of it. Night works for me and I’m interested in progressing.

Does anyone know of guided meditation audio that is:

- not too much talking. I feel I need to hear a voice every 5 minutes or so, to keep me on track.
- clear voice. Much of what I have downloaded sounds like it was recorded with a $1 microphone from 20 feet away and the speaker’s diction is often not pleasing to the ear.

Is this asking too much? Free is good while I get started, but I would pay for high-quality recordings, I just want to know what I’ll be buying before I order. Strangely enough I have not found many reviews of various recordings.

abhijit Says:

March 6th, 2008, 7:11 am

i find that proper meditation could be done at PRAJAPITA BRAHMAKUMARIS ISHWARIYA VISHYAVIDYALAYA

VISIT http://www.brahmakumaris.com
They provides very simple technique of meditating
love and gratitude
abhijit

Noland Says:

March 8th, 2008, 22:12 pm

This article was incredibly helpful! As a high school student starting to feel the pressure and stress of everyday life, I’m looking for anything to help to quiet my mind. Thank you so much for these helpful tips!

Master Yoda Says:

May 4th, 2008, 7:47 am

Welcome all your thoughts, and they will not bother you anymore.