An old meditation haunt on the banks of the Pastaza River.

Meditation and Intimidation

If you’ve never meditated before, or if you’ve tried and “failed,” then meditation can feel like an intimidating task to add to your to-do-list. Maybe you think that you don’t have the time. Or you might be worried that you don’t have the ability to sit still for prolonged periods. And then there’s the learning curve…how the heck do you meditate anyways?

S ome days you will have ten minutes in you. Some days you’ll only have two.

But, fret no more. Developing a meditation habit is easier than you think. People tend to miss one incredibly inviting aspect of the practice-that there is no right or wrong way to meditate.

Take the Pressure Off

When we first conjure images of meditation we think of fasting monks, sitting in twisted pretzel position with their shaved heads and their thumbs touching the tips of their middle-fingers. And that is one way to meditate. But, as far as I know, there’s no Master Rule Book on Meditation.

It’s not about the sitting or the eye closing or the hand position-mediation is a practice of the mind.

First, it doesn’t have to happen every single day at the same exact time. I wrote about that here. Meditating once a month is better than never at all. More importantly, there’s no reason to think that you have to meditate for an hour, or even half that. Some days you will only have ten minutes in between getting the kids off to school and starting on that blog post. Some days you’ll have hours, but you’ll only have two minutes of meditation in you. That’s OK. Meditation doesn’t have any timing or time thresholds that you have to meet in order for what you’re doing to be considered meditation.

And then there’s the sitting. Being cross-legged on the floor is just not accessible for everyone. I have lower-back pain that makes sitting on my meditation pillow with good posture unbearable after more than a few minutes. So I don’t. Meditation is not about keeping a calm mind through suffering. It might help with that eventually. But, that’s not the point.

Meditation can be done laying down or sitting in a comfortable chair. It can even be done with your eyes open. Adapt your practice to your needs. One of my favorite meditations I’ve ever done, as part of a group workshop at a friend’s house, was to walk around her kitchen, as slowly as possible, and simply pay attention to what my mind noticed. You might ask, “is that really meditation?” Well, yes, it is. It’s not about the sitting or the eye closing or the hand position-mediation is a practice of the mind.

In the Beginning

Now that we’ve plucked some of the peskier obstacles and blown them away it’s time to get to meditating. Choose your preferred posture-and don’t forget that you don’t have to choose the same one every time. Start by focusing on your breath. In. Out. In. Out. It’s easy enough to begin.

Then the thoughts will come — I’m hungry, my nose itches, my back hurts, I wish my neighbor’s dog would stop barking, I need to check Twitter, I’m still hungry — this is all normal. The intention is not to cease thinking. Rather, it is to refrain from judging the thoughts as they come, to not get involved with them. But, instead to be only aware of them. To notice the patterns in how and when they arise. Then get back to your breath. In. Out.

The perfection of meditation lies in the fact that nothing is supposed to happen.

Eventually, during one of your sessions, you’ll be able to easily focus on your breath. And you’ll slip into a place where your mind is quiet. No thoughts. Maybe for a few minutes. Maybe more. But then, you’ll notice that your mind is quiet. And it will say, “I’m doing it! I haven’t been thinking for at least three or four minutes. I’m meditating!” But, of course you’ll realize that by noticing that you haven’t been thinking for a few minutes you’ve begun to think again. And that’s when it’s time to get back to the breath. In. Out.

Do this for as long as you feel is necessary. Like I mentioned, sometimes that’s only two minutes. There isn’t a finish line that you need to reach during a meditation session. I prefer not to use a timer when I meditate. They make me anxious. And I’ve yet to miss an engagement because I drifted off into enlightenment for too long. I suspect that if it ever happens that I won’t mind too much.

You Can’t Fail at Meditation!

After you develop a regular practice you’ll soon start meditating throughout your normal daily activity. Meditation is simply a way to slow down and be aware of how and why our thoughts arise before we act on them or give them power over us.

There really is no wrong or right to it. You might be in the middle of a session and think, “Gosh, I’m not meditating. I’m just sitting here thinking about all of the things I have to do today.” But, ah, that right there is meditating.

The perfection of meditation lies in the fact that nothing is supposed to happen.