HOW TO DO MEDITATION?

Meditation means to arrive at a thought-free state. In order to do so, we need to cultivate the practice of resting our mind on an anchor. Our breath is always with us, wherever we are and it is a powerful anchor to the present moment.

2,500 years ago, Gautama Buddha taught a technique of meditation which exactly corresponds to observation of one's normal breathing. This technique is called Anapanasati Meditation.

In Anapanasati meditation, one needs to maintain normal breathing and mindfully observe the naturally happening Breath.

In ancient Pali language:

'Ana' means 'In-breath'

'Apana' means 'Out-breath'

'Sati' … means 'Observe'

3 Steps to Practice Anapanasati Meditation

1st: Right Body Posture
- Adopt a very, very comfortable sitting posture where you feel fully relaxed
- Hands should be clasped and all fingers should go into all the other fingers
- Cross your legs
- Eyes should be closed. Remove eye glasses.

2nd: Be with the Natural Breath
- All attention should constantly be on the normal, natural breath
- Stop all mind functions
  - No mantra chanting
  - No visualizations
  - No breath manipulation such as hatha yogic pranayama practices or 'kumbhaka' (holding the breath) should be attempted

3rd: Cut All Thoughts & Return to Natural Breath
- All stray thoughts should be cut right away, as and when they keep arising
- By paying absolutely no attention to our thoughts, we can be fully with our Breath

With this technique, there is no need to be in the presence of a Master or Guru. Our natural breath becomes our inner Guru because it connects us to our Cosmic self.

When to meditate and for how long?

One can meditate at any time of the day according to what suits one's convenience.

Rule of thumb is to sit for meditation according to one's age. E.g. if you are 20 years of age, start with twenty minutes of meditation in a single sitting. If you are 40 years of age, you need to meditate for forty minutes.

When meditating deeply, time passes quickly so do not be surprised if 30 minutes of meditation appears to be like five minutes long.

One needs to practice meditation on a regular basis. Consistency is the name of the game. Initially, there will be some resistance as we strive to tame our 'monkey-mind', but it gets easier and easier with repeated everyday effort.