Meditation: A Gentle Practice of Returning to Yourself
Awareness · Practice · Everyday life
Sometimes we sit down to rest, but the mind continues working.
A conversation returns. Tomorrow’s responsibilities arrive early. Even in a quiet room, there can be a surprising amount of movement within us.
Meditation begins by making room to notice that movement. We choose a simple point of attention, recognise when we have wandered, and return.
That return can be gentle.
This guide to meditation draws on John (Jyotish) Novak’s How to Meditate: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Art and Science of Meditation, while offering a short, accessible starting practice. Its emphasis is on comfortable posture, natural breathing, patient attention, and carrying awareness into ordinary life.
What Is Meditation?
Meditation is a family of practices for training attention and exploring experience. Depending on the tradition, the focus might be the breath, a sound, a prayer, bodily sensations, or awareness itself.
For a beginner, the practice can be very simple: sit comfortably, notice one ordinary breath, and remain curious about what happens next.
You will probably think about something else. Noticing this gives you a place to begin again. You do not need to punish yourself for having a mind that thinks.
I see the value of meditation in the quality of attention we bring back to life: how we listen, how we respond, and how honestly we recognise what is happening within us.
A Useful Progression: Settle, Attend, Reflect
Novak describes meditation through relaxation, interiorization, and expansion. His approach comes from the yogic teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda. Within that tradition, meditation has a devotional purpose and may be understood as communion with the Divine.
You can appreciate that context while choosing language that fits your own beliefs. For an introductory practice, these three movements offer a useful orientation.
1. Let the Body Settle
Find a position you can sustain without bracing. Allow the jaw, shoulders, hands, and abdomen to soften. An upright chair is entirely suitable; sitting on the floor is optional.
Stillness is easier to explore when the body has enough support. Adjust your position if you need to.
2. Give Attention a Home
Choose one simple anchor, such as the sensation of breathing at the nostrils. Let the breath find its own rhythm. When attention drifts into a plan or memory, acknowledge that and return to the sensation.
Inward attention can be explored gradually. You remain free to open your eyes, move, or stop.
3. Leave Room for Quiet Reflection
After a few minutes, allow a brief period without adding another task. Notice any steadiness, restlessness, warmth, or ordinary awareness that is present.
Novak’s spiritual language of expansion points toward a larger sense of connection. That is a traditional interpretation, rather than an outcome this guide promises. There is no particular experience you must produce.
How to Begin Meditation: A Five-Minute Practice
Try this when you are somewhere safe and can pause your other activities. The timings are approximate. A shorter practice is fine.
- Arrive — about one minute. Sit on a chair with your feet supported, or use a cushion if comfortable. Rest your hands. Let the spine feel upright without becoming rigid. Keep your eyes softly open or close them if that feels comfortable.
- Notice the breath — about two minutes. Feel the ordinary movement of breathing at the nostrils or abdomen. Choose one place and stay with it. Breathe normally; avoid deliberately slowing, deepening, or holding the breath.
- Return when you notice wandering. A thought may take your attention away many times. Acknowledge it briefly, then return to your anchor. You can silently label the next breath “in” and “out” if this helps.
- Rest — about one minute. Let go of the labels. Notice the body sitting, sounds around you, and whatever mood is present. If this feels too open, stay with your original anchor.
- Reconnect — about one minute. Notice your feet and the room. Move your fingers, open your eyes fully, and stand when ready. Choose one ordinary action to do with care.
If focusing on breathing makes you uneasy, try the feeling of your feet on the floor or a steady sound nearby. You can also end the practice.
The moment you notice that you have wandered is already a moment of awareness.
Preparing for a Regular Practice
Choose a time that fits your actual life. A quiet morning may suit one person; a brief pause after work may suit another. A familiar chair and a modest amount of protected time are enough.
Start with a few minutes that feel manageable. Increase gradually if you want to and if the practice remains comfortable. Longer sessions are optional, and a missed day does not need to become a judgment about your discipline.
Reduce avoidable interruptions. Put the phone aside, loosen restrictive clothing, and use a gentle timer if helpful. You do not need incense, special clothing, a particular direction to face, or a perfectly silent home.
Before sitting, consider a simple intention: “For these few minutes, I will notice and return.” Let that be enough.
Working with Common Difficulties
“My Mind Is Too Busy.”
A busy mind gives you plenty of opportunities to practise returning. Make the session shorter, choose a clear anchor, and soften the expectation that you should feel quiet immediately.
“I Keep Falling Asleep.”
Try sitting more upright, keeping the eyes partly open, or practising at a more alert time. If you are exhausted, attend to your need for rest. Meditation does not replace sleep.
