Meditation Instructions
Meditation Instructions
by Daniel Scharpenburg
Sit in a comfortable and quiet place. Sit in the full lotus or half lotus position. If both of those positions are too difficult, regular cross-legged sitting is fine.
Adjust your posture so that your spine is erect. Allow the rest of your body to be relaxed around your upright spine. Rest your hands in your lap or on your legs. Allow your eyes to gently close. Bring your full attention to the sensations of sitting still. Allow your breathing to be natural. Bringing attention to your head, release any tension in your face and relax your jaw. Relax your neck and shoulders. Feel the rise and fall of your abdomen with each breath. Bring attention all the way down through your body.
Bringing your attention to the present experience, acknowledge the full range of phenomena that are happening in this moment. Think of all the sensations that are present. Allowing all of your experiences to be as they are, redirect your attention to the sensations of breathing. Let other sensations fall into the background. Take a few moments to investigate where you feel the breath coming and going most easily. Make the breath your point of focus.
Breathing in, know that you are breathing in. Breathing out, know that you are breathing out. Acknowledge your in and out breathing. Each time your attention wanders away to some stray thought, gently redirect it to your breath.
Continue to follow your breath.
This is meditation. I suggest starting with five minutes a day and incrementally increasing to thirty. Or more. Don't let me hold you back.