How to Meditate for Beginners: The Foundation of Mindfulness

Even if you’ve never meditated before, you probably know someone who has. Psychologists, scientists, teachers of religion and contemplative practices, and everyday people around the world are recognizing the benefits of focusing the mind. Meditation has existed in different forms for thousands of years and is well-represented in the Rubin Museum’s collection of Himalayan art. Inspired by our art and the wisdom and practices it represents, this guide offers guidance for those who are interested in trying meditation for the first time, or those who want to approach their meditation practice from a new perspective.

The first thing to know is that there are many different types of meditation practices. Generally, in Buddhist traditions the first form of meditation taught is called samatha, a word in the Pali language that is often translated to mean “calm abiding.” Once you’ve been introduced to samatha, you’ll have an understanding of mindful techniques necessary for any meditation practice. The stupa above represents the mind of the Buddha, developed by the practice of meditation.

Today there are devices and services constantly pulling us in different directions, so it’s no wonder many of us feel uncentered. Samatha proposes that a lot of our anxiety simply comes from our inability to stay focused, with our mind clinging to each passing thought, like a monkey moving from branch to branch in the trees. But with training, the mind becomes less flighty and concentration grows—the less the mind moves, the more stable it becomes. Building mindfulness results in greater clarity in both thought and action.

The first step in practicing samatha is finding something to focus on, also known as your single focus object (SFO). The SFO could be any one object that occupies the senses, though Buddhists traditionally use the breath, since it’s something that always stays with you. Other common objects of focus are sound, feelings in the body, or an item to look at. The idea here isn’t to change anything that you are experiencing, but rather to simply notice how it truly is.

When you’re ready to start meditating, find a comfortable position. Traditionally, Buddhists sit on the floor to meditate, but feel free to sit in a chair, stand up, or even lie down if that works best for you. If you do choose to sit, make sure your back is straight, but not strained—it should be relaxed and alert, a good metaphor for your meditation practice. Once you are comfortable in your body, move your attention to your SFO. That’s all it takes to meditate! The most important part is to gently bring your mind back to your SFO when it wanders.

Before you even ask, just know that you will not be able to “stop thinking” and you will certainly get distracted. That’s okay! Expect thoughts and feelings, both positive and negative, to arise. The key here is to simply notice that you have been distracted and then move your attention back to your SFO without judging yourself. This will probably happen dozens or even hundreds of times during a meditation session and is not an indicator of “failure.” Instead, being kind to yourself in that moment is part of the practice.

While people often think that the goal of meditation is to stop all thought, that is simply not true. Once you are more familiar with your mind’s activity, you will become more aware of your thought patterns and strengthen your ability to respond consciously rather than react unconsciously, offering you more stability and balance.

Many meditation teachers will tell you that what matters is not how long you meditate but rather the consistency of your practice. If you can practice 20 minutes a day before work, great! If you can’t manage to do that, try doing three four-minute sessions with small breaks in between. Have a sense of playfulness with your practice and find what works best for you.

Listen to the Rubin’s weekly Mindfulness Meditation podcast. Each session features a meditation teacher sharing their expertise and unpacking a theme reflected in the art from the Rubin Museum’s collection.