A practice
Meditation
Sitting still and paying attention. Simple to describe, and the ground everything else is built on.
ध्यान
Meditation at this mandir is not presented as a wellness practice, though it will improve your wellbeing. It is presented as the ground: without the capacity to sit still and hold attention, no further practice will take.
How to begin
Sit with a straight spine, on the floor or on a chair — the posture matters more than where you sit. Let the breath be as it is. Put the attention on it. When the attention wanders, notice that it has wandered and bring it back. That noticing is the practice; the wandering is not a failure.
Ten minutes daily is worth more than an hour on Sunday. Begin there.
What changes
For the first weeks, mostly you will discover how noisy your mind is. This is progress, not an obstacle — the noise was always there and you are now able to hear it.
Come to the mandir and sit with others when you can. A room where several people are meditating is easier to meditate in than an empty one, and nobody has satisfactorily explained why.
What it brings
- The capacity to hold attention where you put it
- Relief from the constant commentary of the mind
- A settled foundation for every other practice