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Meditation is said to have the potential to reduce stress and enhance concentration and creativity. The number of business people around the world practicing meditation increased after Google developed the "SIY" meditation method in 2007. However, many beginners find meditation to be a bit challenging. This article explains how to meditate and its effects, and introduces easy meditation methods for beginners. In the latter half of the article, we will also explain tips for practicing meditation by purpose, so please read to the end if you are considering starting meditation. |
What is meditation?
Meditation is a practical technique focused on the integration of mind and body, practiced to calm the mind and maintain and promote a healthy state of mind and body.
It has thousands of years of history, originating from Eastern traditions and customs, and there are various meditation methods.
In particular, there are various types of mindfulness meditation, but the main ones are the following two:
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Overview |
Purpose |
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Samatha meditation (Calming meditation) |
Meditation that focuses attention on one thing for a long period. Also called concentration meditation. |
To stop ordinary mental activity by focusing attention on a particular object. |
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Vipassanā meditation (Insight meditation) |
Meditation that observes moment-by-moment experiences and becomes aware of emotional and cognitive patterns. Also called insight meditation. |
To focus on observing things as they are and to continuously pay attention to all phenomena that arise in the mind moment by moment. |
Many meditation beginners probably have the impression that "meditation aims to achieve emptiness and is a practice of continuously concentrating to eliminate all distracting thoughts."
In reality, even in Samatha meditation, which focuses on one thing, distracting thoughts do arise.
If distracting thoughts arise, it's perfectly fine as long as you observe them as they are and gently bring your attention back to the object of concentration, such as your breath.
Instead of trying to "prevent distracting thoughts from arising," it's important to simply observe the state of distracting thoughts arising when they do.
Beginners who are struggling with Samatha meditation might find it beneficial to practice Vipassanā meditation first, and then follow it with Samatha meditation.
This is because research suggests that when two types of meditation are practiced, a "sense of accomplishment" is more likely to be felt with the meditation practiced second.
How to Meditate | Easy Methods for Beginners Explained
Here, we introduce easy meditation methods for beginners.
Meditation improves with consistent daily practice, so make sure to practice regularly.
Preparing for meditation
First, let's prepare for meditation.
To meditate effectively, it is important to create the right environment.
Move to a quiet place where you can be alone.
A place where you can sit or lie down is suitable.
The necessary items are as follows:
● Timer
● Items needed to maintain posture
To maintain proper posture, you will need the following items:
【For sitting posture】
● Chair (only if sitting on a chair)
● Meditation cushion or zabuton (floor cushion)
【For lying down posture】
● Futon/mattress or yoga mat
● Meditation cushions or other cushions, pillows, or zabuton
Preparing a meditation cushion, which is designed to help maintain proper posture, can make it easier for beginners to achieve and maintain the correct posture suitable for meditation.
1. Assume the correct posture
Beginners should set a timer before assuming the correct posture for meditation.
If you set the timer after getting into position, your posture might be disrupted when you reach for the timer.
Start with a short duration, such as 3 minutes, rather than aiming for a long time initially.
After setting the timer, assume the correct posture.
The correct posture for meditation is as follows:
● Spine is comfortably extended
● No unnecessary tension in the neck or shoulders
Next, assume the correct meditation posture by following these steps:
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Sit with your back straight and legs crossed. If sitting on a chair, sit deeply in the chair.
2. Raise your pelvis and distribute your weight evenly on your sit bones (where your buttocks meet the floor or chair).
3. Slowly move your upper body forwards, backwards, left, and right, gradually reducing the swaying, to find and establish your body's central axis.
4. Once you have established your central axis, straighten your posture.
※It's easier if you use the following imagery:
● Extend your back as if a string is pulling you upwards from the top of your head.
● Imagine carrying a heavy load on your head and pushing against it to settle your hips and straighten your back.
It's okay not to aim for perfect posture from the beginning.
It's good enough if you can achieve the best posture you can following the steps.
With repeated practice, you will get the hang of it.
5. Do not close your eyes completely; keep them slightly open in a natural half-closed state. This is because closing your eyes can induce drowsiness and make it difficult to maintain a straight posture.
2. Inhale slowly, exhale slowly.
Once you've established your posture, focus on your breath and breathe slowly.
Breathing during meditation is fundamentally "nasal breathing."
With mouth breathing, you inhale dry air directly, which can lead to disadvantages such as drying out the mucous membranes of your throat, damaging them, or making you more susceptible to bacterial infections.
