It’s All About Posture, My Friends
Stand up straight young lady (or man). Isn’t that what mom always told you? Well, she was right. You may have heard it from your parents or teachers growing up, but as you learn to meditate your good posture will really pay off. You see, meditation is all about aligning your body, mind and spirit, and you really can’t do that with a slumped over posture. I know, it sounds all weird and new-agey, but it’s really true.
Even if you don’t believe the spiritual reasons, you must believe the physical ones. When you meditate you must be able to clear your mind completely, which means that you shouldn’t be focusing on any discomfort. Sitting with a poorly aligned back for a long period of time can surely cause discomfort that you might feel at the moment, but it also might cause permanent damage that you’ll feel months or even years later.
So, to protect yourself from wandering thoughts and damaging habits, be sure that you are always sitting properly. Here are a few tips:
- As soon as you sit down, roll your shoulders up, and then back. Imagine yourself sticking your shoulder blades into your back pockets. They won’t go back that far (I hope), but it’ll be impossible for you to slouch.
- Imagine that someone has attached a string to the very top of your head, and they are pulling you up. As you lift your head slightly your spine will lengthen, and more importantly, straighten. Your chin will be slightly pointed outward and your neck will be straight.
- As you meditate, you may start to slump over a bit. If you notice this happening, just go back and do numbers one and two again. This should hold you over for awhile.
The more you practice these tips, the easier it will become. It’ll be like second nature to keep your back straight while meditating.
When I first started getting into meditation, I found it rather difficult. So, I sought help from one of the monks at a local Chan monastery. My husband and I had attended a few group meditations there already, so I felt comfortable asking for help. He’s actually a really cool and down-to-earth guy who really understands the pressures of everyday life. In fact, before deciding to change his life and get involved with Buddhism, he went to college to learn 
There are so many great reasons to get started with meditation; you’ve probably heard about the studies that have shown the positive emotions that are associated with those who meditate on a regular basis. People who meditate are calmer and
Meditation is an exercise that often changes your perspective on life. Through meditation, you learn how to quiet the mind, which essentially puts a lid on those harmful wandering thoughts (e.g., Why did I say that? What does he think of me now?). Meditation forces you to “live in the now.” It makes you focus on the present moment instead of what just happened or what’s going to happen in the future.
If you’ve ever paid attention to the way you think, you might notice how your thoughts jump around constantly – from one idea to another. In fact, your mind gets little rest except when you’re between dreams. There are different types of mediation, but to put it simply: Meditation means to rest the mind. Meditation, when done on a regular basis, has been shown to reduce high blood pressure, stress and anxiety. Concentrating on a particular area of the body can also cause the blood to flow more freely, which results in increased oxygen and nutrients flowing to your vital organs.
My house is a pretty quiet place most of the time, so I don’t have too much trouble finding a quiet corner to sit and meditate for 10 minutes. It also helps that I work from home, so I’m by myself for much of the day. Aside from the animals and the occasional door-to-door salesman or delivery, I don’t have many distractions to contend with. But, I know my situation is unique and I’m pretty lucky to have some alone time. Most of my friends have very busy and bustling households and they find it difficult to get that 10 minutes without distraction. One friend in particular comes to mind. She’s a 
I don’t recommend getting crazy about choosing a meditation pillow for those who are new to meditation in the first place. In the early stages, it’s most important that you get used to the process and really begin to understand the importance of meditating. It’s not really a time to invest in equipment. Think about it, if you wanted to learn to play the piano, wouldn’t it be best to practice technique on an old keyboard before investing in a baby grand? You really want to make sure you can include meditation in your life before you start going out and buying stuff. But, for those of you who are already comfortable with meditating, it might be time to at least start thinking about the type of pillow that’ll work best for you.
Our bodies really haven’t much from the early days of evolution over a thousand years ago, but one thing has changed, and that’s our level of stress. You might think that those in the early days had more stress than we do. You’d be right in thinking that the stress was more extreme. They often had wild animals chasing them through the forest with no plan of escape. In contrast, our stress seems a little silly. But, nonetheless to our bodies, the response is very similar.
You’ll also want to find an instructor who makes you feel comfortable. It doesn’t matter how many years he or she has been teaching if you’re made to feel uncomfortable while you’re learning. Your instructor should take an interest in your form, but not make you feel embarrassed for trying something that you haven’t gotten down just yet. Although it’s important to find someone you click with, try not to be judgmental about your instructor’s appearance. He or she should be fit enough to teach the class, but that’s about it. She can be young or old, light-skinned or dark-skinned, natural or covered in 
I’m a pretty big advocate of meditation, even though I don’t meditate as often as I know I should. So, my friends often look to me for advice. I’m not really an expert of any kind, but I do meditate more than any of them do, so I guess that makes me the de facto expert of the group. Anyway, one of the questions I get asked the most, aside from 
