How to Meditate in 5 (Simple?) Steps

Meditation…pure bliss or pure torture? Sitting in utter quiet for minutes on end focusing on your breath. Nowhere to go, no one to bother you, nothing to accomplish.

People who meditate often look so serene and peaceful. They seem to be in some ethereal state that the common man feels is out of reach. However, appearances can be deceiving. After years of practice, I often find my head clouded by the tasks of the day:

Do we have enough ground beef for taco night? Did I unplug the space heater? What is our neighbor doing with that weedwacker?

In fact, half the time, it is only the routine of meditating daily that gets me through the session. Everything inside me wants to get up and “accomplish” something. And then, a small miracle happens.

Some days, my mind will become still and I catch a glimpse of the divine. On even more rare days, it is a steady presence–a constant feeling of being surrounded by peace and bliss. At those times, I wonder how I could ever be stressed, worried, or not at peace.

In those moments of quiet connection, it is possible to realize the Holy Spirit inside of us. In those moments, we understand that we are loved more than we could ever have imagined.

The ability to meditate is already inside of you. It just takes a few steps to get to the door and unlock it.

So, how do you do it? Here are some quick tips for getting started.

Step 1: Find a spot to meditate

Mindfulness is all the rage, and meditation is one of many types of mindfulness. It is providing the mind with a singular point of focus and continually bringing the mind back to that focal point whenever it wanders. In order to start training the mind on that single points of focus, you need to find your ideal spot.

There is no perfect place to meditate. Some (myself included) prefer to meditate outside. They feel a sense of peace and connectedness when surrounded by God’s creation. Others may create a chapel-like spot in their home that draws their mind closer to God. You could light a candle and set up a prayer table to ready your heart and mind for connection to God. Still others prefer to meditate while walking in a quiet place. However, any relatively distraction-free location will do.

If possible, you will probably find it helpful to meditate in the same place everyday. Your body will get to know that this is the “meditation spot” and your brain might be a tad bit more cooperative if you are consistent.

Step 2: Get comfortable

You can meditate in any posture–upright or lying down. Generally, keeping your spine straight and your palms open are advised. Why? First off, a straight spine lends itself to proper posture and more relaxed muscles supporting the spine. Second, a straight back and open palms is an open posture. It physically represents what we desire for our spirit: an openness to God’s voice and His will.

If you opt to lie down, if you are in the least bit tired, you may drift off. If you suffer from insomnia, meditation might be the cure you’ve been looking for! However, Christian meditation teacher John Main emphasized that meditation is an active mind state that engages and stimulates the brain. In other words, good luck going to sleep any time after meditation!

I suppose I’m not as skilled a meditator as John Main–though it doesn’t put me to sleep (unless it is bedtime), I can easily drift off shortly thereafter. As in all things, a bit of self-discovery and knowing your body’s response is key.

If you opt to sit, elevating your back side a bit will probably improve your comfort. You can sit on a rolled blanket, a firm pillow, or a chair. I use a yoga block–it’s just the right height and firmness for my preference. Alternately, you can purchase meditation pillows. They’re probably super awesome. If you are a frequent meditator and have a recommended type, please shout it out in the comments!

Step 3: Find your focus (the practice of meditation)

Here’s the important part. Pick something to focus your mind on. This can vary. You may end up preferring one particular focal point over another and use it regularly, or you may pick something different from day to day. Regardless of what you select, the simple harnessing of your attention will lead to the benefits of meditation.

One quick word of caution: Regardless of what you pick, it is inevitable that for most of us, we will spend more of our meditation time (esp. early on in practice) with our mind wandering that our attention on our focal point. This is completely normal. You cannot fail at meditation, unless you decide not to try. It just isn’t possible. More about this in step 4.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Potential Focal Points

1. One of the most popular focal points is a repeated word or phrase. In Eastern faith traditions, this is referred to as a mantra. You can pick any word or sound you would like. John Main suggests the mantra “Maranatha”, which is Aramaic for “Come our Lord” or “Our Lord has Come”. You may choose to say, either aloud or in your mind, the entire mantra on the inhale or split the syllables between the inhale and the exhale.
2. Perhaps the most popular choice?: Your breath. Focus your awareness on your inhale and then your exhale, or even the stillness between breaths. You could notice the temperature of the air entering and exiting your nose or the rise and fall of your belly.
3. The sensations within your body. A body scan is a beautiful way to both focus your awareness, to become more in tune with your body, and to release tension. Start with either your head or your feet and allow your focus to linger on one segment of your physical form at a time. Simply notice what you feel there, without judgment.
4. Sounds of nature. If you are outside, you may choose to listen to the wind, the rain, or birdsong. If inside, you can select some calming nature sounds on YouTube, such as birdsong, rain, ocean waves, etc. and train your focus on this for a bit.
5. Sights around you. Outside, spend multiple minutes observing a flower or a single leaf. If you are inside, you might settle your attention on the flickering of a candle flame.

Moving Beyond the Mind

In all of the above, the result of the time focusing your mind is a moving beyond the thinking mind. When the mind is occupied in this way, the one who meditates is sometimes able to identify with the divine within and around them. You are reminded that who you are is more than thoughts, identifications, physical being, etc. You are an eternal being, connected to all that surrounds you.

After focusing the mind, you might choose to shape your mind in another way. You could incorporate a gratitude practice, reflecting on those items you are thankful for. You may also choose to visualize yourself within a Bible story or imagine yourself in Jesus’ presence. Alternately, you might run scenarios in your mind in which you would like to act in a more Christian manner and mentally practice the responses that the Spirit is calling you to.

As you may have picked up on, there is no one clear cut one method for meditation. The way meditation looks is as varied as those who practice. Be free to experiment and determine which form of practice best fits with the beautiful soul within you.

Step 4: Acceptance

There are a multitude of methods for meditation–even more than I laid out above. However, there is one key element that is essential for effective meditation: acceptance/non-judgment.

Mind wandering away from the mantra? Accept this, and gently redirect yourself. Breathing irregular or shallow? Observe without judgment. Body tense and anxious? In pain? Just notice what is there. Allow it to be what it is.

Your mind will wander and you may notice imperfections in yourself and the world around you. The key to meditation is to bring your focus back to simply observing, without judgment.. Each time you bring your attention back in a playful way, embracing your imperfections, you are strengthening your mind’s ability to focus and bringing yourself to a greater level of stillness.

By simply accepting what is, often the “problem” resolves itself. The body relaxes, the mind stills, the breath deepens. In the light of unconditional love, you return to your natural state–relaxed, calm, peaceful, free.

Step 5: What’s next?

As you practice meditation, you may find this peace overflowing your meditation time. You just might get a glimpse of the “peace that passes understanding”.

There is a scientific basis for this peace. The human brain physically changes after just a few weeks of regular meditation practice. The control center of our brain and memory centers get larger, while the portion of our brains responsible for anxiety/fight and flight shrinks a bit. In other words, we become more capable of directing our own life (or choosing to surrender it to God), and being present in it. Peace becomes more common than fear. Calm more “normal” for us than stress, and surrender our modus operandi than control.

Though the science is nice, as I just hinted at, the most important reason to meditate is spiritual. Meditation (sitting with Christ) changes us from the inside out and better equips us to serve him. I believe it is the greatest gift we can give ourselves, and God.

So, have at it, and let me know how it goes. 🙂