However, if nasal breathing is difficult due to reasons such as a stuffy nose, it is fine to breathe through your mouth with it slightly open.
When meditating, it's important to breathe in a way that feels comfortable to you, so do it within a comfortable range.
Inhale slowly, exhale slowly.
3. Continue natural breathing
Continue slow breathing for several cycles.
Direct your attention to your breath, specifically to the breath entering and exiting your nose.
Focus on the sensations you feel as air enters through your nose and as you exhale through your nose.
When you can focus your attention on your breath, you can feel various sensations such as the dry or moist feeling of the air entering and exiting your nose, its coldness or warmth, the speed at which it enters and exits, and the pressure you feel as it moves.
4. Observe bodily sensations
While continuing to breathe slowly, engage in meditation by paying attention to and observing bodily sensations.
When performing abdominal breathing, your abdomen expands as you inhale and contracts as you exhale.
After repeating abdominal breathing, try complete breathing.
Complete breathing is a combination of "chest breathing" and "abdominal breathing," where when you inhale, you focus not only on the expansion of your abdomen but also on chest breathing, which expands your chest, and when you exhale, you focus on "abdominal breathing."
Observe the changes in sensation as your body expands and contracts with each breath.
You might then feel not only your abdomen but also your chest and the front of your body moving, and that with each exhale, tension releases and you relax.
5. Become aware of distracting thoughts.
When distracting thoughts arise, first simply feel the state of distracting thoughts and gently bring your awareness back to your breath.
There's no need to panic if distracting thoughts appear.
It's a natural reaction for distracting thoughts to arise, so simply acknowledge them as "distracting thoughts have come up" and confirm that your attention is currently on those thoughts.
Then, gently bring your attention back to your breath.
Repeat this process every time your attention strays from your breath.
7. Open your eyes.
After meditating for a certain period, slowly clench and unclench your hands to move them.
Clasp your hands, palms facing upwards, and stretch your arms towards the ceiling.
Slowly lower your arms and simultaneously open your eyes slowly.
Observe how the sensations in your head and body have changed, then conclude your meditation.
Tips for effective meditation
Once you understand the basic way to meditate, many of you probably want to do it more effectively.
From here, we will explain tips for effective meditation.
Prepare the environment
A crucial tip for effective meditation is to "prepare the environment."
If a beginner tries to focus on their breath in a noisy environment, their attention will easily be diverted by sounds and nearby conversations.
To facilitate concentration as much as possible, it is recommended to meditate in a quiet, undisturbed environment.
The quieter and less stimulating the environment, the easier it is for people to concentrate.
If securing a quiet place is genuinely difficult, you can reduce stimulation by using earplugs or noise-canceling earphones and closing your eyes.
Maintain correct posture
The next important point is to "maintain correct posture."
With a hunched posture, you cannot breathe deeply enough.
This is because in a hunched posture, internal organs such as the lungs are compressed, preventing the ribcage from expanding sufficiently even when you try to breathe deeply, resulting in shallow breathing.
For those unaccustomed to sitting with a straight back, placing a meditation cushion under your buttocks can help beginners stabilize their hips.
When your hips are stable, you can comfortably straighten your back, making it easy to maintain correct posture.
There are several ways to cross your legs when sitting on the floor, so we've summarized each sitting posture and key meditation points in a table.
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Overview |
Points to note |
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Cross-legged |
A sitting posture where you sit with your buttocks on the floor, knees spread to the sides, and legs crossed. Also known as "koza." |
If you have an injury or discomfort in your knees, hip joints, etc., sitting cross-legged may cause pain. |
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Half Lotus Position (Hankafuza) |
A posture where one foot is placed on the opposite thigh. |
Sit on the floor and place one foot on the opposite thigh. Since only one foot is placed on the thigh, this sitting posture is relatively easy even for those with stiff joints. |
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Full Lotus Position (Kekkafuza) |
A posture where both feet are placed on the opposite thighs. |
Sit on the floor and place each foot on the opposite thigh. For those with stiff joints, this posture tends to be unstable, so it is recommended to start by getting used to the Half Lotus position. This posture is very difficult for those with poor flexibility in their ankles, knees, and hip joints. |
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Chair sitting |
A posture of sitting on a chair. It is characterized by easily stabilizing the lower back and straightening the spine. |
Sitting shallowly without leaning on the backrest makes it easier to straighten your back. Since it places less strain on the ankles and knees, it is recommended for those with concerns about leg joints such as knees. |
There are various sitting postures, but it is good to start with a comfortable posture that does not strain you.
