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Meditation

Basic Sitting Meditation

Sitting meditation for beginners: posture, choosing the breath or "Buddho" as your anchor, returning when the mind wanders, ending with loving-kindness, and making it a habit.

  1. 1

    Sit cross-legged with your back straight

    Sit cross-legged with the right foot resting on the left, keep your body upright, and rest the right hand on the left hand in your lap.

  2. 2

    Close your eyes and relax

    Gently close your eyes and relax the muscles throughout your body, from the top of your head down to your toes.

  3. 3

    Choose an anchor: the breath or "Buddho"

    Give the mind one thing to rest on. The most common choice is knowing the breath going in and out at the nostrils or the belly, or you can silently repeat "Bud-" on the in-breath and "dho" on the out-breath (Buddho, a word recalling the Buddha) together with the breath. Pick one method and stay with it for the whole sitting, and let the breath be natural rather than controlling it.

  4. 4

    When the mind wanders, notice and come back

    Before long the mind will drift into thinking; this happens to every meditator. When you notice it, do not get annoyed or criticise yourself. Simply know that you drifted off, then gently return to the breath or to "Buddho". Noticing and coming back, again and again, is exactly how mindfulness is trained.

  5. 5

    Start with 5 to 10 minutes, then build up

    Beginners should sit for only five to ten minutes a day; set a timer so you do not need to open your eyes to check the clock. Once you are used to it, increase to fifteen, twenty or thirty minutes. Sitting briefly every day works better than sitting for a long time once in a while.

  6. 6

    End with loving-kindness

    When the time is up, before opening your eyes, radiate loving-kindness briefly, for example "Ahaṃ sukhito homi" (may I be happy) and "Sabbe sattā sukhitā hontu" (may all beings be happy), or simply say it in your own language. Then open your eyes slowly and move gently. The full text is on the chant page "Radiating loving-kindness", and there is a separate guide on radiating loving-kindness.

  7. 7

    Make it a habit, and use a chair if your legs hurt

    Choose the same time each day, such as after waking or after bedtime chanting. If your legs or knees hurt, do not push through pain: sit on a cushion to raise your hips, sit with legs folded to one side, or sit upright on a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Posture matters less than an aware mind; if you shift position, know that you are moving, then return to the breath. If sitting brings strong distress, open your eyes and rest, and if you have a mental health condition, consult a doctor.