Begin at the Beginning

For those of you who are new to meditation, before you can properly begin, there are a lot of questions to
answer: Where do I meditate? How do I sit? Breathe? What do I do with my hands? and more. These and
other questions I hope to answer in the beginning section of this book. Lets start with the question of where to
meditate and then move on from there.

SACRED SPACE
If you want to begin to heal your life through daily spiritual practice, the simplest and most tangible way to start
is by searching out and dedicating a space in your home for your practice. In this way, you immediately create
something real in the worldan actual place for the new you to come into being. I believe that this first step
is imperative if you want to keep your practice alive and create change in your life over time. The space you
choose should ideally be quiet (relatively), uncluttered, allow for privacy, and have a spiritual feel. You will know
it when you see/feel it. Your sacred space should call you to it.

EXERCISE #1
Right now, before reading any further, walk around your house and begin to imagine where you might create a
sacred space to come every day to sit, read, pray and meditate.

YOUR ALTAR
This piece of furniture can come in many forms, shapes, and sizes. Also, it is perfectly okay for you to change
your mind and allow it to evolve over time. At this early stage, however, do not pour every last ounce of your
energy into getting just the right thing. The point is to get started while you feel inspired. My first altar was
completely inelegant. It was a small pre-fabricated wooden bookshelf. And that suited me just fine for a few
years. As it happens, now our altar is an antique, purchased at an Asian traders shop. We didnt consciously
go looking for it; it just showed up when the time was right. That is the way it can happen for you too. Your altar
will evolve as you will. The altar should be the right height, approximately mid-belly, for a meditator sitting on a
cushion; or, higher if you are planning on meditating while sitting in a chair. Make sure that your altar has space
enough on the top of it to place several sacred objects as well. The picture to the right is a good example of a
home altar.

EXERCISE #2
Wander through your house again. This time, take careful note of the furniture you own. Which piece of
furniture seems right to use as your first altar? Which piece will best fit in the sacred space you have chosen?
Again, it is a feel thing. As a last resort, and if there is nothing that immediately calls to you, go on an outing to
a second-hand store and find an intriguing piece of furniture that seems to match your spiritual sensibilities.

SACRED OBJECTS
Heres where this process gets fun. Sacred objects are objects that you declare to be special, significant,
and spiritually relevant to you. These objects sanctify your altar and set the spiritual tone for your space. In
that regard, the sacred objects you choose to place on your altar will conjure feelings of safety, comfort, and

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belonging. Some, may, of course, symbolize your highest spiritual aspirations. Because of that, make sure they are
personal. Pick objects that feel right to you. Avoid being driven by what others might want or think. Remember, this
space is yours and no one elses. Feel out objects that carry with them a spiritual energy that enlivens you. Your
space is sanctified in this way, and bids you to come and sit. Crosses, statues of Buddhas, rosary and mala beads, or
other religious symbols may immediately spring to mind. But I encourage you not to stop with the obvious religious
iconography. Many people are also inclined to place pictures on their altar. These can range from happy times in their
past, to loved ones living or departed, to pictures of spiritual teachers or sacred places. My altar holds many sacred
rocks, feathers, and other personal treasures. I have a rock from Omaha Beach, Normandy, France. It is one of my
most sacred possessions. Every time I look at that rock, I am reminded that the enjoyments of my life are dependent
on the sacrifice of others. Family heirlooms or any emotionally and spiritually moving object has a place on your altar.

EXERCISE #3
Now go treasure hunting. Spend some time pouring through photo albums, drawers, closets, and memorabilia. Find
those things that will most inspire you to grow, change, and heal, then bring them back to your altar and arrange
them in an artful and meaningful way. Enjoy.

