Meditate daily

Start meditating by taking a retreat

I think the easiest way to get into the habit of meditating is to go to a retreat that has group meditations. You could take a class, or find some way to stay for a while. If you can, stay until the habit is deeply ingrained.

Doing a work exchange (or “karma yoga”) program is a great way to start. You can stay there for a couple of months, participate in guided meditations, make friends with people who also want to get strong in their meditations—and usually for very little cost!

People can grow spiritually from even a few days at a retreat. For example: My Dad stayed with me for a week when I moved nearby one. We had daily group meditation, and by the end of the week, he had a daily meditation practice going.

He’s been meditating every day now for close to two years, and keeps going back to retreats to deepen his spiritual life.

I’m personally involved with The Expanding Light Yoga and Meditation Retreat, which is in California—they have a karma yoga (spiritual work-study) program which is $200 a month. I think it’s a great retreat! You can find others near you by searching.

Retreats can be used to recharge you, spiritually, and also to give you a “jump start” on any spiritual practice that you’re wanting to do. Changing your environment to a place where people are all focusing on spiritual growth is empowering, and will help to give you the feeling: “I can do this!”

This is a five minute flash animation that was created by Joseph Bharat Cornell, the well-known naturalist and author of “Sharing Nature with Children.” He also writes the “Daily Meditator” newsletter.

It’s made up of inspirational photographs, inspirational words, and inspirational music. It really gets you in the mood to want to meditate—I’m sure a lot of people here will like it.

The Gift of Inner Peace

These are some tips that I got during my meditation teacher training class. They are all great, really helpful things.

1. If you miss a meditation, don’t say “I’ve failed,” but say instead, “I have not yet succeeded.” This builds energy around meditation and is an affirmation of eventual success.

2. If you have a faith, pray! Meditation is a beautiful way to serve God by learning to express Him more clearly. And praying to Him is the best way to start your energy moving in the right direction.

3. Keep a “meditation chart” of your meditations; make a check for each day you meditate—or even better, two checks, for meditating morning and evening. Here is a good daily meditation chart.

4. Be realistic about how much you can meditate. It is much better to have a short and consistent daily practice than a longer but rarely-done practice. Once you have a solid practice of even a few minutes, you can build on it.

This is a beautiful poem by the Dalai Lama. Everything he says helps with meditation.

Never Give Up

Never give up
No matter what is going on
Never give up

Develop the heart
Too much energy in your country
Is spent developing the mind
Instead of the heart
Develop the heart

Be compassionate
Not just with your friends
But with everyone
Be compassionate

Work for peace
In your heart
And in the world
Work for peace

And I say again
Never give up
No matter what is going on around you
Never give up

I’m curious what everyone’s experiences have been with how meditation changes them.

Has anyone noticed changes just from the last week of increased meditation, that many of us are doing?

Here are a few amusing or surprising ones of my own, changes have happened since I started meditating:

• I’ve got a real appreciation for music, especially classical music. I didn’t really have one before.

• I’m not scared of spiders… When I see one, I sometimes just pick them up in my hands and carry them outside. (I’ve even done the same with wasps!)

• I began to enjoy nature. There is a great program that combines nature appreciation and meditation that the Sharing Nature Foundation does.

Those are nice, but they don’t really compare to the other things I’ve experienced: an increased ability to control whether I am happy or not, for one!; and a deepening sense of satisfaction and joy in life.

Those things, nothing else has brought so well.

I’ve found it hard to find extra time in the morning or evening to increase my hours of meditation, so I’ve been trying to increase the amount of “free time” during the day that I use for meditation.

For this month I’ve been intending to add at least a few minutes of meditation to these times:

• Lunchtime
• Right before going to sleep
• Any time I have a few free minutes and think to do it!

Taking a few minutes like this, especially on top of a solid morning and evening meditation routine, helps to get me re-centered, with the right perspective on what is going on that day. I’ve found that I’m calmer afterward, and able to enjoy life more.

In general, these are great times to meditate:

• after you wake up
• noon
• before dinner
• before going to sleep
• anytime you can!!

Before meals are best because digestion uses energy, and meditation takes energy. Try doing some deep thinking or playing a game of chess right after a big meal—it is more difficult!

Midnight, and nighttime in general, can also be very good! Yogis know this as “the hour of Brahma”—“the hour of God.” Nighttime is naturally more peaceful and quiet.

“Meditation is when the mind is still and the heart is open.”

I posted this as a comment to a user, but maybe others here would find it useful:

Hi [your name here],

You seem like you’re really sincere about wanting to do this, so here’s something you could try. Make up your mind that some specific day – it could be a week from now, or two weeks – you will start meditating. Then keep it up every day, even if all you do is go sit at your meditation chair / cushion for one minute!

I think you can make it a daily habit. Sincere desire for a regular practice is the most important thing. When you have that desire, the rest will eventually fall into place.

Wishing you happiness,
Nabha

I started meditating daily three years ago, and in that time I have grown more spiritually than I would have in thirty years of not meditating. It’s that profound.

Here are some tips I’ve found helpful:

1. Meditate at the same time every day. This will help build a habit, and eventually you will feel yourself wanting to meditate at those times.

2. In connection with the above, meditate in the same place every day. Put a screen around where you meditate, or if possible set aside a room for that purpose. All these things will help build peaceful vibrations that will make meditation easier and more enjoyable.

3. Make friends with people who have been meditating for a long time. Ask if you can meditate with them! These things will help to deepen your practice and make it more regular. When you have someone else to meditate, you will be much less likely to flake out!

4. There’s a general rule about meditation: the more you meditate, the more you will want to meditate. Try a longer meditation each week. But never meditate to the point of strain or boredom. It should be enjoyable.

5. Most importantly, never give up. If you miss a day, just say, “I haven’t yet succeeded.” As long as you keep energy going in the right direction, you can make it.

With even a little bit of meditation, every day, your life will slowly start to change. There is nothing like meditation. There is nothing so enjoyable. I think it must be one of life’s (unfortunately) best kept secrets.