Practical Meditation Tips

Helpful guidelines for effective meditation preparation and practice, these meditation tips are not set in stone. Simply adopt what you like...

Meditation Room - External Environment

Aside from attitude (internal environment), you can change your feelings (and meditation) by changing your external environment.

A designated meditation room can be helpful as you practice and begin to associate this room with meditation/relaxation.

Practical meditation tips: Create your own special place with a designated meditation chair/cushion, a quilt, perhaps a zen timer or a singing bowl. Light a candle, some Tibetan incense --

If you learn to associate for example a scent with peace and relaxation, you can also bring this scent with you as you travel or drive to work.

Go here for more meditation tips about these things.

Note: Science shows that for example music is good for your heart IF you enjoy listening to the music. The same principle applies to your meditation room. So if you like it, go for it.

But keep your environment tidy. A cluttered external environment is a result of someone's mind/brain cluttering it up...

Time

In general, try to meditate at a scheduled time, just as a regular work-out.

Set aside half an hour when you know you won't be disturbed. Or simply turn off your phone and tell your family or roommates that you don't want to be disturbed for the next half hour.

If that isn't possible, choose a time early in the morning or late in the evening when you know you're in the clear. If you're an early bird, take advantage of it.

I usually get up half an hour earlier than anyone else in my household to meditate. I'm far more rested and alert after meditating than I would've been had I decided to sleep instead.

It's about making a decision to take control of your time (and mind), which is relaxing in itself.

Eating, drinking

Leave at least an hour between your last meal and your practice. The simple reason is that a full stomach is busy digesting food and precludes a completely calm body and mind.

Drinking lots of coffee just before you meditate is also frowned upon by your mind and body trying to remain relaxed and still.

Falling asleep

In reference to the eating tips for meditation (above), a full stomach also makes it easy to fall asleep. If you haven't slept well the night before you meditate, it's easy to fall asleep while you practice.

You should be rested before you meditate. If you're not, splash some cold water in your face. It helps.

Clothes

Meditate in comfortable clothes and take off your shoes. You should feel relaxed and free while you meditate. Dress accordingly.

Frequency

You don't have to meditate twice daily, and you don't have to do it for twenty minutes every time. You are your own boss. Once a day is enough, three or four times a week is a minimum if you want progress.

You develop a feel for what's right for you...

Someone who is naturally laid-back and relaxed may not feel the need for more than 3-4 times a week, while someone who is critical, stressed-out and predisposed to negativity may want to meditate twice daily.

Attitude - Internal Environment

These are the most important meditation tips. They are at the core of this Web site and you can find details through the following links:

• Remain mindful when thoughts arise.
• Meditation is about compassion -- the antidote to distress. Show compassion for yourself when you meditate.