I have read some instructables here on the site about how to meditate, and I hope that this one will match those that have already made a good impression. My intention is to bring forward the practice of meditate with all of it`s benefits. I have to say that my life has changed in a positive way after I discovered and begun to practice meditation. It can be practiced by everyone, no matter the religion, race, entity etc. Let`s begin.

Step 1: Purpose of Meditation

Meditation is a spiritual activity! Ancient people, who discovered and perfected meditation, have practiced it for spiritual improvement and advancement. The most common and known example of a man who used meditation properly is The Buddha. He realized the importance of “self insight” and understanding the world around you, with all of its events, behaviors, feelings, phenomena etc.

He observed the problems which he encountered in his days and instead of searching for answers from other people, he sat quietly at the root of a tree and began to look inward for answers. Humble and wise, he began to be more and more popular among the town’s people until he has grown to be one of the greatest teachers of all time.

Now the reason for which I told you this story is because I want you to understand that meditation is a spiritual activity and it should be used for spiritual growth primarily. The most common desires that people have these days is to be rich, drive nice cars, have fancy houses and all sort of “false happiness”, and they think they can reach those things through meditation, which is wrong. Of course everybody should live on a civilized level, with a stable home, a car to use and a good financial state, but for this you have to work hard and grow in other categories of your life.

Meditation should be used to understand the people around you better, to improve your knowledge and the way you perceive the world. Also it must be used for self improvement, to learn more about yourself and become a better person, without selfishness, egoism, hatred and all the unwanted characteristics which a man can hold that are destroying the world in which we live in.

So to practice and enjoy the benefits of meditation, choose your purpose wisely and nothing can go wrong!

Step 2: Getting Started

Searching the web I came across some articles which were telling me what I should use while I am meditating, what I should buy in order to mediate successfully and many other things used ONLY as commercial advices and which had nothing to do with real meditation. In order to meditate successfully, you don`t really need many things, except a quiet place and some minutes of your time.

You can do it at home, in a quiet room which can offer you intimacy, warmth and comfort. As a long time practitioner of meditation I recommend meditating in nature, in places with clean air, quietness, natural colors or places where you can feel the warmth of the sun and admire the clarity of the sky (big city parks, mountains, hills etc). I know that you can`t always practice meditation in those particular areas, but once or twice a week it is good to have such an experience with nature.

You can practice meditation everywhere. As long as there is peace, quietness and privacy you can perform your session of meditation.

Step 3: Body Position

Now after you find the ideal place to begin meditating, you must find a comfortable position in which you will feel relaxed and allow the energy to pass through all of your body parts. As you probably already know, the best position to practice meditation is the Lotus position (showed in the pictures above). But not everybody can practice this position and feel relaxed at the same time. Most people feel tension in their leg joints, others suffer from different diseases or they are not flexible enough to stay in the Lotus position.

The purpose of the body position is to help you feel relaxed, but also, your spine must be straight, so that it will allow you to breathe properly. So if you feel uncomfortable in the Lotus position, you can try any other body posture in which you will find the optimum position to practice your meditation. All that is important is that you must feel completely relaxed and breathe properly.

Step 4: Thoughts and Awareness

Now after you found the proper body position, you must know that the eyes are doors of the mind, so the next step is to slowly close your eyes and begin your meditation. After your body is completely relaxed and your eyes are closed,your consciousness jumps immediately to your mind and intellect. Now many thoughts and questions, known or unknown, may come into your mind, but to transcend them you must bring your awareness to breathing.

Observation is the nature of the self, so you must observe your breathing. You must breathe naturally and calmly, without rushing or slowing down the process. Take long breaths and then slowly exhale, observing the process. Now go back to the purpose of your meditation. For example, if you choose to meditate for peace, try to visualize peace, first in your mind, after in the room or space in which you perform your meditation, in your city, into the persons you know and meet every day and finally into the whole world.

Try to keep your focus on peace and if the mind starts to wonder, bring your awareness back to breathing. You will see that in the first sessions of meditation it will be hard to realize the things mentioned above, but if you are serious and you will stick to this practice you will finally be able to meditate and focus on everything that you desire.

Step 5: The Third Eye (Ajna Chakra) and the Pineal Gland

Now people who are practicing meditation for a good period of time know what I am going to talk about here. After some intense and effective sessions of meditation you will start to feel something in the middle of your forehead, between your eyes (a sensation of tickling) and also a feeling of warmth in your body. This feeling is known as The Third Eye (Ajna Chakra) and it comes from the Pineal gland which is located in the center of the brain, behind the eyes, and above the pituitary gland.

The function of this particular gland has been a mystery for many philosophers. Ancient Greeks believed here was the place where the thoughts are created; others said that this was the seat of the soul, but whatever the meaning is, it is sure that is has some form of connection with the spiritual world.

If you go through any step carefully and practice meditation efficiently for a good period of time, you will be able to activate The Third Eye and feel it`s power in everyday living.

Step 6: Completion

Now after you feel that your meditation session has ended you can slowly open your eyes and feel the positive energy expressed through your meditation. I don`t encourage meditation for a set period of time: 5, 10 etc. minutes; everybody should meditate for how much they feel it is needed. Now bring your awareness back to the daily life and see your thoughts expressing into the world.

Remember what you had meditated for and see the changes in the people with which you interact daily. Believe in yourself and in your power to change the world which we live in. Repeat the session once or twice daily and enjoy the benefits of meditation.