Like asana, meditation takes disci-
pline. If your toes start to curl when you
hear the D-word, redefine “discipline”
as developing a positive habit.Begin by finding a quiet space
and scheduling a regular time to prac-
tice. Perhaps early mornings work best
because they occur before you get
caught up in the busyness of the day.
The simplest way to integrate medita-
tion into your life is to follow your
asana practice with pranayama (breath-
work) and Savasana (Corpse Pose), and
then sit back up in a comfortable posi-
tion for meditation. Practicing the asa-
nas themselves can also be a form of
meditation. At the very least, poses
help to prepare the body and mind for
meditation by taking you inward.Then, take a moment to check in
with where you are starting—physically,
mentally, and emotionally. Ask yourself:
What is my motivation for today’s prac-
tice? Why do I want to cultivate focused
attention anyway? It might be that you
want to feel calmer at work or find
some relief from a difficult time you’re
going through. Whatever your answer,
make it an intention for your practice,
imbuing your meditation with meaning.The next step is to begin training
your mind to focus on, and stay with,
one thing for an extended period. For
seated meditation, you might either
close your eyes or keep them slightly
open, which would help keep you alert
if you’re a little sleepy. Various medita-
tion techniques—like those presented
on the following pages—train you to
unify, calm, and center the mind and
find focused attention. This attention
will allow you to begin to see, but not
get caught up in, the habits and pat-terns of your mind. With that comes
the freedom to connect more fully with
your deeper wisdom.Of course, even the most seasoned
meditators experience floods of
thoughts. When the thoughts arise,
gently and lovingly invite your mind to
return to the technique you’ve chosen
as an anchor for your attention.Once you begin to notice
how out of control the mind is, you will
learn to not take all of the thoughts
that come up so seriously, and will start
to develop compassion toward yourself.
Some meditators liken this process to
the process of training a puppy. If you
train a dog by beating it, it will become
obedient, inflexible, and neurotic. If you
train the little guy with kindness and
firmness, your pet will learn confidence
and trust.It takes time to develop a new habit,
so be patient with yourself. Begin with
5 to 10 minutes and progressively build
up to 30 to 45 minutes of quiet medita-
tion. (You might find it helpful to use a
timer so that you don’t have to watch
the clock.)Try all of the practices on the fol-
lowing pages—maybe devoting a week
or more to each one—and see what
works for you. Keep in mind that you
are not trying to get anywhere, so don’t
get caught up in the techniques. They
are simply tools; they are not the medi-
tation itself. Meditation is ultimately a
way of being with the present moment,
exactly as it is, with an open heart and
an open mind.a get-started guide
for would-be
meditators
Meditation can seem
complicated. In truth, it’s
easy. All you need is time,
patience, and a technique
that works for you.PHOTO: TRINETTE REED; MODEL: SARAH DAVIS/LOOK; STYLIST: JASMINE HAMED; HAIR/MAKEUP: TOKYO/WORKGROUP
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