If you're a beginner,
You'll need a cushion,
Preferably thin and firm.
You can also use two small cushions under your knees.
If you don't have those,
Any comfortable cushion from home will do.
If you're already practicing meditation or yoga,
A simple yoga mat will suffice.
Fold it in half and you're ready to go.
You can also meditate on a chair,
Which is convenient for those who find it challenging to sit on the floor.
For added comfort,
You might consider using earplugs if surrounding noise makes it difficult to concentrate.
And don't forget about the cover.
For example,
I still use a comfortable cloth or soft blanket to cover my legs or wrap myself in it completely.
This helps maintain stillness and deepens the practice.
Try out different positions and choose the one that works best for you.
You can keep trying all positions until you find the proper one.
Here's more about sitting meditation positions.
First,
Lotus pose,
Padmasana,
Legs crossed,
Feet resting on the thighs.
This classic pose provides balance and support.
Second,
Half lotus pose,
Ardha padmasana.
One leg is on the opposite thigh and the other leg remains on the floor.
More accessible for beginners.
Third,
Cross-legged pose,
Sukhasana.
Sitting with legs crossed,
But not in a classic lotus position,
Where the feet rest under the thighs.
Comfortable for extended sitting.
Fourth,
Sitting on a cushion,
Zafu.
A cushion raises the level of the pelvis,
Helping to maintain a straight back and comfort.
Fifth,
Sitting on a chair.
For those who cannot sit on the floor,
Can sit on a chair with a straight back and feet on the floor.
Sixth,
Vajra pose,
Vajrasana.
Sitting on the heels,
Knees and feet together,
Thighs touching the heels.
Seventh,
Sisa pose.
Sitting on the knees,
Often using a cushion or other supportive item for comfort.
Eighth,
Sitting on a bench or with support,
Bench or prop meditation.
Using a bench or other supportive item to improve comfort during meditation.
Before you sit down to meditate,
Your stomach should be neither full nor empty,
But about half full.
It's best to meditate two to four hours after eating.
Starting your practice in the early morning hours,
Like 4 am,
When your stomach is still empty,
Is optimal.
At this time,
You can have a bit of hot alkaline water.
I remember when I started practicing meditation,
I sat in a half lotus pose.
The half lotus can vary depending on your leg positioning and flexibility.
I noticed that it's better to change leg positions with each meditation.
You can use a full lotus pose or sit on your knees in a kneeling position or simply on a chair.
It's important to keep your back straight.
This is one of the most crucial aspects of meditation.
Remember this throughout your practice.
Close your eyes and maintain one position for the entire meditation session.
I recommend not changing positions during meditation to avoid distractions and maintain focus.
Set a preliminary time limit,
15 minutes in our case.
On the fifth day,
We'll increase it by two minutes to see progress.
We employ the Kaizen method based on the Japanese principle of continuous improvement,
Which involves gradually increasing meditation time.
This approach helps achieve significant results through regular,
Small steps.
In the first few days,
Meditate for 15 minutes to ease into the process.
On the fifth day,
We'll extend the time to 17 minutes.
Gradually increasing the duration allows your body and mind to adapt to longer practices without stress.
It's important to find the right balance in your sitting posture.
You can always adjust the surface you sit on,
Choosing something semi-hard as a general preference.
However,
If you feel particularly tired one day,
It's okay to switch to a softer surface for more comfort.
The key is to keep a stable yet comfortable posture.
Those semi-hard surfaces are usually recommended to support alertness.
If you frequently find yourself dozing off during meditation or struggling to sit through the entire session,
This might indicate that your body is tired,
Perhaps due to overeating,
Lack of sleep or general fatigue.
In such cases,
It's important to prioritize rest and adopt healthier habits,
Like improving your diet and getting sufficient sleep.
Once you feel more rested and balanced,
You can resume the course with renewed focus.
After completing this mini-course for beginners,
You can move on to a more advanced 25-day course.
Where each day,
The session duration will increase by 2 minutes.
And by the 25th day,
You'll be able to meditate for a full hour.
This will provide the opportunity to continue developing your practice and reaching deeper levels of awareness and concentration.
Listen to your feelings and assess your progress at each stage.
If increasing the time causes discomfort,
You can stick to the previous limit until you're ready to move forward.
Gradual increases in duration help avoid burnout and overwhelm,
Making meditation feel more natural and comfortable.
As you observe your progress,
You will feel a sense of satisfaction and a desire to continue practicing,
Which will strengthen your motivation and confidence.
During the course,
It's recommended to minimize communication with others,
Limiting yourself to necessary and purposeful conversations.
Try to reduce your social interactions by 50% compared to usual,
To create a calmer and more peaceful atmosphere both within and outside yourself.
These measures help declutter the mind and allow for greater focus on meditation.
I'd like to note that this course is not just about listening to calm music,
But a way to truly quiet your mind by learning to manage your attention.
This will help you stop being influenced by negative thoughts that cause stress,
Anxiety and illness.
In the initial stages,
You may notice restlessness and instability in your mind,
Which will be distracted by thoughts at every opportunity.
Our task throughout the course is to learn to manage our attention through concentration and develop mindfulness.
This will enable progress toward a deeper practical level of working with attention.
So,
Over the next five days,
You'll be able to First,
Understand how wandering,
Restless and uncontrolled your mind is.
Second,
Assess how present you are in the moment and how distracted you are.
Third,
Determine how calm you feel.
Next,
It's important to not stop along the way and continue your practice,
Refining your concentration,
Mindfulness and calming the mind.
After completing this course,
You can continue your training by starting the second part of the 25-day Vipassana course.
Thank you for your attention.
When you're ready at any point during the day,
Feel free to move on to the next audio recording.
