Meditation, often spoken about and over-mystified, can really be very simple. There are many different kinds of meditation out there but I think this may be the best because it requires little more than your mind and a quiet place with cushions. Setup: 1) Sit in a quiet place dark as possible, unplug the phone, hang sign on the door asking others not to knock or enter, have ear plugs and eye mask ready if needed. 2) Set aside a nice fat chunk of time for this at least he first few times you do it (yes a considerable time investment is required but this is the #1 kind of prize we are talking about: increased concentration, equanimity, feeling of well-being, health etc. along the way). 3) Do not eat any solid food for two hours before hand, try to evacuate the bowels before you session, the day of and the day before eat energizing foods, take no intoxicants (like drugs or alcahol) beginning several days before your session, make sure your body and feet are clean, bring water. 4) If mosquitos are a problem where you are hang a net above your meditation place & have mosquito cream if needed, have three or four small cushions handy and a folded blanket for sitting on. 5) Make sure that the room has a 4 meter by one meter clear runway in it from floor to ceiling not including the place you will be seated with your cushions. Make sure the floor is clean and free of splinters and barbs in its surface. 6) If back pain is a problem have a long-sleeve old thin cotton sweater or shirt handy that you don’t mind abusing. 7) Have a quiet clock you can see in the dim light/dark of your meditation space. 8) If it is hot have a fan, if possible (if it is quiet enough outside) open the windows to let fresh clean air in. To have meditation be successful to any degree a solid foundation is required in your life. Here are some basic points: 1) Live a clean life. Keep home clean, clothes, try to keep all appliances and tools in working order through regular maintenance, have enough lightbulbs etc. on hand to do what you need to do, when you need to do it. This does not require $$ - just a love of your own sanity. Until you have small children your whole house can be a refuge for your body and mind – try to keep it that way. 2) Avoid stealing from others. I know that living as part of a class of people – those typically with enough time/interest to persue meditation – in a “developed” country it is possible to rationalize your way to the conclusion that you are stealing from someone somewhere on some level. Please don’t be a fanatic about this sort of thing – just don’t steal from the other people around you. 3) Avoid having sex/trying to have sex with someone else’s partner – or if YOU are committed to someone – with someone other than your partner. It might take months for you to heal your own mind from the wounds that sort of act will inflict on it and the other people you hurt may never heal. Let this be your gift to the world to avoid this type of sexual misconduct. 4) Avoid the use of intoxicants, at least on or near your meditation dates. Depending on one’s lifestyle/social circle this can be a lot to ask. Here are the specifics: Drugs – that means pot, valium, speed (including those over-the-counter caffeine potions becoming popular) should be avoided most strenuously and are an absolute nyet on your meditation days. They make your mental sensitiveness DULL and sensitivity (eg depth of perception to mental and physical minutia) is exactly what one is trying to develop through meditation. Alcahol – Mild drinking (slight buzz and no hangover) is not so serious. You can have your two glasses red. Getting smashed is out. Don’t do this unless you don’t plan to meditate for a week. Any drinking is nyet the day before and on your mediation date. Method 1) Sit in any position besides full lotus with enough cushions to get your butt high off the ground and comfy. For me that means about a foot up off the ground. Full lotus will trash your knees so avoid. Sit with spine straight , don’t slouch. 2) Cross hands in lap, both palms up, left under right (left fingers supporting right wrist) with thumbs touching. Inside palms rest on lap, touching stomach. 3) Bend head just enough so you can comfortably look about 2.5 feet out from your crossed hands. 4) Close eyes, breathe normally, your primary object of concentration is your body’s contact with the cushions underneath you. Mentally repeatedly note “sitting, touching” as you inhale, exhale normally. 5) When you naturally become aware of your chest’s rising and falling/abdomen’s rising and falling forget about the “sitting, touching” and let your awareness switch to the abdomen “rising, falling” which you should note in harmony with the movement of the abdomen. Now the trap is set for the naughty monkey that is your untrained mind. Expect everything but the kitchen sink to be thrown at you by that monkey as a distraction from observing the “rising, falling” of the abdomen. The pattern for me is: 1) I note the rising, falling 2) Either alone or with drowsiness an idea steals my attention, mind wanders 3) I note mentally that I was ‘wandering, wandering’ or more specifically ‘taking, talking’ ‘meeting, meeting’ ‘planning, planning’ etc. and ‘sleepy, sleepy’ and SNAP 4) Attention reverts to noting the ‘rising and falling’ of the abdomen. Things to Remember: Be gentle with your mind. The point is not to care about the nature of the distraction if throws at you – just treat it superficially by noting it. Don’t get angry or frustrated or fed up with the number of distractions or the slow progress you are making with this thing. After doing your first ten sessions you might have a breakthrough. Please realized that most of us have not really disciplined our mind for our whole lives. I have let mine run wild. It is dirty, it is cruel, it is naughty, its manners are atrocious but it is my most precious jewel: loving & firm discipline plus time will do the job. Don’t force it or get down on yourself about how naughty it is.

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