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How to Meditate

Meditation sits at the center of Buddhist practice, not as a relaxation technique, but as a direct way of training and examining the mind. Below are five foundational practices, each with a simple step-by-step guide you can try today, no experience required.

Before you sit

1

Find a quiet spot

You don't need silence, just a place you won't be interrupted for the length of your sit.

2

Sit with a straight, easy spine

Cross-legged on a cushion, kneeling, or upright in a chair. Comfort matters more than the “correct” posture.

3

Set a gentle timer

Start with 5–10 minutes. A soft bell at the start and end removes the temptation to check the clock.

4

Let go of a goal

Meditation isn't about achieving a blank mind. Noticing you've wandered, and returning, is the practice itself.

Five core practices

Ānāpānasati

Mindfulness of breathing

Found across nearly every Buddhist tradition

The most foundational Buddhist meditation: resting attention on the sensation of the breath to steady and clarify the mind. It's the practice the Buddha himself is recorded to have used the night of his awakening.

  1. 1Sit comfortably with your spine upright but not rigid.
  2. 2Let your eyes close gently or rest half-open, gaze low.
  3. 3Bring attention to the physical sensation of breathing: nostrils, chest, or belly.
  4. 4When the mind wanders, simply notice it wandered, and return to the breath, without judgment.
  5. 5Continue for 5–20 minutes, gradually extending the sitting over time.

Vipassanā

Insight meditation

Theravāda

Once the mind is settled, Vipassanā turns attention toward directly observing experience as it actually is (impermanent, unsatisfying when clung to, and without a fixed self) rather than the story we usually tell about it.

  1. 1Begin with a period of breath-focused settling, as in Ānāpānasati.
  2. 2Widen attention to whatever is most prominent: sound, sensation, thought, emotion.
  3. 3Silently note what arises (“thinking,” “pain,” “heat”) without following the story attached to it.
  4. 4Observe how each experience arises, changes, and passes away on its own.
  5. 5Let go of trying to control what appears; the practice is clear seeing, not calm alone.

Mettā Bhāvanā

Loving-kindness meditation

Practiced across Theravāda and Mahāyāna traditions

A structured practice for cultivating warmth and goodwill, starting with yourself and gradually radiating outward to loved ones, neutral people, difficult people, and finally all beings.

  1. 1Sit quietly and bring to mind a simple phrase, such as “may I be safe, may I be well, may I be at ease.”
  2. 2Silently repeat the phrase, directing it first toward yourself.
  3. 3Bring to mind someone you love, and offer the same phrases to them.
  4. 4Extend the phrases to a neutral person, then to someone you find difficult.
  5. 5Finally, extend the wish outward to all beings, everywhere, without exception.

Zazen

Seated Zen meditation

Zen / Chan

Zen's core practice: sitting in stillness, typically facing a wall, with an upright posture and open, non-grasping awareness. Rather than working toward a goal, zazen is often described as “just sitting”: practice and awakening as one act.

  1. 1Sit in a stable cross-legged position (or on a chair), spine long, hands resting in your lap.
  2. 2Keep your eyes open, gaze softly lowered a few feet ahead.
  3. 3Let the breath settle naturally, without forcing its rhythm.
  4. 4Let thoughts arise and pass without pursuing or suppressing them.
  5. 5Sit for a fixed period, often marked by a bell at the start and end.

Kinhin

Walking meditation

Practiced across most traditions between sitting periods

A slow, deliberate walking practice used to carry meditative awareness into movement, often done between periods of seated meditation to keep the mind alert and the body comfortable.

  1. 1Choose a quiet stretch of path, indoors or out.
  2. 2Walk slower than usual, noticing the lift, movement, and placement of each foot.
  3. 3Coordinate attention with the breath if it feels natural, without forcing a rhythm.
  4. 4When the mind wanders, gently return attention to the sensations of walking.
  5. 5Use it as a bridge between formal sitting and ordinary daily movement.

Let Bodhi guide the sit

Timers, teacher-led audio, and gentle reminders for every practice on this page, right in your pocket.

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