A beginner’s guide to meditation

I remember years ago attending a talk on meditation by a Buddhist monk who had traveled to Jersey to lead a workshop on mindfulness & meditation. I was intrigued to hear what he had to say about the practice of meditation and I have to say was quite disappointed when he said that meditation needs to be practiced for at least one hour at a time. My heart sank because I had always found it quite hard to sit still and meditate for any period of time.

Yes, of course to be able to sit for an hour is hugely beneficial, but so to is to sit for 5, 10 or 20 minutes. I started off by sitting for 5 minutes at a time, which very quickly and easily became 10, then 15 and so on. Typically I will sit for 20 minutes, sometimes 30. Now, when I’m on meditation retreat we sit, walk, stay silent for days on end, and though sometimes challenging it is more often than not a beautiful treat.

So start small, and work your way up, if that is what you want. And make yourself as comfortable as possible. It may be that at first you find it easier to quieten down your mind, lying down. Good luck!