Starting Meditation

Have you heard about the benefits of meditation, thought you’d like to try it out, only to be overwhelmed with all of the different types of meditation?

Or maybe you gave it a try but weren’t sure if you were doing it right.

I can relate to both of these scenarios.

My Meditation Journey

I started practicing meditation in 2003, when I was 15 years old. I read an excellent book about Zen Buddhism and the style of meditation called zazen. Eager to try it out, I began meditation in my own following the instructions of the book. The instructions were mostly about what position to sit in and how to keep a good posture. The actual meditation instructions were mostly “just sit, watch the breath”.

I continued practicing in this way for several years: just sitting and watching my breath. I never got the feeling that I was “doing it right” because the instructions were so minimal. I had trouble sitting for more than 5-10 minutes at a time.

Many Styles of Meditation

Eventually I began looking into other forms of meditation, and quickly became overwhelmed.

Should I try transcendental meditation or mindfulness meditation? Should I try mantra meditation or meta meditation? What about guided meditation or walking meditation? How about vipassana meditation or using visualization exercises?

I tried them all, experimenting with each one to see if it worked for me. That is ultimately what I would recommend to others: try out several different methods of meditation and see how it goes for you. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa.

Internal Experiments

In this stage, think of your meditation as an internal experiment. I recommend trying each style that you are interested in, but allowing some time for each one. For example, don’t just try a style of meditation once for 5 minutes and decide it is not for you. Meditation takes time and practice. So maybe commit to doing it for 5-10 minutes every day for 2-4 weeks before you decide it is not for you.

Eventually, I found a style of meditation that works for me. I was interested in Buddhism and meditation for a long time before I began practicing yoga, and was shocked to find that there are many styles of meditation even within the different yoga schools and lineages. Using the right combination of breathing exercises and meditation instructions has helped my practice blossom from a confused 5 minutes per day to the highlight of my mornings.

Setting a Daily Minimum

Once you have found the style that works for you, I recommend committing to a daily practice. This practice does not have to be long: 5-10 minutes is enough. My meditation teacher Forrest Knutson recommends coming up with your “Spiritual Survival” - setting a minimum amount per day and letting your appreciation and love for the practice grow over time. I’ve found this to be very helpful advice.

I will be releasing some meditation videos on my YouTube channel over the next few weeks, so keep an eye out!

If you’d like to learn more or develop your meditation practice further, please contact me. I’m happy to help you begin or continue your meditation journey and develop a practice that fits you.

If you are interested in learning more about meditation or want to practice with me, please consider joining my mailing list by hitting the subscribe button at the top of this page. I offer online and in-person classes as well as private sessions.

About Max:

Max Baker is a certified Yoga Teacher based in Raleigh, NC whose passion is helping people find the tools and the confidence to reconnect with the most authentic version of themselves. He does this through his website, online courses, memberships, and in-person classes.