SEATING
Meditators need a place to sit. Seating accommodations vary as widely as does the meditation style and the physical
capacity of each meditator. If you think you want to start meditating by sitting in a crossed-legged position, the mats
and cushions you will want to check out are called Zabutons and Zafus respectively. Keep in mind that these vary
in price, material construction, thickness, height, and comfort. Your ultimate choice will come down to personal
preference.
When I started meditating, I knew that I could not comfortably sit cross-legged, even for five minutes. So I gave up
the idea of a Zafu immediately. Instead, I chose what is called a Seiza bench. Later, as I sat more and became used
to cross-legged sitting, I eventually switched to sitting on a small Zafu made of buckwheat hulls. At home in Tucson, I
teach a six-week class for beginning meditation students. For them, I choose a thicker Zen-style Zafu. This cushion is
great for beginners because it offers a choice of sitting Seiza style or cross-legged.
Be forewarned, though, you wont find anything that is perfectly comfortable, and I think the meditation masters-ofold planned it this way. The discomforts that you will inevitably experience during meditation teach patience and
equanimity. Having said that, do your best to find seating that allows you to meditate as comfortably as possible.
Meditating in a chair is a perfectly acceptable option too. It is important however to remember that if you choose to
meditate in a chair, pick a firm, straight-back chair. It can have a cushion, but only a modest one. If the chair is too
doughy and comfortable, you will just sink into it and fall asleep. If you do decide to meditate in a chair, try and sit up
straight and avoid leaning back against the backrest. Sitting up straight will aid in keeping your mind bright and alert
as you meditate.

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EXERCISE #4
Now, get on the Internet and start researching meditation-seating options. Simply Google meditation supplies,
zabuton, zafu, and or seiza bench. Also, if you know of a meditation centerin your area, maybe stop by and try
sitting on a few of their cushions or benches. You will want to be comfortable, but remember, no cushion or bench
will be absolutely comfortable. Make the choice that works best for you.

MEDITATION POSTURE
There are three basic meditation postures with which to familiarize yourself: sitting, walking, and lying down. These
various positions enhance mental clarity and wakefulness. I will explain each of these in turn. If you are just starting
out, and especially if you are coming to meditation because of a stress-illness, give yourself a little leeway. In the
beginning, make sure to account for your present condition. As such, your comfort is important. You will find it harder
to focus and get into the meditation if you are too uncomfortable. That said, also realize that meditating is naturally
relaxing. On the other side of things, if you are too comfortable, slouching, or lying down, there will be a tendency for
you to lose concentration and to fall asleep. Meditating is a middle way practice. Meaning, try to find the balance
between the two extremes of comfort and discomfort. Therefore, in all of the following postures, find the middle
between too rigid and too relaxed. Much later, when you are a meditation master, you can choose to sit for many
hours, in a perfectly still and rigid posture, and request that other monks hit you with a bamboo stick if your mind
should wander. But lets save that for later. For now, lets just learn the basic postures.

SITTING
The sitting posture is what most readily comes to mind when one thinks of formal meditation. Sitting is universally
used as a meditation posture because it offers two distinct benefits. It simultaneously aids alertness, while at the
same time supporting tranquility. Both foster increased clarity and concentration. As mentioned above, sitting can be
done either in a cross-legged position or seated. If you are going to sit with crossed legs, here are some options:

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BURMESE STYLEthe meditators legs do not actually cross in this position. Rather, they are folded one in front of
the other. This position is great for people who want to sit cross-legged yet are relatively inflexible or have very bony
ankles (me on both counts).
QUARTER LOTUSthe meditator crosses his or her legs and places the feet under the opposite thigh.
HALF LOTUSin this position, the meditator places one foot on top of an opposite thigh while the other foot rests
underneath.
FULL LOTUS this is the classic hard-core meditators posture with both feet placed on top of the opposite thigh.
If you are super flexible, or wholly into pain, this is the posture for you!

