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First, find a quiet place and sit comfortably with your back straight. You may either use a chair or sit cross-legged on a pillow on your bed or the floor.
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Take several deep, cleansing breaths through your nose, breathing into your abdomen so that your belly expands like a balloon, and exhaling fully. Then let your breath return to normal. Deep breathing helps begin the relaxation process and can be used any time during the day to reduce stress.
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Spend a minute or two getting relaxed. Feel the tension draining from your muscles one body part at a time, starting with your head and face and finishing with your toes.
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When you are ready, on your next in-breath count silently to yourself, "one." When you exhale, think, "two." Inhale, "three." Exhale, "four," and so on. Alternatively, you can use a single word repeated during each exhalation, like "peace," "soft," "light," or "God." For example, inhale, exhale, think "peace." Inhale, exhale, think "peace."
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Continue counting your breaths or repeating a mantra without allowing any intruding thoughts to distract you. This includes any thought other than the counting of your breaths or repeating a mantra. Any time you realize your attention has wandered, gently but firmly return to your meditative practice. If you are practicing counting your breaths, begin over again from "one" every time you have to return to your practice.
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Use this exercise for 5 to 30 minutes twice a day. If you experience excess strain or anxiety while practicing that does not go away after a few minutes, that is a good time to end your meditation.
While meditating, try not to think about the past or future, but remain focused on the present moment and the simple practice of counting your breaths or repeating your mantra. Pay particular attention to the gentle, quiet spaces between breaths, and try to allow yourself to go more deeply into them. There is a sense of pure awareness that can be experienced through this practice, and it is this space that leads to the most profound realizations. Most important, focus on relaxing deeply, as if you are sinking into yourself, toward the deepest center of your being.
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