How to Start Meditating

The word "meditation" no longer solely invokes images of idyllic monks who sit cross-legged on the floor of an ornately decorated temple on the other side of the world. The number of people who meditate in the US continues to grow exponentially. Not everyone who wants to try meditation does so immediately. Some people from certain religious upbringings have been taught to avoid all "Eastern" practices, including meditation. Other people simply don't want to make the time. Luckily, deciding whether or not you want to start meditating is fairly easy. Just follow these simple steps.

Things You'll Need

• A notebook or scratch paper
• A pen or pencil
• The yellow pages
• A means of transportation (optional)
• Access to a telephone (optional)

Instructions

1. Write down everything you have heard about meditation that has made you want to try it. Buy a small journal for this, or use a notebook or other scratch paper. Be specific, such as "I heard that meditation can reduce stress," "My friend meditates and she likes it" or "I heard that meditation is spiritual." Use a paragraph or list form. Start writing and don't stop until you've listed all of the reasons that you want to start meditating.

2. Research meditation. Go to your local library and look up "meditation" in the card catalog or library computer system. You do not need to look at every book on meditation. Nor should you do a significant amount of reading, unless you so desire. You just need to get some basic information and take down a few notes in your journal, notebook or on scratch paper. Note: If this step sounds like a total bore to you, you can skip to Step 3 instead.

3. Call a few meditation centers in your area. Just open the yellow pages and look under "Meditation." Alternative listings might be found under categories like "Meditation Instruction" or "Meditation Organizations." Your call may be transferred to the meditation teacher. Tell whomever you speak with that you would like to learn more about meditation. Engage with the flow of the conversation and see where it goes.
   Note: If you are afraid of calling people on the phone or don't want to do this step for any other reason, you can simply do Step 2 instead.

4. Review your notes. Read over what you wrote about your interest in meditation. Spend time considering what your library and/or interview research taught you. Has your research increased your interest in meditation? Or have you decided that perhaps meditation is not for you? Write a brief summary about what you have learned so far.

5. List the pros and cons for exploring meditation. Rely on your notes, research and intuition. First, list all of the pros for starting a meditation practice. For example, you might write "Reduce Stress." Then, list the cons for beginning meditation, like "Have to find time to meditate in an already busy life." Next, list all of the pros for not starting a meditation practice. You might say "I don't have to make any extra time for something new." Last, list the cons for not starting a meditation practice. For example, you might write, "I won't be able to find out if meditation can reduce my stress or not."

6. Compare and contrast your pros and cons. You might even rank the top three in each category. Then compare your top ranked pros and cons. Which seem more important to you? Do your pros for starting a meditation practice seem more important than the cons? For example, if you listed "Reduce Stress" as a pro for starting meditation and "I won't be able to find out if meditation can reduce my stress or not" as a con for not beginning; which holds more weight for you? By now, you should have a very clear idea about whether or not you want to start meditating.

7. Decide whether or not to start meditating, based on your pros, cons and all of your research. You should have a very strong feeling one way or the other.