Start

It is better one starts when one is relaxed. In case one is in the heavy stress or in agitation it is difficult to start. Then it is better to use other means such as physical activity to achieve relaxation and then start meditation. Later the meditation should not allow stress or agitation. So it is a question of right moment to start.

Location

The location should be quiet but if not possible any location will suite.

Position

The position of the meditation should be sitting. The easiest is to seat in a chair with a back support. One can use a pillow to adjust back position.  Sit on a chair, preferably the back should be vertical.  If comfortable one can sit with the legs a crossed but for westerners not used to such position the blood circulation may be impeded.  Laying position is not OK while at the relaxed state one can get into sleep what is absolutely not a meditation. 

Session length and periodicity

The meditation should ideally last 20 minutes. Two sessions at 20 minutes should be exercised.  Initially one can starts with the 10 minutes sessions. If one omits, forgets or defers meditation, there is no problem. One session in the morning one at the evening – better before eating. 10 minutes will also be OK. One can start with any length. If one or more sessions omitted that OK. 

Meditations session

Typical approach to meditation would be to imagine the head as a room. The ears are the room windows and the thoughts which arise could be seen as “clouds” or “birds” which come through one window (ear) and traverse the room (head) from one window (ear) to the other and disappear in the distance.

One should not dwell too much on the passing clouds/birds i.e. thoughts/feelings but observe them and let them move as they want. The idea is to observe not to analyze or classify. Inevitably sometimes more often, sometimes less often, one will lose a distance to thoughts/feelings and then get engaged (carried away) in analysis or evaluation or imagine consequences or follow up or worries or action planning etc. If one gets carried away, one should not be discouraged but return to mantra.

Mantra is a word to which one returns and which should recreate (not your not a will) a distance to the passing thoughts, it should put you in a position of the observer and thus reinforce the right framework, that is, “there are many thoughts and feelings but they are not the reality as long as they are treated what they are i.e. thoughts and feelings and without action they don’t have an impact on daily life”.

During the whole mediation one should repeat, (keep in mind a mantra word.)  My mantra was SHEERING. One shouldn’t forcefully concentrate on mantra just repeat quietly in mind – not pronounce loud. The forgetting to concentrate on the mantra indicates that one got “engaged” in the thoughts. Slowly return to mantra and the observation framework will reappear.

Some understandings and misunderstandings

·       Meditation is not a relaxation

·       Meditation is not an effort

·       Meditation is not leading into sleep

·       Meditation has not a defined course

·       Anything can subjective can happen in the mediation

·       Meditation may have different content and course from week to week

·       There is no predefined state or feelings one should pursue

·       On should not make any judgment if meditation session was good or bad