Meditation Instructions For Beginners

The number one challenge with meditation is “consistency”. In this post, I am going to share specific meditation instructions for beginners which would help them in setting a strong foundation when it comes to making meditation a daily habit.

Most people fail at meditation because they have wrong notions/ideas about meditation. I have seen a lot of beginners being preoccupied with meditation techniques without understanding the basic principles of meditation. They do not realize meditation is a process of training your mind which has been driving them crazy all this time.

I have shared below the different stages of meditation that you would discover as you start practicing meditation. You can consider the stages as a reference when you meditate and compare your meditation experience with the states described here.

By following this teaching you can assess how you are progressing with your meditation practice and what you need to do to enhance your practice.

Nine Stages of Meditation

First Stage: Placement

When you start your meditation practice the first thing you need to learn is to place your attention on a particular object. This can be an external object such as the flame of a candle or a flower. When you focus on external objects, you simply gaze at them without trying to interpret them.

If you are looking for an internal object then you can place your attention on your breath. Place your attention on the tip of the nostril and notice the air you inhale and exhale. You need to forcibly engage your mind on the object of observation as your mind wanders.

As a beginner this can be difficult as your mind will get distracted by thoughts however with practice you will get better and progress onto the next stage i.e. continue placing attention.

Second Stage: Continuous Placement

In this stage, you notice your wandering mind and gently bring it back to its focus object. The key is every time you bring the mind back to its focus object, you do that gently, without interpreting “mind wandering” as a bad thing.

As you practice, you might experience a sudden rush of thoughts, emotions, or feelings that arise in your mind. You may start to wonder is meditation really working for me? You may start to question – Why is my mind is not calming down. Most people give up here.

You need to understand, this is probably the first time in so many years you are looking at your mind with so much curiosity. And this is probably the reason you are noticing so many thoughts, emotions, and feelings. You are not failing at meditation, in fact, it has started working for you. You noticing these thoughts, feeling the emotions, seeing the whole mental activity is a great sign.

Simply notice the mind has wandered and bring it back to the object. Do this at least for 3-5 minutes.

Third Stage: Replacement or Resetting the Mind

Your mind will still wander in this stage however you notice it quickly in comparison to the second stage and bring it back to its focus object. Keep in mind you are training a mind which was always on autopilot mode.

The hindrance which you may face in this stage is “attachment to a particular thought”. For instance, you are meditating and suddenly a thought comes to your mind “You have an important meeting today in the office” and followed by other thoughts related to the meeting start popping up and you get completely absorbed into it.

At such times, you need to rely on the power of mindfulness. You should make a persistent effort to bring the distracted mind and reset its focus back on its object. There will be slip-ups, some days you may not be able to calm your mind but that’s fine. You need not punish yourself or give up, instead be patient and continue with your practice.

Simply notice the mind has wandered and bring it back to the object. Do this at least for 3-5 minutes.

Fourth Stage: Close Placement or Setting the Mind

Now you begin to achieve a certain level of stability with your mind, as you become familiar with the object of concentration. As you reach this stage you know that you can pay attention for the most part of your meditation session on focus object & are able to relax more.

Although, there would be days when your mind will wander here and there because of the undercurrent thought that tends to influence and distract your mind. However, with the power of mindfulness, you will now be able to overcome the state of restlessness.

Fifth Stage: Controlled or Disciplined Mind

As you continue with your practice you will reach this stage wherein you are able to tame your mind. You are now able to sit through your sessions without getting distracted by thoughts.

This is probably the stage where you take a closer look and actually realize that you are not your thoughts – This is in itself a life-changing event.

You may still experience moments of dullness & heaviness in your practice. At such times you need to strengthen your mind by remembering the extraordinary benefits of meditation that you are able to experience such as lightness, relaxation, joy. This would help your mind to stabilize and put it to rest.

Sixth Stage: Pacified Mind

When you first start to meditate, your aim is to calm your mind by placing your attention on a neutral object (external or internal). Pacifying the mind is different from calming the mind. This is where the big change happens.

There are certain situations in life that create a lot of emotional disturbances. For instance: If your loved one cheats on you or a close friend betrays your trust. These incidents often invoke strong feelings of anger, revenge, and jealousy towards a particular person.

As you sit to practice thinking through these difficult times – How do you feel at the end of the session? The objective is to remain calm even when you think through these troubling situations. The major switch happens as you learn to look at these problems and transform them into qualities.

For instance, if you feel negative towards a person, you see this as an opportunity to develop the quality of “compassion” or “forgiveness” towards that person. This is pacifying your mind. As you begin to develop better qualities in your mind, no matter what you think, you become more pacified & calm – This is a major development.

Seventh Stage: Complete Pacification

This is the continuation of the previous stage wherein you use the power of diligence and apply antidotes of love & compassion when rage, anxiety, jealousy arise in your mind.

The challenge is not to get distracted by these distressed or unpleasant feelings. You simply let them be there and understand the nature of these thoughts & feelings. When you realize the emptiness of unpleasant thoughts and feelings, you understand that they are harmless.

This helps you to cultivate & reflect on the good qualities of the Buddha that are lying dormant in you.

Eighth Stage: Single Pointedness

As you continue with your practice, you train your mind to focus attention on the object without distraction. During the initial stages you are able to focus on the object for a few seconds, however gradually you able to focus for a few minutes, then half an hour, then an hour, and so on.

When you reach this stage, you start to see tremendous progress in your path to inner growth and development.

Ninth Stage: Balanced Placement

In this stage, the mind simply rests evenly & naturally in a state of equipoise. The mind is disciplined at this stage as you will be able to maintain concentration on the object without disruptions. Reaching this stage does not mean you have become enlightened instead this stage becomes the foundation for gaining insight and understanding the true nature of mind.

Way Forward: Don’t Give Up… When Meditation Feels Hard

Now that you are aware of the different stages of meditation, you can compare your meditation experience and ascertain your progress. You don’t need to give up on meditation in a few days instead practice more to enhance your meditation experience.

If you are still finding it difficult to make meditation a daily habit then you may want to check out the meditation program for beginners. I have shared the link below for your further study.