• Choose a Time

The best time for meditation is early in the morning, immediately after waking up, or just before going to bed.

• Pick a Place

Choose a place where you can be at peace without being disturbed. You can also make the place more relaxing by dimming the lights, lighting an incense and playing some soft, calming music in the background.

• Decide the Length of Your Meditation

It is important to set a goal as to how long you expect yourself to meditate. If you have never meditated before, then it would probably be a good idea to start with as little as 5 minutes. As you begin to get more comfortable with your practice, you can build up the duration to 10 minutes, 15 minutes and later onto 1 hour. Advanced practitioners meditate for one hour or longer. However, it is imperative to take things slowly, as your body and mind are adapting to some acute changes in your lifestyle.

• Adopt a Comfortable Posture

Sitting in the right posture is extremely crucial for your meditation practice. It is recommended that you adopt a posture which is easy to maintain for the length of your meditation. Keep your spine and your neck straight. There should be no slumping or slouching, arms and shoulders should remain relaxed. Keep your eyes closed for the entire duration. You can sit cross legged, or even on a chair if that is more comfortable to you. However, try to either sit cross legged, or in a kneeling position resting the weight of your body on your heels.

While it is not highly recommended, you can also meditate while lying on the bed. It is best to meditate lying down before going to sleep if you decide to do your practice on the bed.

• Keep Your Stomach Light and Relatively Empty

As you progress with your practice, you will realize that it is easier to meditate when your stomach is relatively empty. However, you should obviously not be starving, as a grumbling stomach can pose grave interference to your meditation. But make sure that you don’t sit down to meditate right after a heavy meal, as it will make it very difficult for you to sit still and focus your mind.

• Do Some Warm Ups

Before starting your meditation, it is advisable that you do some gentle stretching and some mild form of exercise, like surya namaskar.

• Deep Breathing

Start your practice by taking a few deep breaths. As you inhale, your stomach and chest should expand. As you exhale, your chest and abdomen should contract. Focus all your attention on the in-breath and the out-breath.

• Keep Smiling

Try to keep a gentle smile on your face while meditating. However, at no point should this be forced.

• Slowly Bring Back Your Awareness

Do not jerk yourself out of meditation! Slowly bring back awareness by moving your fingers and your toes. Rub your palms together, generating some heat. Take your palms to your eyes and after some time slowly and calmly open them.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.