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It is a natural process that happens by itself.

In fact, any effort on our part to force this settling is counterproductive.

That is repression, and it does not work.

Try to force things out of the mind and you merely add energy to them.

You may succeed temporarily, but in the long run you will only have made them stronger.

They will hide in the unconscious until you are not watching, then they will leap out and leave you helpless to fight them off.

The best way to clarify the mental fluid is to just let it settle all by itself.

Then, when it settles at last, it will stay settled.

We exert energy in meditation, but not force.

Everything that happens to you is stored away in the mind in some form, mental or emotional.

During normal activity, you get so caught up in the press of events that the basic issues with which you are dealing are seldom thoroughly handled.

They become buried in the unconscious, where they seethe and foam and fester.

Then you wonder where all that tension came from.

All of this material comes forth in one form or another during your meditation.

You get a chance to look at it, see it for what it is, and let it go.

We set up a formal meditation period in order to create a conducive environment for this release.

We reestablish our mindfulness at regular intervals.

We withdraw from those events that constantly stimulate the mind.

We back out of all that activity that prods the emotions.

We go off to a quiet place and we sit still, and it all comes bubbling out.

The net effect is like recharging a battery.

Find yourself a quiet place, a secluded place, a place where you will be alone.

It doesnt have to be some ideal spot in the middle of a forest.

Thats nearly impossible for most of us, but it should be a place where you feel comfortable, and where you wont be disturbed.

It should also be a place where you wont feel on display.

You want all of your attention free for meditation, not wasted on worries about how you look to others.

Try to pick a spot that is as quiet as possible.

It doesnt have to be a soundproof room, but there are certain noises that are highly distracting, and they should be avoided.

The mind tends to be sucked in by these sounds in an uncontrollable manner, and there goes your concentration.

There are certain traditional aids that you can employ to set the proper mood.

darkened room with a candle is nice.

little bell to start and end your sessions is nice.

They provide encouragement to some people, but they are by no means essential to the practice.

You will probably find it helpful to sit in the same place each time.

special spot reserved for meditation and nothing else is an aid for most people.

You soon come to associate that spot with the tranquillity of deep concentration, and that association helps you to reach deep states more quickly.

The main thing is to sit in a place that you feel is conducive to your own practice.

That requires a bit of experimentation.

Try several spots until you find one where you feel comfortable.

You only need to find a place where you dont feel self-conscious, and where you can meditate without undue distraction.

Many people find it helpful and supportive to sit with a group of other meditators.

The discipline of regular practice is essential, and most people find it easier to sit regularly if they are bolstered by a commitment to a group sitting schedule.

Youve given your word, and you know you are expected to keep it.

Thus, the Im too busy syndrome is cleverly skirted.

You may be able to locate a group of practicing meditators in your own area.

It doesnt matter if they practice a different form of meditation, so long as its one of the silent forms.

On the other hand, you also should try to be self-sufficient in your practice.

Properly done, sitting is a pleasure.

The most important rule here is this When it comes to sitting, the description of Buddhism as the Middle Way applies.

This doesnt mean you just sit whenever the whim strikes you.

It means you set up a practice schedule and keep to it with a gentle, patient tenacity.

If, however, you find that your schedule has ceased to be an encouragement and become a burden, then something is wrong.

You will be dealing with the raw stuff of feelings and emotions.

Consequently, it is an activity that is very sensitive to the attitude with which you approach each session.

What you expect is what you are most likely to get.

Your practice will therefore go best when you are looking forward to sitting.

If you sit down expecting grinding drudgery, that is probably what will occur.

So set up a daily pattern that you can live with.

Make it fit with the rest of your life.

And if it starts to feel like youre on an uphill treadmill toward liberation, then change something.

First thing in the morning is a great time to meditate.

Your mind is fresh then, before youve gotten yourself buried in responsibilities.

Morning meditation is a fine way to start your day.

It tunes you up and gets you ready to deal with things efficiently.

You cruise through the rest of the day just a bit more lightly.

You wont make much progress if you are sitting there nodding off, so get enough sleep.

Wash your face, or shower before you begin.

You may want to do a bit of exercise beforehand to get the circulation flowing.

Do whatever you need to do in order to wake up fully, then sit down to meditate.

Do not, however, let yourself get hung up in the days activities.

Make meditation the first major thing you do in the morning.

Your mind is full of all the mental rubbish that you have accumulated during the day, and it is great to get rid of that burden before you sleep.

Your meditation will cleanse and rejuvenate your mind.

Reestablish your mindfulness, and your sleep will be real sleep.

When you first start meditation, once a day is enough.

If you feel like meditating more, thats fine, but dont overdo it.

Theres a burnout phenomenon we often see in new meditators.

They dive right into the practice fifteen hours a day for a couple of weeks, and then the real world catches up with them.

They decide that this meditation business just takes too much time.

They havent got time for all of this.

Make your effort consistent and steady.

Give yourself time to incorporate the meditation practice into your life, and let your practice grow gradually and gently.

As your interest in meditation grows, youll find yourself making more room in your schedule for practice.

Its a spontaneous phenomenon, and it happens pretty much by itselfno force necessary.

Seasoned meditators manage three or four hours of practice a day.

They live ordinary lives in the day-to-day world, and they still squeeze it all in.

similar rule applies here sit as long as you can, but dont overdo it.

Most beginners start with twenty or thirty minutes.

The posture is unfamiliar to Westerners, and it takes a bit of time for the body to adjust.

The mental skills are equally unfamiliar, and that adjustment takes time, too.

As you grow accustomed to the procedure, you can extend your meditation little by little.

We recommend that after a year or so of steady practice you should be sitting comfortably for an hour at a time.

We are trying to cultivate mindfulness, not pain.

We will thoroughly cover pain, and how to handle it, in chapter.

There are special techniques and attitudes that you will learn for dealing with discomfort.

The point to be made here is this This is not a grim endurance contest.

You dont need to prove anything to anybody.

So dont force yourself to sit with excruciating pain just to be able to say that you sat for an hour.

As meditation becomes more and more a part of your life, you can extend your sessions beyond an hour.

As a general rule, just determine what is a comfortable length of time for you at this point in your life.