How to meditate

Try practicing this Pain Scan Meditation (PSM) for at least 10 minutes each day.
You may notice significant improvements in your mental state within a few days.
This is a simple technique for awakening and enlightenment.

Basics of Meditation

When meditating, focus on these three elements simultaneously:

1. Sit down with your eyes closed
2. Maintain deep, steady breathing
3. Observe your pain

Below, we will explain each of these steps in detail.

1. Sit Down with Your Eyes Closed

Sit in a comfortable position and relax your body.
While it is common to sit cross-legged on the floor, you can also sit on a chair.

2. Maintain Deep, Steady Breathing

Meditation does not require any special breathing techniques.
Simply maintain a steady rhythm of deep, calm breaths.
Always remain aware of your breath and control it at any moment.

3. Observing Your Pain

Humans naturally tend to push pain out of their awareness.
In meditation, however, you'll do the exact opposite.
Pay attention to the following as you observe pain:

1. What kind of pain you are feeling right now
2. Where in your body you are feeling that pain
3. How that pain is changing over time

"Pain" here refers to any unpleasant feelings, such as regret about the past, anxiety about the future, fear, anger, sadness, loneliness, and self-hatred.
Various forms of pain will naturally arise during meditation.
Be aware of even the smallest discomforts, so you can better understand them.
For example, if you feel hunger, focus your attention on fully experiencing that feeling of hunger.

How to Observe Pain

Here's how to observe pain over time:

1. Identify a pain.
2. Direct your attention to the pain. It may temporarily intensify.
3. Sustain your focus. The pain will stop intensifying.
4. Further maintain your focus. The pain will begin to lessen.
5. Identify another pain and observe it in the same way.

Note: Always maintain deep, steady breathing at all times.
By repeating this cycle, the mind gradually frees itself from pain, ultimately achieving complete inner peace.
For more details, see the article "What happens when you master meditation?".

How Meditation Works

This meditation technique improves brain function and stabilizes the mind by training the following two abilities:

1. The ability to control your breathing
2. The ability to acknowledge pain

For more details, see our article "Why is meditation good for the mind?".

What If Meditation Isn't Working?

If you experience any of the following issues, check out the article "What to do if your meditation isn't working".

1. Feeling tired quickly when sitting still
2. Losing control of your breath
3. Finding it difficult to observe pain
4. Experiencing intrusive thoughts