(This is a guest column by Ramji.)

Interested in meditation, but don’t know how to start? Here is a simple approach to help you begin your practice.

It is best to meditate when you can give the practice your full attention. This is also the reason for practicing seated, rather than lying down. Most likely you would fall asleep if you practiced lying down. Meditation can be practiced anytime, but morning is ideal because the mind is fresh, having just returned from the deep sleep state. Also, it is important to meditate before eating. Having a full stomach will distract you from the practice and you may become sleepy.

In the beginning you will find it difficult to sit for very long. I suggest using a timer and starting with five minutes and gradually increase to twenty or thirty minutes. More is not necessarily better. Five or ten minutes of stillness is better than an hour wrestling with your mind. As Arjuna said, Trying to control the mind is like trying to control the wind. It is better to take a relaxed approach, as we do with yoga asana  giving it our full attention, but without straining.

To begin, assume comfortable seated position, with your spine straight. You can sit in a chair or with your legs crossed on the floor. Close your eyes and begin to feel your breath as it flows in and out. With each exhalation, begin to let go of any tension in your body. Devote several minutes to this as preparation.

Sitting quietly, turn your awareness to your thoughts. Watch your thoughts as they rise on the screen of consciousness, just as you would watch clouds passing in the sky, without attachment, without judgment. You can acknowledge each thought in the beginning, just as you would notice an interesting shape in the clouds, but then let it pass. One may get your attention and carry you away, just gently bring yourself back to watching. This can be the most difficult part of the practice, because the thoughts will distract you. The image of an airplane rises on the screen of consciousness and suddenly you’re on a fantasy vacation. Be patient with yourself. Let your session be what it is. Do not struggle. Just come back to being the witness. You will do this over and over and each time it will improve.

After witnessing your thoughts for a while, turn your attention to the space between and behind the thoughts. It is like looking at the deep blue sky between the clouds. In this space, there is peace and stillness. The Stillness that underlies all activity. This stillness, this peace is here all the time. Taking the time to rest in an awareness of this, your true nature, will help you to become more grounded in daily activities. If the mind is still tempted to run off, simply direct your thoughts to contemplating yourself as the Witness. Know this Self, the Witness, is eternal. The Witness is that stillness. The Witness is beyond your accumulated knowledge and experience. It is you at the deepest level.

After sitting for the time allowed for your practice, slowly return your awareness to your surroundings. You can close with a prayer, some chanting or simply take a few breaths and rise to begin your daily routine. See if you can maintain this sense of connectedness with the Eternal Self as you move through your day. Know this Self to be the same self in all beings.

Wishing you the Peace and Bliss that is your True Self,
Ramji

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