“My Body Hurts.”
Change position. Use a chair, support the feet, or shorten the session. You do not have to endure pain to make the practice meaningful. Persistent pain deserves appropriate professional advice.
“Nothing Special Happens.”
An ordinary session still offers practice in noticing. Look gently at everyday changes over time: whether you listen more fully, recognise tension earlier, or pause before reacting. Avoid turning these observations into another demand for constant improvement.
Spiritual Exploration and Scientific Evidence
The book brings together practical exercises and a spiritual understanding of consciousness. Concepts such as prana, the spiritual eye, and union with the Divine belong to its yogic framework. They should be presented as teachings and interpretations, rather than established medical mechanisms.
Research on some meditation and mindfulness programs suggests possible benefits for stress and certain symptoms, but results vary by practice, population, and study quality. Evidence from a structured clinical mindfulness program cannot automatically establish the effects of every yogic technique. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health provides an overview of effectiveness, limitations, and safety.
There is room for sincere spiritual inquiry and careful discernment together.
When Support Should Come First
Meditation can sometimes bring uncomfortable feelings or experiences into awareness. If you become distressed, disoriented, panicky, or detached from your surroundings, stop. Open your eyes, look around, move gently, and reconnect with familiar surroundings.
If symptoms persist or recur, seek support from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. If you have a history of trauma or an ongoing mental-health condition, discuss suitable practices with your treating clinician, particularly before intensive or prolonged meditation.
The beginner exercise here uses natural breathing. It does not include the book’s breath-retention exercises or attempts to become breathless. Such instructions should not be treated as a requirement for meditation.
What to Expect from Guided Meditation
If you choose to learn with a teacher, begin with a conversation about your intention, previous experience, accessibility needs, and anything that makes sitting or inward attention difficult.
A responsible introduction should explain the practice, offer choices of posture and anchor, allow you to pause, and leave time to return to ordinary awareness. Ask about the teacher’s training and how they respond when a practice causes discomfort.
You should retain choice throughout. There is no need to accept a spiritual explanation, disclose personal experiences, or commit to a package to begin learning.
After Meditation: Carrying Attention into Life
Give yourself a moment before opening messages or rushing to the next task. Notice the room and how you feel. If helpful, write one short observation, without trying to interpret every sensation.
Then choose a small place to practise during the day. Listen to someone without preparing your reply. Notice your feet while waiting. Pause before sending a difficult message.
In Novak’s approach, applying awareness to relationships and work is part of the path. For everyday practice, a useful question is: “What would a more attentive response look like here?”
Frequently Asked Questions About Meditation
Do I Have to Stop Thinking to Meditate?
No. Thoughts can continue. Begin by noticing when attention wanders and returning gently to your chosen anchor.
Can I Meditate in a Chair?
Yes. Sit with adequate support and a comfortable, upright posture. A floor posture is optional.
How Long Should a Beginner Meditate?
A few manageable minutes are a reasonable starting point. The five-minute exercise on this page is optional; shorten it if needed and increase gradually only when comfortable.
Do I Need a Mantra or a Religious Belief?
No. You can begin with ordinary breath sensations, contact with the floor, or sound. Prayer or a mantra may be meaningful within a tradition you choose to explore.
What If Meditation Makes Me Feel Worse?
Stop the practice and reconnect with your surroundings. If distress persists or recurs, speak with a qualified healthcare professional before continuing.
Is Meditation the Same as Past Life Regression?
No. This introductory meditation practises present-moment attention. Past Life Regression is a different guided exploratory process. You can practise meditation without exploring regression or accepting reincarnation.
A Little More Space Within the Day
You do not have to wait until life becomes quiet to begin.
Find a place to sit. Notice what is here. Return when you wander.
And when you get up, let that same patience accompany you into the next conversation, decision, or ordinary task.
For more on my approach, explore consciousness and inner exploration. If you would like to discuss meditation and whether guidance would suit your needs, you are welcome to contact me.
A Note on Scope
This page is educational and supports personal and spiritual exploration. Meditation is complementary and does not replace medical diagnosis, treatment, psychotherapy, prescribed medication, or emergency care. Do not change treatment on the basis of a meditation experience.
Source and Further Reading
John (Jyotish) Novak, How to Meditate: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Art and Science of Meditation, Jaico Publishing House, first Jaico impression 1993; published in arrangement with Crystal Clarity Publishers. This page draws on the supplied edition’s discussions of preparation, relaxation, attention, reflection, and everyday application. The wording and short beginner exercise are original adaptations; this page is not a reproduction of the book’s full method.
For a research-based health overview, see the NCCIH guide to meditation and mindfulness.