How to Meditate

Compiled from the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia...

Physical Postures

Different spiritual traditions, and different teachers within those traditions, prescribe or suggest different physical postures for meditation. Most famous are the several cross-legged postures, including the Lotus Position. For example, the Dalai Lama recommends the Seven Points of Vairocana in which:

• the legs are crossed in either the Lotus Position (here called the vajra position) or the other way, "Indian" or "tailor" fashion (here called the bodhisattva position)
• the eyes are kept open (thus affirming the world)
• the back is kept straight (like "an arrow" or "a stack of coins")
• the shoulders are kept even and relaxed
• the gaze is kept at a medium level—too low and one becomes drowsy; too high and one becomes restless
• the mouth is kept slightly open
• the tongue touches the roof of the mouth

Many meditative traditions teach that the spine should be kept "straight" (i.e. that the meditator should not slouch). Often this is explained as a way of encouraging the circulation of what some call "spiritual energy," the "vital breath", the "life force" (Sanskrit prana, Chinese qi, Latin spiritus) or the Kundalini. In some traditions the meditator may sit on a chair, flat-footed (as in New Thought); sit on a stool (as in Orthodox Christianity); or walk in mindfulness (as in Theravada Buddhism).

Various hand-gestures or mudras may be prescribed. These can carry theological meaning or according to Yogic philosophy can actually affect consciousness. For example, a common Buddhist hand-position is with the right hand resting atop the left (like the Buddha's begging bowl), with the thumbs touching.

Quiet is often held to be desirable, and some people use repetitive activities such as deep breathing, humming or chanting to help induce a meditative state. The Tibetan tradition described above is probably in the minority for recommending that the eyes remain open. Practitioners of the Soto Zen tradition also meditate with their eyes open, facing a wall, but most schools of meditation assume that the eyes will be closed or only half-open.

Often such details are shared by more than one religion, even in cases where mutual influence seems unlikely. One example would be "navel-gazing," which is apparently attested within Eastern Orthodoxy as well as Chinese qigong practice. Another would be the practice of focusing on the breath, which is found in Orthodox Christianity, Sufism, and numerous Indic traditions.

Common Postures

Seated posture

Person can use any chair, stool, bench, or anything that has a horizontal top, so that he or she may sit on it. The person sits up, with their back straight, and holds their head and spine in alignment. They rest their hands comfortably on their knees or arms of chair. Their thighs should be parallel to the floor while the person's back does not lean against the back of the chair.

Cross legged posture

Person crosses legs while seated on the floor (and on a cushion, if it is more comfortable) and unless skilled at yoga, does not attempt to rest feet on their thighs (like Indian yogis do). The person sits upright, back straight, and with their head and spine in alignment. Hands may rest in any position.

Kneeling posture

Person kneels on the floor with their knees together, buttocks resting on their heels and toes almost touching. They keep their back straight, head and spine in alignment, and rest their hands on their thighs.

Lying down posture

This is the savasna, or the corpse posture in yoga. Person lies down on a carpet, and makes sure legs are straight but relaxed. Normally, it is seldom used because it mimics natural sleeping postures, making it very easy to fall asleep while trying to meditate. It is often regarded as more effective as a stress reducer rather than in the meditation process.

Frequency and duration

These vary so greatly that it is difficult to venture any general comments. On one extreme there exist monks and nuns whose whole lives are ordered around meditation; on the other hand, one-minute meditations are not out of the question.

Twenty or thirty minutes is broadly accepted as being a typical duration. Experienced meditators often find their sessions growing in length of their own accord. Observing the advice and instructions of one's spiritual teacher is generally held to be most beneficial.

Why Meditate?

The purposes for which people meditate vary almost as widely as practices. Meditation may serve simply as a means of relaxation from a busy daily routine; as a technique for cultivating mental discipline; or as a means of gaining insight into the nature of reality, or of communing with one's God. Many report improved concentration, awareness, self-discipline and equanimity through meditation.

Many authorities avoid emphasizing the effects of meditation — sometimes out of modesty, sometimes for fear that the expectation of results might interfere with one's meditation. At the same time, many effects have been experienced during various types of meditation. These include:

• Greater faith in, or understanding of, one's religion or beliefs
• Spiritual growth
• An increase in patience, compassion, and other virtues and morals or the understanding of them
• Feelings of calm or peace, and/or moments of great joy
• Experience of spiritual phenomena such as kundalini, extra-sensory perception, or visions of deities, saints, demons, etc.
• "Miraculous" abilities such as levitation ( yogic flying)