Meditation Made Easy With Cathlene

How to Meditate by Kathleen McDonald is a comprehensive and practical guide to meditation, described as 'the next best thing to private instruction'. The book is divided into six parts, covering topics such as why meditate, what is meditation, advice for beginners, posture, and common problems. It also provides instructions for different types of meditations, including meditations on the mind, analytical meditations, visualisation meditations, and prayers and other devotional practices. McDonald's approach is warm and encouraging, making this book an excellent resource for anyone looking to begin or maintain a meditation practice.

Finding a peaceful, distraction-free space

Look for a Quiet and Peaceful Space: Seek out a quiet location that is free from distractions. When at home, this may be a quiet room or a meditation corner. When travelling or in public, look for spaces that offer a sense of stillness and peace, such as a quiet corner in an airport, an unbooked conference room, or even an alleyway with a calming view.

Create a Familiar and Comforting Atmosphere: Bring a small piece of your usual meditation space with you when travelling. This could be a meditation cushion, a special blanket, a candle, or a meaningful object that reminds you of your home practice space. Having something familiar can help you feel more relaxed and grounded in your temporary meditation space.

Utilize Soothing Music or Nature Sounds: When in an unfamiliar or noisy environment, use music or nature sounds to create a calming atmosphere. Download soothing music or nature sounds, such as rainforest sounds or gentle waves, to help you relax and block out any unwanted noise. Even a few minutes of listening to these sounds can help ease you into your meditation practice.

Find a Space that Resonates with You: Sometimes, you may find peace in unexpected places. Keep an open mind and explore different locations to discover unique and surprising spots for your meditation practice. Whether it's a quiet corner in a busy city or a secluded spot in nature, let your intuition guide you to spaces that resonate with you and provide a sense of calm.

By following these tips, you can create a peaceful and distraction-free space for your meditation practice, even when you are away from your usual meditation area. Remember, with a little creativity and intention, you can transform any space into a sacred and calming environment for your meditation journey.

Getting into a comfortable position

• Wear comfortable and loose clothing. It is important to feel physically comfortable during meditation, so wear clothes that are not too tight or restrictive.
• Choose a quiet and peaceful environment. Find a place where you won't be interrupted and avoid any external distractions such as phones, TVs, or noisy appliances. You can also play calming music or nature sounds in the background.
• Decide on the duration of your meditation. As a beginner, you can start with shorter meditation sessions, such as 5 to 10 minutes, and gradually increase the duration over time.
• Do some light stretching before you begin. Meditation often involves sitting in one position for an extended period, so it is helpful to release any tension in your body beforehand. Focus on stretching your neck, shoulders, lower back, and legs.
• Sit in a comfortable position. You can sit on a cushion, chair, or meditation bench, with or without crossing your legs. The traditional lotus position is an option, but it may be uncomfortable for those with less flexibility. The goal is to find a posture that allows you to sit with a balanced, tall, and straight spine.
• Straighten your spine and relax your torso. Once you are seated, focus on each vertebra in your spine, visualizing them balancing one on top of the other to support the weight of your upper body. Relax any areas of tension while maintaining good posture.
• Close your eyes if it helps with focus and relaxation. As a beginner, it is often easier to meditate with closed eyes to avoid visual distractions. However, as you become more experienced, you can try meditating with your eyes open, gazing softly without focusing on any particular object.

Focusing on your breath

• Find a comfortable place to sit.
• Set a timer for a short time, such as five or ten minutes.
• Feel your breath. Follow the sensation of your breath as it goes in and as it goes out.
• Notice when your mind has wandered. Inevitably, your attention will leave the breath and wander to other places. When you get around to noticing that your mind has wandered—in a few seconds, a minute, five minutes—simply return your attention to the breath.
• Be kind to your wandering mind. Don’t judge yourself or obsess over the content of the thoughts you find yourself lost in. Just come back.
• Close with kindness. When you’re ready, gently lift your gaze (if your eyes are closed, open them). Take a moment and notice any sounds in the environment. Notice how your body feels right now. Notice your thoughts and emotions.

Observing your thoughts without judgement

When observing your thoughts without judgement, you are practising noticing your thoughts as they arise, without labelling them as good or bad, right or wrong, or trying to change or suppress them. The goal is to develop a non-reactive, non-judgmental, and accepting attitude towards your thoughts, allowing them to flow naturally without getting caught up in them.

• Take a few moments to settle into feeling your body as a whole, sitting and breathing, or lying down and breathing. Ride the waves of your breath, moment by moment, resting in awareness. This awareness includes the entirety of your body and breath as they express themselves.
• When you're ready, let go of your breath and body, allowing them to recede into the background while inviting your thoughts, feelings, and mood states to be centre stage.
• Pay attention to the stream of thoughts rather than their content or emotional charge. Rest comfortably, allowing thoughts to arise and be seen, felt, recognised, and known as mental events independent of their content.
• See these thoughts as bubbles, eddies, and currents within a stream, rather than facts. They are fleeting, like clouds in the sky or bubbles in a pot of boiling water.
• Let any and all thoughts come and go. Do the same with sounds and sensations, not preferring some over others, nor pursuing any of them. Just rest in an awareness of the thinking itself and the spaces between thoughts.
• Be sensitive to the steady stream of commentary and advice you give yourself. Recognise it and turn down its sound, so you're just watching without being sucked into the endless stream of commentary, interpretation, and opinion.
• Notice how easily thoughts manufacture views, opinions, ideas, beliefs, plans, memories, and stories, and how they proliferate. If we feed them, one thought can morph into the next and the next until we realise we've been carried downstream and are no longer aware of the stream itself.
• Keep coming back to the present moment, the field of thought itself, beyond all the content of endless thinking and the emotions that accompany them.
• Allow all of this to be held in bare attention, moment by moment, breath by breath. Rest in this awareness and let thoughts, feelings, and mood indicators come to you. Let them arise on their own in the field of awareness.

Remember, observing your thoughts without judgement doesn't mean you have to do nothing and let the thought linger. Instead, gently bring your attention back to observing your thoughts without judgement. Over time, this practice can help you cultivate greater self-awareness, reduce stress, and develop a more balanced relationship with your thoughts.

Being kind to your wandering mind

It is perfectly normal for your mind to wander during meditation. In fact, it is inevitable. You may find yourself thinking about the past or the future, or simply daydreaming. This is what minds do.

When you notice that your mind has wandered, gently bring your attention back to your breath. You can congratulate yourself for noticing and returning to the present moment.

Try not to judge yourself or obsess over the content of your thoughts. Instead, be kind to your wandering mind. You can bring a quality of kindliness to your awareness by seeing each moment of mind-wandering as an opportunity to bring patience and gentle curiosity to your meditation practice.

Remember that meditation is a practice. It takes patience and kindness towards yourself. Over time, you will become more aware of your thoughts and feelings and how they tend to move in particular patterns. With practice, an inner balance will develop.

Frequently asked questions