BURMESE STYLE

QUARTER LOTUS

HALF LOTUS

FULL LOTUS

SITTING POSTURE
Here are a few finer points of sitting meditation posture:
Sit in one of the postures mentioned on the previous page.
Sit with your hips higher than your knees. That allows for an upright, relaxed back posture, and for your pelvis
to tip slightly forward, which facilitates unrestricted belly breathing. Avoid slouching.
Position your arms slightly away from your torso while at the same time keeping them relaxed. Holding the
arms this way helps to control sweating. Your shoulders should be relaxed. Allow your arms to hang in a natural
position.

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Place your hands either facing up or down on your thighs or in a mudra, (sacred position). The pictures below
show two common mudras. Both mudras place the back of the right hand in the palm of the left, while in
only the first, do the tips of the thumbs touch. Thumb touching can be a handy mindfulness feedback device
since the thumbs tend to separate when one gets tired and loses focus. In this case, mindfully maintaining
awareness of your mudra helps to keep you alert.
Hold your head upright, but tuck your chin ever so slightly downward. The position of your chin helps you find
the right balance between mental dullness and over activity. Lowering your chin calms the mind, while raising
it increases mental energy and alertness. For example, if your mind is racing, dip your chin a little more. On the
other hand,if you find yourself falling asleep, raise your chin.
Keep your jaw relaxed. Your may hold your lips closed or just slightly opened; whichever works best for you.
Touch the tip of your relaxed tongue against the back of your front two teeth and your palate.
Depending on your choice of meditation object, you may close, halfway open, or fully open your eyes. In all
cases, however, relax the muscles of the face and eyes. When meditating with the eyes open, allow yourself to
blink naturally.

WALKING
The Theravadan Buddhist tradition of Southeast Asia is known for emphasizing walking meditation. But mindful
movement is also reflected in other Asian spiritual traditions like Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Archery, and Zen. The aim of
all of these practices is to increase a practitioners mindfulness while in motion. In that respect, these practices are a
excellent way to begin to bring conscious awareness and a sense of spirit directly into your daily life.
A walking meditation begins with standing. Notice the slight automatic efforts your body makes to keep you erect
and balanced. Notice, also, what happens to these natural righting responses when you close your eyes. Be still,
and relax while standing. Breathe into your belly. After half a dozen centering breaths, begin to walk slowly. At first,
bring all of your attention to your feet and ankles. Walking slowly and smoothly can be challenging. If you find it so,
see if you can become curious about the process of economizing your effort. Move smoothly, consciously, like a cat
creeping. As you get more deeply concentrated, become aware of your calves, knees, and upper legs. Feel the fact
that slow, smooth motion requires coordination and concentration. Keep your breath in your belly, and relaxed. Arms
and shoulders participate in the movement only minimally. Hands are traditionally held together, clasped at the waist,
either in the front or behind the back. The head faces downward with eyes trained on the ground a few feet ahead
to limit distracting sights. Focus your attention both inward on thoughts and sensations, and outward on sights and
sounds. Most walking meditators find a path or track that repeats itself, and then, walk it over and over again.

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LYING DOWN
You do not have to sit to do a sit. If pain or some other physical limitation prevents you from sitting, a lying-down
meditation is a viable option. Do it by lying on your back with your knees bent. The slight effort it takes to keep your
knees together will aid in keeping you alert and awake. No promises however. Lying-down meditation often results in
you falling blissfully asleep.
I enjoy doing another variation of the traditional lying-down meditation. I start meditating every time I get into bed at
night or if I wake up in the middle of the night. I also frequently meditate just after waking up in the morning, when
still resting in bed. Meditating as I lie down to sleep often helps me fall asleep more quickly. I think it also helps
sleep more deeply. Late night and early morning lying-down meditations increase the likelihood of my having a lucid
dream, remembering my dreams, and noticing other incredibly interesting subconscious psycho- emotional events of
which I would not normally be aware. I do these lying-down meditations positioned on either my back or my side. Try
and enjoy.

