Meditation: A Beginner's Guide to Daily Practice

Learning how to meditate can feel surprisingly awkward at first. Where should you sit? What should you do with your hands? And what happens when your mind starts wandering? Hazel Whitmore approaches these familiar beginner questions with warmth and practical guidance. This book shows you how to meditate at home using an ordinary chair, a cushion, or a folded blanket, without needing a dedicated meditation room or special equipment. At the heart of the book is the S. T. I. L. L. Method: Settle, Tune In, Identify, Let Go, and Live It. Each step gives you a straightforward way to approach sitting practice, notice your natural breathing, recognize distractions, and return to your chosen focus. Ready-to-read scripts provide complete sessions, including five-minute introductions, ten-minute breathing exercises, morning rituals, concentration practice, and loving-kindness meditation. The twelve chapters move from your first five minutes of stillness to a more independent routine. You will also explore metta, Zen meditation and zazen, mantra repetition, Om, and mindful walking. The progressive 30-day habit plan supplies a daily exercise, suggested duration, intention, and journal prompt. Later chapters help you arrange a meditation corner, prepare for longer sessions, and create a flexible weekly schedule that suits ordinary life.