How to meditate: 10 important tips

1. Posture
Whether you sit on a chair or cross-legged on the floor, make sure that your spine is upright with head up. Mind and body are intertwined. If your body is well-balanced, your mind will also be in balance.

2. Eyes
Try and keep you eyes open. Just lower your eyes and let your gaze be sort. If you close your eyes you will be more likely to drift away on thoughts and stories. However, it's important to do what is comfortable for you. It's good to experiment and see what feels best for you.

3. Focus
To focus in meditation means to pay soft attention to whatever you place in the centre of awareness. I suggest using the breath as a focus. It’s like a natural door that connects ‘inside’ and ‘outside’.

4. The breath
Paying attention to the breath is a great way to anchor yourself in the present moment. Notice your breath streaming in and out. There’s no need to regulate the breath -- just let it be natural.

5. Counting your breath
If you are having difficulties settling, you can try counting the breath -- which is an ancient meditation practice. On your outbreath, silently count "one", then "two", and up to "four". Then return to "one".

6. Thoughts
When you notice thoughts, gently let them go by returning yous focus to the breath. Don’t try and stop thoughts; this will just make you feel agitated.

7. Emotions
It’s difficult to settle into meditation if you are struggling with strong emotions.
The way to deal with strong emotions in meditation is to focus on the body feelings that accompany the emotion. For example, this could be the tight band of fear around the chest or the hot roiling of anger in the belly. Let go of the stories and refocus on your body. In this way you are honouring your emotions but not becoming entangled in stories.

8. Silence
Silence is healing. I know that there are is a lot of ‘meditation music’ around, but nothing beats simple silence. When we sit in silence we actually get to experience what our mind is doing. There is steadiness and calmness that comes from sitting in silence.

9. Length
Start with 10 minutes and only sit longer if you feel that that is too short. Don’t force yourself to meditate longer if you are not ready to do that. Do what feels right for you!

10. Place
It’s lovely to create a special place to sit. Maybe light a candle, find stones, or seashells, or flowers that speak to you.

... and last, but not the least, enjoyment!

Most of all it's important to enjoy meditation. You might like to try sitting with a hint of a smile. Be kind to yourself. Start sitting just a little each day. It’s helpful to establish a daily habit.