BREATHING
If you are sitting and meditating, keep your back straight and your pelvis tipped slightly forward so that each breath
can naturally flow without restriction down into your belly. If your chest rises, it should only do so at the end of each
in-breath. At the start of a particular meditation, you may find it helpful to count slowly to six on each in-breath and to
eight on each out-breath (1 cycle is approximately 12 seconds). Then, pause at the end of each full expiration. Focus
on the stillness. Carefully watch the turn of each breath. Then, with as little conscious control as possible, let your
body initiate the next in-breath. In other words, place your awareness at the precise point where your body seems
to regulate itself. I call this way of breathing: Relaxation Breathing. It will help concentrate and relax you; it can also
be done lying down. Breathing slowly, deeply, and through your nose, produces many positive health benefits from
quickening lymph drainage (filtering toxins) to causing a tranquilizing heart/brain response (lowering heart rate and
blood pressure). It can reduce pain as well.To start each meditation with a few minutes of relaxation breathing is a
good practice. After consciously breathing slowly and deeply for a few minutes, allow the rate and depth of your
breathing to set itself. You may find that your breath becomes very shallow at that point, and that is okay. Quiet,
shallow breathing will strengthen your concentration. The light, subtly of breath makes it an excellent meditation
object. In fact, watching ones breath is by far the most traditional and favored of all meditation objects. When you are
not formally meditating, see if you can bring mindful attention to your breathing as much as possible throughout the
day. Lastly, to keep yourself relaxed throughout the day, endeavor to breathe through your nose as much as possible.

TIME OF DAY
Students ask me about this element of practice all the time. Is it best to meditate in the morning? What about before
bed? Is it okay if I do not meditate the same time every day? Yes, yes and yes. The point is to find a way to meditate
every day. If you can, try to create a little structure around your practice. Try not to let the chaos of your daily life keep
you from practicing. Practice in spite of itbecause of it! It is true that morning is a traditional time to meditate. The
mind is fresh after a good nights sleep so sitting in a quiet spiritual space isa great way to start your day. However,
mornings can also be a time of intense household activity, especially if you have young children. If that is your case,
maybe the time that works best for you is late evening when all the kids have gone to bed. Myself, I like both times.
There is a vast brightness to the mind in the morning. But, I enjoy experiencing the natural energy of thoughts and
sensations flowing through my mind-body at the end of the day as well. Meditating at night, before bed, is also a
wonderful way to allow that natural energy of the day to run itself out of your nervous system, so you do not take it to
bed with you.

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There is also the option of learning to meditate during the normal activities of your dailylife. Some of the practices you
will learn in this program allow you to do just that. Modernlife is stressful. Taking your practice with you on the road
so to speak, will bring the greatest benefits. Practicing in daily life is called informal practice. Ultimately, the goal of your
formal practice should be to awaken you to such an extent that you are informally practicing all the time. Informal
practice allows for emotional regulation and wise action. On the other hand, formal practice on a cushionin your home
allows mental clarity and concentration to develop. Both forms of practice are necessary and beneficial. However, if you
are just starting out, try to practice formally each day. There is just no substitute for it. Therefore, as you envision your
practice and how it might unfold, give some thought to when you can devote a specific time to sitting your tush on the
cush.

HOW MUCH AND HOW LONG

When considering how long to meditate, it is helpful to think of meditation as medicine. As you know, medicine must
be taken in the proper dose for it to have any effect. The same is true for meditation, meaning, one must practice with
enough frequency and duration to make a difference. Once per day meditation is adequate in terms of frequency.
Fifteen to thirty minutes seems to bean adequate dose in terms of duration. Fifteen minutes is the minimum dose. But if
fifteen minutes is all you have, generate a determined and focused attitude, like you are about to study for an important
exam. My teacher Shinzen Young would say to start on a dime. What he means is this: as soon as you settle into your
posture, become aware, pick an object, and be mindful. The technique of labeling, which you will learn in this program, is
recommended when your time is limited.
As you progress in your practice, you may find yourself sitting for an hour or more, sometimes more than once per day;
if that happens, great. Of course, be flexible in your response to the demands of your life. While remembering that to
generate positive change in your life, formal practice must find its way to the upper half of your priority list. Your whole
change/healing process starts with a change in your actions.

