How to Do Indian Meditation
Sit on the floor or in a chair., Put your hands on your lap., Focus all your attention on breathing., Notice – and release – other sensations and thoughts., Start slowly and increase your meditation.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Sit on the floor or in a chair.
Find a place where you can sit comfortably for at least ten minutes.
It could be indoors or outside.
What matters most, however, is that it is quiet and free from distracting noise like music, television, or people talking.Not all noise is bad in the Vipassana tradition.
Ambient sound like cars or the ticking of a clock can actually be points for you to focus your mindfulness.
Ideally, wear loose clothing and remove your shoes.
Sit on the floor or on a pillow.
You can take a number of postures like the half-lotus, full lotus, or cross-legged.
Make sure that you are upright, with an unsupported and straight spine.
If you have back pain, it is also OK to sit erect in a chair.Your posture should be upright, but not too tense.
You will want your mind and body to be relaxed, while the effort to remain upright should energize your meditation. -
Step 2: Put your hands on your lap.
Now, place your hands one on top of the other on your lap, palms facing up.
Traditionally, your right hand should rest on top of the left.
It may also be helpful for beginners to close their eyes.Try not to clench your hands or make fists.
Closed eyes will help you concentrate.
But concentration is not key to Vipassana meditation and you may find it best to open them if, as sometimes happens, you see disturbing images. , Turn your attention to the rhythm of your inhalation and exhalation.
Some people find it helpful to focus on the rise and fall of their abdomens, for example, an inch or two above the navel.
Follow this motion with your mind, from beginning to end.If you’re having trouble following the rise and fall of your abdomen, place your hand atop it.
You might also try focusing on the feeling of air as it passes through your nostrils and touches the skin on your upper lip.
This practice is a bit more advanced.“Sharpen your attention” to these movements.
Be aware of the sensations involved from start to finish.
Don’t try to split the act into parts but experience it as one continuous motion., While you are meditating, focus on the “primary object” of your attention, i.e. your breathing.
If your mind wanders to a “secondary object,” though, like a thought, a sound, or a feeling, focus on that object for a moment.Don’t resist secondary objects.
The idea instead is to let them move past you.
Pause for a second or two and give them abstract mental notes.
If you hear a barking dog, label it “hearing.” If you feel an insect bite, label it “feeling.”Once you have noted an object, let it go and return to the primary object of your breathing.
Noting thus allows you be aware of the surrounding world without being attached.
The sensations should rise and pass over you.
This detachment is supposed to help you appreciate the impermanence of the world, and the emptiness of self. , How long should you try to meditate? There’s no right answer, except that some is better than none at all.
However, aiming for 15 minutes a day at first is a doable goal.
Work up from there.Slowly lengthen the time you meditate by about 5 minutes per day each week, until you reach 45 minutes.
There will be days when you’re too busy to put in 45 minutes of meditation.
That’s OK.
But try to set aside some time, however short. -
Step 3: Focus all your attention on breathing.
-
Step 4: Notice – and release – other sensations and thoughts.
-
Step 5: Start slowly and increase your meditation.
Detailed Guide
Find a place where you can sit comfortably for at least ten minutes.
It could be indoors or outside.
What matters most, however, is that it is quiet and free from distracting noise like music, television, or people talking.Not all noise is bad in the Vipassana tradition.
Ambient sound like cars or the ticking of a clock can actually be points for you to focus your mindfulness.
Ideally, wear loose clothing and remove your shoes.
Sit on the floor or on a pillow.
You can take a number of postures like the half-lotus, full lotus, or cross-legged.
Make sure that you are upright, with an unsupported and straight spine.
If you have back pain, it is also OK to sit erect in a chair.Your posture should be upright, but not too tense.
You will want your mind and body to be relaxed, while the effort to remain upright should energize your meditation.
Now, place your hands one on top of the other on your lap, palms facing up.
Traditionally, your right hand should rest on top of the left.
It may also be helpful for beginners to close their eyes.Try not to clench your hands or make fists.
Closed eyes will help you concentrate.
But concentration is not key to Vipassana meditation and you may find it best to open them if, as sometimes happens, you see disturbing images. , Turn your attention to the rhythm of your inhalation and exhalation.
Some people find it helpful to focus on the rise and fall of their abdomens, for example, an inch or two above the navel.
Follow this motion with your mind, from beginning to end.If you’re having trouble following the rise and fall of your abdomen, place your hand atop it.
You might also try focusing on the feeling of air as it passes through your nostrils and touches the skin on your upper lip.
This practice is a bit more advanced.“Sharpen your attention” to these movements.
Be aware of the sensations involved from start to finish.
Don’t try to split the act into parts but experience it as one continuous motion., While you are meditating, focus on the “primary object” of your attention, i.e. your breathing.
If your mind wanders to a “secondary object,” though, like a thought, a sound, or a feeling, focus on that object for a moment.Don’t resist secondary objects.
The idea instead is to let them move past you.
Pause for a second or two and give them abstract mental notes.
If you hear a barking dog, label it “hearing.” If you feel an insect bite, label it “feeling.”Once you have noted an object, let it go and return to the primary object of your breathing.
Noting thus allows you be aware of the surrounding world without being attached.
The sensations should rise and pass over you.
This detachment is supposed to help you appreciate the impermanence of the world, and the emptiness of self. , How long should you try to meditate? There’s no right answer, except that some is better than none at all.
However, aiming for 15 minutes a day at first is a doable goal.
Work up from there.Slowly lengthen the time you meditate by about 5 minutes per day each week, until you reach 45 minutes.
There will be days when you’re too busy to put in 45 minutes of meditation.
That’s OK.
But try to set aside some time, however short.
About the Author
Janet King
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