A Beginner’s Guide To Meditation By Elysa Desa

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Before You Meditate

Find a Good Space

Pick somewhere free from distractions where you feel comfortable. Finding a place that is

already peaceful will make it that much easier. It is best to have a separate and designated

spot for meditation– create your own mini-sanctuary where you do not allow the stresses of

everyday life to enter. Keep your meditation space clean and peaceful. An example of a good space is near a quiet window, a bench outdoors, next to a plant, or a place in your house that

is not often busy. (A bad space may be where you usually sit to answer phone calls or watch

TV.)

Get comfortable Do some light stretches or yoga before sitting down. The practice of yoga was originally designed to make the body supple and strong so meditators could sit longer and more

comfortably when meditating. So, move the body in any way that makes you feel good. Take

off your shoes, and wear comfy clothes – just don’t get so comfortable that you want to fall asleep!

Find Your Posture

Sitting on the floor is the traditional posture for meditation, but some may find more comfort

in a chair. Wherever you choose, sit with a tall spine and find relaxation within the effort of

sitting up tall. Keep the chest open and let the hands rest in the lap face up or face down. A

common Mudra (hand configuration) is to rest the palms face up and bring the pointer and thumb finger to touch in a gentle circle , while the other three fingers remain extended.

Become Present and Breathe Softly tune in to the sensations that are occurring in this moment: Listen to all the sounds

going on around you. Feel your heartbeat. Notice the temperature of the air and how it feels

on your skin. You may encounter some unpleasant sensations during this time (Is that the neighbor’s car alarm going off again?) Don’t try and fight anything (I wish that alarm would

stop!)…Simply notice and accept

everything that’s happening as part of

your current moment. Life is imperfect, that’s okay.

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Meditating

Meditation can be as simple as staying focused on the breath. The most important part of

any meditation is to try and stay present - Note the word “try”!

The mind will undoubtedly trail off. You may find yourself thinking about your “to-do” list,

what’s for dinner, or even thinking about how bad you are at focusing - That’s okay!

Meditation is a process. Do your best to notice – without judgment - when the mind trails off, and gently encourage your focus back to the “here and now”.

It is important not to get frustrated or mad in the beginning; Meditation gets easier over

time, and those emotions are worse for your meditation than being unfocused is. Laugh in

amusement if your mind trails off often, and then simply try again. That’s all there is to

meditation.

~ Meditation is the art of bringing yourself back to focus, again, and again, and again.

~

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The following pages contain some guided meditations that are a great jumping off point.

YouTube is also a great resource, as there is a plethora of Guided Meditations on the Internet. Simply type “Guided Meditation” into YouTube, and explore~

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Guided Meditations

Loving Kindness/Metta Meditation First take 5 breaths, visualizing your breath coming in and out from your heart center. Each inhale opens the heart and each exhale softens the heart. Let the mind soften and the body

soften as well. With intention and sincerity, repeat to yourself the following phrases:

May I be happy, healthy and whole. May I have love, warmth and affection.

May I be protected from harm and free from fear.

May I be alive, engaged, and joyful.

May I experience inner ease and peace.

Let the phrases spread through your whole body mind and heart. Now bring your mind to someone you care for very much. Someone that easily provokes feelings of warmth and love

from within. Repeat the above phrases to them (“May you be…”) Imagine your love radiating

from you and surrounding them. Give this love wholly, not expecting anything back. Know

that your love protects them. Notice how giving unconditional love makes you feel. Repeat this process and the above phrases for: Someone you like a lot, someone you feel neutral

about, someone that irritates or frustrates you, and someone that has hurt you. (If you have

difficulty with this one you can add, “To the best of my ability I wish that you may be …” before the phrases) Sometimes, opposite feelings of ill-will and resentment arise. If this

happens, bring yourself back to feelings of unconditional love, and try again.

Expand your circle of love by bringing others in. You can think of individuals, peer groups,

your neighborhood, city, state, animals, humans, plants. Be creative and open to all. As the

reach of your love grows, let the feeling of love grow even deeper and more sincere. After

allowing your love to expand as much as you’d like, begin to conclude the meditation by sincerely repeating:

May all beings in the air, on the land, and in the water be safe, healthy, happy and free from suffering.

May the entire universe be filled with peace and joy, love and light!

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Guided Meditations cont.

Contemplation on Qualities You may decide that you’d like to meditate on certain higher qualities to bring into your life. Examples of such qualities are Peacefulness, Compassion, Patience, Love, Joyfulness, Mindfulness,

Creativity, etc. In the meditation below I’ve used the word “Peace”, but feel free to substitute any

quality your heart asks for.

See the word “Peace” written in your mind’s eye. Say it a couple of times out loud and to

yourself. Bring your attention to the quality of Peace. Ask yourself the following questions,

pausing to contemplate each answer before moving on to the next question:

What does Peace in its purest form feel like?

What does Peace look like in your life? How do you feel when you have Peace?

How does it feel to receive Peace from another?

How does it feel to give Peace to another? How does having Peace affect your life?

How does having Peace affect the lives of those around you?

What changes can you make to align yourself with Peace in your everyday life?

Imagine your entire body surrounded by feelings of Peace. As you inhale, breathe Peace into

your whole being. As you breathe out, exhale Distress, and everything else not serving you.

Continue to breathe in Peace, letting it encapsulate your entire being. Sit with this Peacefulness.