SPECIAL PRACTICES/RITUALS
Religious practitioners from all around the world make widespread use of rituals. Participating in formal rituals exemplifies
ones personal intention to take careful and deliberate steps to grow spiritually. The key concept is that it is personal.
Rituals are for your benefitto help you change your thoughts and actions. They are meant to remind you of your
intention to evolve and put that intention into action. The late Tibetan master, Chogyam Trungpa, cautions one to keep
ones spiritual practice private. That is good advice. Keeping ones practice to oneself supports evolution beyond ones
ego. It saves explaining and justifying your personal process to others who may not understand, or worse, feel the need
to question or admonish you for your evolving spiritual choices. I am not saying that if you live with someone who is safe
and supportive that you keep your practice a secret. Your spiritual practice may be something that you begin to develop
and share together. If that happens, it is a beautiful thing. In fact, I wish that for all my students. Having said all that, the
following is a list of a few common rituals that you may want to include in your practice:
1. OFFERINGSOfferings are your gift to the sacred. There are many forms of traditional offerings, such as flowers,
milk, pure water, fruit, leaves, and rice. If you are inclined to make offerings a part of your practice, create some
space on your altar for that purpose. When presenting your offering each day, consider giving it with a sense of
gratitude and a wish to open up and be led to your divine purposeas in not my will, but yours.

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2. PRAYER AND MANTRAPrayer is universally associated with religious and spiritual practice. Mantra or
chanting is an abbreviated form of prayer. The meaning of the ancient Sanskrit word mantra means a sound,
syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of creating transformation. Every religious
tradition employs prayer, chanting, or mantra as part of its devotional practices. Prayers and mantras have
become part of my practice as well. While on retreat at Chenrezig, a Tibetan Buddhist Center in Eudlo,
Australia, I was introduced to many Tibetan prayers. I was impressed by the thoughtfulness, breadth, and depth
of the Tibetan prayers, so I brought a prayer booklet home with me with the intention of creating a personal
and comprehensive spiritual guidance system. I used the Tibetan prayers as a template, arranged them in what
seemed to be a logical order, and modified them slightly (the particular words, not the meaning behind them)
to better reflect my spiritual inclinations. It took me a while, but eventually I memorized them, and now I enjoy
reciting the whole collection of prayers, either as part of my formal practice or at other times during my day
when I feel the need for a spiritual tune-up.
3. ROSARY OR MALA BEADSA familiar symbol of Catholicism is the beaded Rosary. Malas are the Buddhist
corollary of these Christian prayer beads. In each case, they are used for counting prayers, chants, or mantras.
Prayer counting and therefore strings of beads are not confined to the Christian and Buddhist faiths, however.
In fact, Jews, Hindus, Taoists, and Muslims also use strings of beads to count prayers, chants, and mantras. The
physical act of counting with beads can produce a high state of concentration, and therefore, a sense of peace
can arise in the spiritual aspirant.

Work your way through the necessary steps

of this preliminary getting started process.
Generate the necessary inspiration and energy
to get it all done in just a day or two so you can get
down to the business of actually meditating.
The rest of this class is about the science and practice of meditation. Meditation isa complex art, therefore, an
understanding of what to do and how to do it is necessary. After taking this class and practicing the meditations,
should you be curious and eager to keep advancing your practice, I recommend the guidance of an expert teacher.
Check out the resources section of the website for recommendations.
You are about to engage in a powerful process of self-care and transformation. Jump into this process feet first,
then, immerse yourself. Remember that you are not in this alone. If you have any questions whatsoever, contact me
through the Forum. I wish you the best on your new personal journey of awakening; I want you to be happy.

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