One of the nice things about meditation is that we don’t need to know very much – we are not filling the mind with knowledge and technique but rather unlearning, emptying the mind entirely. Nor is there any dogma or belief system required – you only need to feel that you yourself can blossom into something more, that the nice qualities in your nature or the moments of peace in your life can be greatly multiplied.
The first secret here is sincerity – no matter how busy or demanding your outer life may be you need to commit to a regular daily time to practice.
Start by creating a focal place at home where this practice can become established by:
- Find a corner of your room or a small space that feels right.
- Set up a low table with a clean cloth over it.
- Place there a candle in a holder and a flower or two in a vase.
- Add one or two personal items if you wish – a photo of a spiritual master, some prayer beads, a meditation statue, whatever connects you to the feeling of spirit.
- You can sit there on a cushion, on a meditation stool or on a chair – whatever suits you. Ideally you should sit about one metre back, at eye level.
- Find some incense that you like as well – this creates a special feeling and adds a little of the ritual and the sacred to your practice.
- Simple, meditative music – a bamboo flute, a single voice singing a slow, peaceful song – can also surround us in an atmosphere of tranquility that quietens the mind, opens the heart. Every little thing like this will help us to get started.