This is because if you choose a painful or unstable sitting posture, you will struggle to maintain the posture and will not be able to concentrate on meditation.
What are the benefits of meditation?
Meditation is said to have the following effects:
Mindfulness meditation in particular has been proven effective through research.
● Enhance concentration (increase frontal lobe theta waves)
● Improve sleep quality (increase sleep satisfaction)
● Ease strong feelings of anxiety and fear (weaken the function of the default mode network)
More and more people are practicing meditation daily in anticipation of these effects.
However, if you focus too much on the effects, it can become a distraction, so it's best to think of them as a byproduct.
Effective Meditation Practices | Tips for Practice by Purpose
When practicing meditation in daily life, the most effective methods vary slightly depending on your purpose.
Here are tips for effectively practicing meditation for the following three purposes:
When you want to increase concentration at work
Meditation also has the effect of increasing concentration.
When meditating at work, it is effective to do so in a quiet place where you can be alone, such as a break room or meeting room.
If you are meditating in the lotus position, which can be unstable, it is recommended to use a meditation cushion to easily maintain a correct posture.
For increasing concentration, short meditation sessions are more effective than long ones.
After meditation, your level of arousal may decrease, and you might feel a bit hazy.
In such cases, when finishing meditation, it helps to thoroughly perform release movements like opening and closing your hands or interlocking your hands and stretching upwards to feel refreshed.
Additionally, using stimulating essential oils like rosemary or mint after meditation, which promote alertness and concentration, can also be beneficial.
When you want to improve sleep quality
Research shows that meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is associated with relaxation, and can improve sleep satisfaction.
To improve sleep quality by meditating before bed, it is recommended to do so in a supine position.
If your neck or shoulders are unstable, you might exert unnecessary force, so use a pillow that suits your body or place a meditation cushion under your head and neck to stabilize their position.
Sometimes, pain in the body, such as lower back pain, can occur when lying on your back.
In such cases, it is fine to meditate in a comfortable position that causes less pain.
Generally, lying on your side or placing a meditation cushion or pillow under your knees and bending them slightly can reduce strain on your lower back.
Additionally, it is even better to diffuse relaxing essential oils such as true lavender or sandalwood.
When you want to relax
When you are stressed or anxious, your body tends to tense up.
Meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing you to easily enter a state of relaxation.
Furthermore, when stressed or anxious, "rumination" (hansu-shiko), which involves repeatedly thinking about stressful or anxious situations, is likely to occur.
Anxiety and stress activate the brain's default mode network (DMN), intensifying these emotions, tensing the body and mind, and consuming a lot of energy.
To calm anxiety, it is important to reduce the activity of the default mode network and stop ruminative thinking.
Meditation is expected to have the effect of calming the default mode network (DMN) and alleviating ruminative thinking.
When you want to relax both your mind and body, it is recommended to meditate in a quiet and private environment, such as a private room, where you won't be disturbed.
Additionally, to promote relaxation during meditation, it is effective to remove or loosen restrictive items such as belts, ties, and watches.
For women, loosening bras and other adjustable undergarments can enhance relaxation.
If noise is an issue, using earplugs or noise-canceling headphones is also an option.
When body tension makes it difficult to maintain a stable posture, placing a meditation cushion under your hips or against your lower back can help you achieve a correct posture more easily, release unnecessary tension, and relax.
For even deeper relaxation, using essential oils or incense known for their relaxing effects is also recommended.
Also, if you want to meditate in a sauna, using a meditation cushion that can also be used in saunas makes it easy to maintain the correct posture.
Summary
This article has explained in detail how beginners can easily meditate and the benefits of meditation.
When you practice meditation, you will often experience a feeling of mental clarity and relaxation.
Even if you don't immediately feel such effects, continued practice will gradually allow you to experience them.
Refer to the tips for enhancing effects and practice methods by purpose introduced in this article, and practice meditation repeatedly.
ZAF is a brand that aims to help more people practice Zazen, meditation, and mindfulness, which have scientifically proven effects on the brain, to confront their own existence and strive for a better society.
We have redesigned the "Zazen Zabuton," a traditional Buddhist tool used by monks for Zazen, to suit modern lifestyles.
Utilize a meditation cushion that allows even beginners to easily achieve the correct meditation posture, and fully enjoy the benefits of meditation.
Reference: Yoshida, Masao. Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation. WAVE Publishing. 2020.
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