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13 Frequently Asked Questions On How to Meditate Properly

T homas Dixon

If you have questions about meditation, youre not aloneand youve come to the right place. This FAQ will expand over time, so if you dont see your question here (or dont like our answer), please contact us.

Q: I cant sit longer than five minutes. How do I sit still?

A: As with anything else in lif e, meditation just takes practice. Theres no real trick to it other than that. A lot of people have trouble sitting still f or one minute, so consider yourself ahead of the curve. But if you remind yourself that learning how to meditate properly is like exercising a new muscle, then youll be more patient with yourself when you dont instantly get the results you want. This practice just takes time, ef f ort, and commitment. Commit to sitting still f or f ive minutes, day af ter day, until youre ready to try f or six. If you dont make it the f irst time, try again the next day. Eventually, if youre serious enough, you will learn how to sit as still as a Buddha f or as long as you want.

Q: Do I need to be still to meditate? What about meditating while walking, running, or while engaged in simple chores?
A: No, you dont need to be still to meditatebut it helps. A lot. Nevertheless, there is plenty of benef it to be f ound through bringing what the Buddhists call mindf ulness to your activities whenever you can, and walking, running, or dishwashing are great opportunities to try it. Just pay attention to whatever youre doing, bringing your awareness to every nuance of what youre f eeling and how youre moving, absorbing yourself f ully in the present moment and remaining undistracted by your thoughts. If you f ind yourself daydreaming, bring your attention back to your bodyto your f ootsteps, to the sound of your shoes on the pavement, or to your relaxed and steady breathing as you scrub intractable grime of f a pan. In his book A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle calls this awakening to stillness and f inding ones inner purpose. No matter what youre doing outwardly, he says, you should try to remain inwardly attentive to the unmovable essence of your being.

Q: If I choose to practice sitting meditation, does it matter if I sit on a traditional cushion or in a chair?
A: Not really. But you may f ind that sitting in a traditional cross-legged posture helps (its been done that way f or thousands of years f or a reason). The most important things are to be comf ortable, so you can completely relax, and to keep your spine straight, so you can stay alert and awake (and so you dont hurt your back).

Q: What do I do if I experience pain in my legs or back?

A: Even when trying to be perf ectly still, its okay to adjust your body a little bit if you absolutely have to. But generally, any physical pain diminishes over time as your body gets used to sitting in that posture f or extended periods. If youve been at it f or a long time and still experience pain, then you may want to try a dif f erent posture, such as sitting on a chair or kneeling on a wooden meditation bench.

Q: Do I need a meditation teacher or can I learn how to meditate properly on my own?

A: If youre asking if you need to seek the services of a prof essional meditator, yoga instructor, or spiritual master bef ore you can start meditating, then the answer is no. You can learn the basics f rom this website or f rom many books and videos on the subject. But if youre asking if a meditation teacher would help you more than books alone, then the answer is most def initely yes. Trying to learn meditation on your own, by yourself , f rom a book or website is not all that dif f erent f rom trying to learn yoga or martial arts that way. You can get the basics down with enough practice, but to really explore the deeper dimensions of the practice, you typically need an in-person, expert guide to the territory.

Q: Whats a good length of time to meditate in order to actually reap the benefits of the practice?
A: This really varies f rom individual to individual, depending on where youre at in your development in the practice of meditation. For beginners, trying to meditate f or even f ive minutes straight is good, and twenty minutes is f antastic. For the more experienced, pushing yourself to the one-hour mark is signif icant, and trying f or 90-sessions is admirable. Many meditation centers break their sessions into either 45- or 60-minute periods, punctuated by leg stretches and bathroom breaks. But the general rule is: The more you put in, the more youre going to get back.

Q: Is it better to meditate on ones own or with other people?

A: Both are needed to experience the f ull dimensions of the practice. If you have the opportunity to meditate with othersor even with one other personthen you should take it, because mutual support only helps, and meditating with others can also reveal new depths of meditation through the subtle f ield of consciousness that is generated between everyone. But dont become so dependent on the support of others that you begin to lose your own independent strength and autonomy in the practice.

Of ten youll f ind it more tempting to scratch an itch or move around on your cushion when you know that no one is looking and you wont be disturbing anyone but yourself . But learning to independently maintain your own internal resolve, willpower, and stillness when youre all alone is a guaranteed way to build deep self -conf idence and self reliance through the practice of meditation.

Q: How does anyone find the time to meditate? I, for one, am incredibly busy.
A: Like all things in lif e, this is ultimately just a matter of priorities. If you realize that meditation actually provides you with important training f or lif e, then youll start to see it as less of a hobby and more of an essential component of your daily routine, even if its only f or f ive minutes in the morning when you wake up or bef ore you go to bed at night. Everyone is busier than ever these days, but those who have tasted the power and benef its of a consistent meditation practice just make the decision that its something they cant af f ord to skip.

Q: Is it better to meditate in the morning or evening?

A: This is a matter of personal pref erence. But if you cant decide which works best f or you, why not try both?

Q: Should I be chanting a mantra while I meditate? What do I do while sitting still?

A: There are dif f erent f orms of meditation practice, and some involve chanting mantras while others would have you f ocus on absolutely nothing at all. For more guidance on this topic, read this.

Q: Is it better to meditate with my eyes open or closed? If I close them, I tend to fall asleep.
A: This is another matter of personal taste, but its of ten easier when starting out to keep your eyes open, or at least partially open. If youre sitting on a cushion on the f loor, try placing a grain of rice or a small pebble on the f loor in f ront of you and keeping your eyes half -opened, gently gazing only at that small object and nothing else. Closing your eyes does increase the likelihood of getting lost in mental f antasies and thoughts, as well as f alling asleep, but its also a good way to learn to train your attention and stay f ocused. Soexperiment with it and see!

Q: I cant stop my mind. I just keep thinking and thinking no matter what I try.
A: Congratulations! You are of f icially a human being. The idea that you should be able to stop your mind completely is a common myth in spiritual circles, and while there are some arguments to be made f or it, its generally not the case at all. Read this f or more on the topic.

Q: I dont know if Im actually meditating or not. How can I tell if Im actually meditating?
A: Is your breathing relaxed and regular, and is the tension in your body slowly disappearing even as you remain perf ectly still? Are you deeply relaxed, completely at ease, and at the same time f ully awake and attentive? Does your awareness f eel wideopen, spacious, and without any clear boundaries? Do thoughts and f eelings come and go f reely, as you f ind yourself able to observe them, detached, not getting caught up and lost in them? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, then youre probably meditating properly and on the right track! by Thomas Dixon About the Author: Thomas is a f reelance writer, student of martial arts, and an avid practitioner of meditation. He has been practicing f or over 15 years in the traditions of Zen Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta, and also cites Adi Da as one of his primary spiritual inf luences. Thomas contributes articles on the f ine points of how to meditate. He comes to About Meditation with a passion f or writing about the nuts and bolts of how to meditate. You can read more of his work at www.aboutmeditation.com. What do you think? Share it now!