Learn How to Meditate for Self-Improvement, Joy, and Inner Peace!

So you want to learn how to meditate? What you’ll find here are the nuts and bolts of meditation practice, largely influenced by the Zen method, which is viewed by many as the most direct form of meditation.

It also has the benefit of being rooted in a form of Buddhism (Mahayana) that stressed the fact that medition and Buddhim were something anyone could practice and integrate into their lives. They were not only for monks and monasteries!

Some modern teachers have suggested that any activity when engaged in with the right attitude and state of mind can viewed as a form of meditation. However, sitting meditation is widely accepted as the primary and most effective form of meditation for several reasons.

Sitting meditation and meditation that involves breathing practices are universal techniques that can be found across all meditation disciplines and Buddhist practices. But sitting meditation can be a challenge. Many of us have occupations and lead lifestyles that require long hours indoors and in the office or workplace setting. Often, the last thing we want to do is to sit more!

Our need to balance our home life, our health, and our work make it difficult for us to find time to learn how to meditate and maintain our practice. Many of us work long hours and have only a few moments to ourselves on a given day. However, what we learn as we begin to meditate is that it is precisely because of our busy, hectic lives that we need to practice. Meditation provides a method to transform everday experiences into a running stream of awareness!

If we want to learn how to meditate, we should bear in mind that meditation is not simply another hobby or activity that we are adding to our schedule. If that is our approach, it simply won’t work. Meditation requires a commitment to a practice that anchors our life and allows us to deeply experience the everyday activities that we often do unconsciously.

The great news for us is that meditation practices have constantly evolved and adapted to fit the needs of various societal circumstances over hundreds of years. We have the teachers, communities, teachings, retreats, and practice centres available to us to make it work even in our modern day lifestyle.

Please explore the links below for everything you need to get started with your meditation practice

The You-Can-Meditate.com Store is a great source for books on Zen, Insight, Tibetan and other forms of meditation, as well as meditation supplies such as cushions, MP3 downloads, audiobooks and much more. Click here to explore these resources