How to Start Meditation?
Meditation begins with emptying the mind from all thoughts, memories, experiences and desires. It’s like cleaning a dusty mirror that has accumulated all sorts of dust remaining in years of ignorance. But interesting point is that more you force the mind to become silent, the more it wanders from one object to another. So, there are traditional approaches especially for a yoga beginner to sit at one place, breathe and fix his attention on any single object.
Focussing on any specific object makes your mind stick to one thought and don’t allow other thoughts to enter. All the unwanted thoughts start disappearing allowing more space to manifest within the mind. Without the thoughts, mind is merely a space. And, when the mind becomes spacious, quiet and receptive, it indicates you are on the right path of inward journey. Whatever you do outwardly is only a preparation to meditation.
Start your meditation practice by choosing a perfect place preferably your own space where you can sit with no outer disturbance or distraction. You don’t need to choose a sacred place with earthen lamp or an aroma stick even a simple and silent space is plentiful. You can sit on the floor or in chair with relaxed posture, keeping the spine, neck and shoulders align. To relax mind let the hands rest on your lap and allow the breath to settle.
ACCESSORIES TO STILLNESS
Preparation for Meditation
Just as a classroom provides a dedicated space for study, meditation also calls for a specific space and a disciplined routine. Every practitioner should maintain certain basics, including a fixed time, place, sitting position and breathing pattern, to establish a consistent meditation practice. However, Satbodh Foundation offers a few simple and practical steps to help beginners start their meditation journey with greater ease and discipline.
You can use simple aids as a yoga beginner to disconnect from the outer world. The ears and eyes are the most sensitive and outgoing organs. Covering them with simple aids can help. The meditation room should be neat, clean and perfect to meditation. Here are some basic aids for preparation:
Use of Ear Plugs: The world is full of sounds; yoga teacher training teaches you to find the stillness that exists beyond them. You can gently use cotton balls to create a silence zone in your meditation room. No outer sound can enter your ears and create disturbance. The mind is active through sight and sound. This is best for a beginner practicing for the first time at home.
Use of Eye Shades: Eyes constantly connect your mind with the outer world and continually engage the mind with what it sees and observes. Outer changing scenes are the greatest obstacle to meditation. Using an eye shade is the best option to disconnect from happenings in the outer world. The mind goes inward and helps with focus and concentration.
Dark Room: Darkness is not about negativity. Dark room creates the atmosphere of a peaceful night, where awareness turns more inward and alert. Meditation is never done in an open space. Your chosen meditation space should be small enough to sustain only your dimension. Your subtle energy does not go outward and remains conserved in the confined space.
Time & Regularity: Time plays an important role. You can practice early in the morning, in the evening, or before retiring to bed. Meals should be consumed three hours before practice. Practice at a fixed time and in a fixed place in your personal space. Wear neat and comfortable clothes. Always wear meditation clothes for the practice.
POSTURE & PLACE
Create Your Meditation Space
A personal space where the body settles, senses withdraw and awareness turns inward is called meditation space. Sitting meditation is the traditional approach for yoga beginners because it provides stability, comfort and fewer physical distractions. Even during serious discussions, meetings are usually conducted while sitting rather than walking or standing in an open space. A defined and enclosed space helps contain external stimulation and encourages mental focus.
In meditation, however, the aim is not to generate new ideas or engage the mind, but to gradually settle mental activity. Standing or walking naturally keeps the body active and engages the senses, whereas a steady sitting posture helps conserve physical energy and supports inward awareness. There are specific asanas designed for meditation that can be easily learned and practiced at Satbodh Yoga School’s Yoga Teacher Training Course.
NATURAL ALIGNMENT
Relaxed Position for Meditation
You can choose any yogic posture in which you can sit comfortably for an extended period. If you need additional support, you may use a cushion behind your back. If you are overweight or find floor sitting uncomfortable, you may sit on a comfortable chair, while keeping your back and shoulders straight. Remember that your yoga mat, cushion, or chair should be used personally and should not be shared with others.
Apart from traditional sitting, meditation can also be practiced comfortably on a chair, sofa, or similar support. Begin by keeping the body still; don’t move the body unless the discomfort becomes too intense to bear. Do not strain the body to remain still; stability should feel effortless, like a cat resting in the sun. Simply observe the mind as you observe an object. Gradually, you become aware of thoughts without identifying with them. When the inner traffic slows and stops, meditation begins.
AWARE BREATHING
From Breath to Stillness
Even when you use meditation aids to reduce outer distractions, the senses remain active. The body may become still, but it should not become sleepy or dull. As you begin meditation, simply bring gentle awareness to the natural movement of your breath. This subtle awareness of breathing can gradually draw the mind inward without forcing or controlling the breath. It is like walking while carrying your own body weight and then being asked to carry a flower—it adds almost no burden.
In the same way, observing the breath requires little effort. Simply notice its natural rhythm and changing pattern. As thoughts begin to settle on their own, observe how the breath also becomes calmer and subtler. As the mind enters a quieter, more spacious state, the breath naturally becomes slower and deeper. Gradually, you begin to experience the subtle pause between inhalation and exhalation, where the mind rests in greater stillness. This conscious observation of breath is an integral part of Hatha Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh.
PATH WITHIN
From Focus to Concentration
The mind rarely stays where you place it; its natural habit is to wander from one thought to the next. It naturally moves in many directions, with numerous thoughts arising and competing for attention. This makes sustained attention difficult, especially for beginners. To begin meditation, gently direct the mind toward a chosen object of meditation to interrupt the continuous stream of thoughts. As attention becomes steadier, the mind gradually remains with a single thought or object, strengthening focus and concentration.
Attention is the beginning, focus is the midway and concentration is last gateway to meditation. When one thought is sustained for an extended period, this becomes a foundation for deeper concentration. This ability to sustain attention can also be observed in predators such as cheetahs and jaguars, which focus intensely while tracking fast-moving prey. Yet meditation is a uniquely human possibility—the conscious ability to observe and transcend the movements of the mind. Traditional Hatha Yoga trains you to use the mind as a means to go beyond the mind itself.
Final thoughts:
Meditation begins gradually with comfortable sitting, effortless stability, and gentle awareness of the breath. These simple practices prepare the beginner to focus the mind on a single object and gradually reduce the stream of thoughts that arise without conscious intention. This is the simple pathway toward a quieter, spacious state of mind, traditionally understood as meditation. There is no need to torture the mind for silence. With regular practice, awareness naturally becomes steady, thoughts begin to settle, and the experience of inner stillness unfolds on its own. This is where the practice of meditation truly begins.
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