How to learn meditation in 5 minutes
First off, this is like many other things in that daily practice is by far the most important thing you can do, that is my number one tip: continuity in practice is vital.
Only 5 minutes a day every day, no matter what, is far, far better than three hours once a week:
(*Note: Meditation doesn’t have to be in any way related to religion, I just really like this quote as it makes the point quite nicely and it comes from a reputable source as it relates to meditation)
“The most important thing is practice in daily life; then you can know gradually the true value of religion. Doctrine is not meant for mere knowledge, but for the improvement of our minds. In order to do that, it must be part of our life. If you put religious doctrine in a building and when you leave the building depart from the practices, you cannot gain its value.”
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from ‘ A Policy of Kindness’
Have a look at this, and then stick around for a few vital tips afterwards:
- Location: You can do it anywhere (just like sex!), but the quieter and more isolated from other people, the better (also just like sex). This is assuming they’re not meditating along with you–meditation classes and groups are great, definitely recommended if you can.
- Posture: There’s the strictly traditional way of sitting with legs crossed, but that’s not the least bit necessary, the most important thing is to sit in the way that’s the most comfortable for you, keeping in mind you’re going to be in that same position for however long you plan on meditating.
- Duration: Most traditional texts say 20 minutes at a time, but it’s not how long but the quality of the meditation, and quality is determined by the state of mind, the peace of mind, that you
achieve–how do you feel afterwards? How relaxed? How peaceful? If you get good results in 5 minutes, then 5 minutes was sufficient. Remember, 5 minutes every day is better than any amount of time only once or twice a week.
- Eyes: I’d highly recommend you close them–there are people who can do it with their eyes open but they’re generally very advanced, have been meditating for quite some time, and started out with their eyes closed. You really need to do as much as possible to cut out all distraction, and our main distraction is usually visual input, then auditory, then touch and smell.
Additional Resources and Further Reading
A View on Buddhism: THIS is the definitive online source for Buddhist meditation, and what I’m linking to here is a much more extensive and detailed article on meditation. This article here was just to get you started in 5 minutes so that you can get a taste of it and get started, but if you find this is to your liking this article at A View on Buddhism is my next recommended step for you.
How-to-Meditate.org: this is a really excellent site, lots of info. on different meditation styles plus they have a little tool at the bottom that will help you find meditation centers and schools in your area, very nifty.
Shambala Sun: LOTS of articles on meditation, meditation, and more meditation. If you’re really enthused by this stuff, then this is the site for you.