Mantra/Japa Japa Meditation is a form of meditation in which you simply repeat a word or phrase – called a

Mantra –in your head. It is said that each Mantra carries a vibration, and when we repeat Mantras we

raise and align our own frequency to that higher vibration. Mantras are traditionally in Sanskrit (Ancient Indian language) and it is said that one need not know the meaning of a Mantra to receive

its benefit. Feel free to research a few Mantras and their meanings; there is a wealth of information

out there!

Pick a mantra that speaks to you and simply being to repeat it in your head. Some like to

begin by repeating the mantra aloud, and then speaking softer and softer until it is just a whisper, until finally it is repeated silently only in the mind. If you get distracted from

repeating the mantra, don’t get discouraged. Just gently bring yourself back to focus and

start again. Be easy with yourself.

Common Mantras: OM (AUM)

OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI

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SAT NAM

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA ONG NAMO GURU DEV NAMO

Guided Relaxations

If you need help quieting the mind before meditation, try a Relaxation Guide. Relaxing before

meditating encourages the mind to settle down and get clear. You can use these techniques over

and over again. You can use them throughout your day as well, if things become very stressed.

10-to-0 Breath Relaxation Start with 5 long slow and deep breaths. Then, take a gentle inhale. As you exhale, silently

say to yourself “10” and envision that number written beautifully in your mind’s eye. As you

do, feel yourself relax. Take another gentle inhale. As you exhale, say to yourself “9” and envision that number written in your mind. Feel yourself relax a little more. Continue

inhaling and counting down numbers on each exhale. With every number, let yourself get a

little more relaxed.

When you get to 0, your mind is completely empty. The 0 represents the thoughts in your

head: there are none. Your mind is completely clear. Let the “0” transform into a beautiful

circle. It has no beginning, no end. This circle represents wholeness. Keep the image of this

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circle for as long as you need to let yourself relax and let go. If you’d like, you can continue

the circle for meditation.

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Guided Relaxations Cont.

Body Awareness Relaxation

Start by taking 5 full, deep, and slow breaths. Imagine breath filling every part of your body.

Bring your attention to your right foot and mindfully relax the foot and toes. Silently say to yourself, “My right foot is completely relaxed.” Let go of any lingering tension in the right foot

and then let it be completely still. Make it a commitment to no longer move the right foot. Let

your attention come into your right leg. Relax the calf, the shin, and the entire area of the knee. Continue to relax the thigh (quadriceps) and back of the thigh (hamstring). “My right

leg is completely relaxed.” Let go of any lingering tension in the right leg and then let it be

still. Make a conscious effort to no longer move the right leg. Repeat this process for the left leg. “My left leg is completely relaxed.” Let go of any lingering tension and then let it be still.

Gently bring attention to the hips. Let each hip and each gluteus muscle relax. Let the weight

of your body sink into the ground more and more as you let these muscles relax. “My hips and buttocks are completely relaxed.” Release any lingering tension and then be still.

Bring attention to the stomach. On the next inhale, feel your stomach expand out as far as possible. As you exhale, “My stomach is completely relaxed.” Let go of any lingering tension in

the stomach and let it be soft. Bring awareness to your torso. Relax the chest, relax the rib

cage, and relax the entire muscles of the back. Take an inhale, and as you exhale, “My torso is

completely relaxed.” Let go of any lingering tension then let these parts be still.

Bring the attention into the shoulders and neck. Take a long, slow inhale. As you exhale let

the shoulders and neck relax fully. “My shoulders and neck are completely relaxed.” Let any lingering tension release and then be still.

Lastly, bring attention to the face and skull. Let go of all tension there by relaxing the expression on the face, the jaw, the eyes and eyebrows. Let the tongue fall away from the

roof of the mouth. “My face and skull are completely relaxed.” If there’s any lingering tension

let it go.

Do a scan of the body looking for any final tension and let it go. Inhale deeply and imagine

white or gold light (energy) coming in and reaching every corner of the body. This energy

takes away all tension and rejuvenates the body from the inside out. “My whole body is completely relaxed. My whole mind is completely relaxed. My whole soul is completely relaxed.”

Continue to breathe and imagine this energy coming in to fill and surround the entire body,

mind, and soul with health and wholeness.

***You may choose to tense each muscle as you go through the relaxation. Ex:

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“Tense and squeeze the entire right leg. Keep tensing and make every muscle as tight as you

can. Hold the tension for a couple of moments. Then, take an inhale, and exhale through the mouth as you release everything. ‘My right leg is completely relaxed.’ ” ***

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Tips and Tricks

“Meditation can be done in every moment of your life by living mindfully”

~The biggest challenge to beginners is the mind getting distracted. Often, as soon as we sit

down to get quiet, our minds decide it’s a great time to start going through all our to do lists, worrying about bills, etc. Beginners will eventually learn the art of concentration, and with

concentration, the gates to meditation open. Give it some time.

~ Meditation is for everyone and can look like anything. Make it yours!

~5 minutes, 2 minutes, even 1 minute is better than 0 minutes of meditation. Don’t feel pressured if you can’t sit down for an hour everyday to meditate. Finding 1 minute can be

enough.

~Let meditation seep into your everyday life. Begin noticing moments when you’re not present. For example, can you do the dishes while being fully present? How about shopping,

or even waiting in line at the store? Try to notice how often you’re on “auto-pilot”

throughout the day.

~We have enough pressure in our lives—meditation may be difficult at first. Don’t let your

mediations become another source of stress!

If you have any questions or comments please reach out to me via email at:

ElysaRose@gmail.com