Easy Meditation Techniques for Beginners


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Easy meditation techniques for beginners: without knots in your legs, without a group or a teacher.

Your daily life teaches meditation. Once or twice a day take a break and watch yourself breathing in and out.

life is meditation

The way of Zen

Do it like this !

Stop talking. Just watch your breath.

Breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out... and watch it!..

That's the easiest meditation there is! Try it!

But isn't there more? Other meditation techniques for beginners or other meditation practices?

I asked this cigar-smoking, famous Zen Master on the left.

Perhaps sleeping or eating meditation? He says.

A bit strange, the Master's response, isn't it?

I think he simply means:
  • Your whole life is meditation! ...ok?

  • Look for the basics of meditation for beginners. It's essential for all easy meditation techniques. ...ok, fine!

  • Meditation practices are the the Heart of Zen! ... right?

Ancient meditation masters also recommended walking, standing and sitting as daily meditation practices.

Walk somewhere and meditate, stand somewhere and meditate, sit somewhere and watch your breath; that's what meditation is about!

Walking Meditation


Many people like walking. Meditate while you spend some time walking!
Chose a quiet area: in a park, in your garden or somewhere in nature.

walking meditation

The Way of Zen

Walk slowly; concentrate on your moving, your breath calming down; focus on each step and PLEASE, PLEASE, don't close your eyes!
One leg is dead but raised off the ground. Only the other leg stays on the ground and carries the whole body weight.

You feel a bit insecure?
Like a toddler who is just learning to walk?
Don't bother!

The raised leg comes down again and, for a short moment, both legs are on the ground before the other one is raised in its turn.

Walk as slowly as you can. If possible walk in dark socks. Feel where you're walking, step by step.

Walking meditation reminds you of the complicated task of walking on two legs that you once learned as a child.

You felt insecure, you fell, you hurt yourself, and you got up and tried again and again.
That's what you do in Zen meditation!

Stay with your walking meditation as long as you like. At the end take a deep breath and walk at your normal speed.

Standing meditation


Your stressful work makes it impossible even to go for a stroll? But very often you have to stop somewhere, waiting for a train or a bus, in a queue to enter an abstract Zen art gallery somewhere.

Make your boring standing an easy meditation technique. Turn your mind inside. Catch your breathing and stand silently in meditation ....

standing meditation
Daily Zen Meditation

"... feel the weight of your body pressing your legs to the ground. Your feet seem to sink in.
Concentrate on this feeling and close your eyes slightly.

Not too much otherwise you could lose your balance and wake up in hospital.

Breathing in, breathing out, breathing in, breathing out. Watch your breath working for you."

That's one of a simple meditation techniques for beginners. You can do it anywhere, at any time.

Just before you want to move on take a deep breath. After a first little step you are out of standing meditation.


Sitting Meditation


Sit upright on a bench in a park or in the underground, on a chair in your office or at home. Keep your hands in your lap or on your knees and watch your breathing.

Don't move, don't talk for a while, keep your eyes one third open and try to turn your mind silently inside.... It's impossible.

Your mind is running and looking around, talking all the time, producing emotions and images all the time.

mind control
mind concentration


What to do?

Many Zen masters recommend cross-legged sitting as an easy meditation technique to silence the mind. Try, try again!
"Zen doesn't need sitting cross-legged on a cushion. This type of yoga meditation is not at all easy to learn and quite painful, not only for beginners.
The pain increases the noise of your mind."
Treat your mind patiently and gently. Your thoughts and feelings come and go, like white clouds in the mountains.

When you lose the focus on breathing, just come back to it. Your breathing mind is always at hand.