Top Twelve Meditation Tips.

A meditation teacher’s top 12 tips to achieve the most from your meditation practice.

Through meditation you can bring about a better understanding of yourself, greater peace of mind and improved power of concentration. The focus you give during your meditation is the important thing. In the silence of meditation you can develop your own divine qualities of inner peace, happiness and joy that are independent of any outer circumstances.
Meditation is both simple and complex at the same time. It's like defining a color: When you see it you know it. The following tips should help to keep it simple.

1)What’s in it for me? Understand why you are meditating and what you want from your practice. It is far easier to commit to your practice when you know why you are doing it and what you expect to achieve. Understanding the benefits to be gained and the results you are after provides the necessary motivation to stay with it.

2)Evaluate your commitment. Are you really prepared to put in the time and effort a on a daily basis? Generally, meditating for around 20 minutes is considered a suitable amount of time. The specific length of time is not as important as repetition and persistence. In fact one minute a day is better than missing a day. 10 minutes daily is preferable to 20 minutes a couple of times a week.

3)Find your most suitable time. Is the morning the best time for you, or is the evening your preferred time? Many maintain that twice a day is preferable, with a session in the morning and another in the evening.

4)Now that you have your chosen time, it is wise to meditate at that same time every day, as this builds up a habit force that works for your benefit.

5)Similarly it is to your benefit if you can meditate in the same place every day. A quiet place used daily will build up its own meditative atmosphere.
If you travel or for some reason you can’t be in the same place each day, use a shawl placed over your chair or cushion on the floor. Taking this with you brings continuity and provides a similar element for your meditation.

6)Sit comfortably, but upright on a chair if you are not used to sitting cross legged on the floor. If you do choose to sit on the floor it is a good idea to sit on a comfortable cushion.

7)Adding a little ceremony or ritual to your practice can be a very worthwhile practice as it adds to its importance in your mind. This can be achieved just by burning some incense, lighting a candle or playing some gentle music in the background.

8)Don’t put too much importance on your method. The fact that you are meditating is far more important than the style you are using. As we are all different, some meditation approaches are more suited to us than others.

9)Your breathing is best if it is normal and not exaggerated, and done through the nose for both your in and out breath. It is quite normal for your breath to shallow out during your practice.

10)Meditating before meals is preferable to just after your meal. In fact I would say it is essential. For the first half hour or so after consuming your food, your body diverts a considerable amount of its energy and attention to digestion. It is desirable to have all your energy and attention focused upon your meditation practice.

11)Being present in the here and now is what your practice is all about. Meditation is act of allowing, not of doing. It is not about achieving Nirvana or enlightenment, nor is it about being anything or getting anywhere. While it has an objective of peace and contentment, it is not a goal orientated exercise.

12)Be Grateful after you have finished. At the end of your practice, spend a moment feeling appreciative of your opportunity to practice and your minds ability to focus.