We're so glad you're considering
meditation with us.
Newcomers are welcome.

Basics of Meditation
There are many different meditation techniques. In Buddhism, meditation is a tool to help us on our path of compassion and wisdom, to lead us to true happiness and liberation. Just as there are many different medicines for many different ailments, there are many different types of meditation practices to guide us away from negative emotions and to point us towards understanding reality. We use meditation to see the roots of our negative emotions such as greed, anger, and attachments, and then strengthen positive attributes, such as patience, generosity, and ethics. Mindfulness practices help shift our habits to be more mindful and aware. 

Meditation posture
For beginners, calming meditation is a great way to relax, focus, and cultivate the mind. Having a calm and tranquil mind is fundamental for further meditative practices. After doing some stretching, settle into a comfortable posture - we recommend sitting in the "full lotus" position for most physical stability, but there's no wrong way to meditate. 

How to meditate
Start with three deep, deliberate breaths. Then, breathe naturally. You can breathe in through your nose, then gently breathe out through your mouth, naturally. Focus your mind by counting numbers when you breathe out, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... as few or as many as you need. Then repeat, over and over. This way, you are replacing all your wandering thoughts, all your emotions, on the breath and numbers. The numbers and breath are anchors for beginning meditators - advanced practitioners may not need such anchors. If you find yourself inevitably thinking about other things (like what's for dinner?), just remind yourself that you want to be the master of your mind and return to the breath and breath-counting. 

For more on meditation, you can find a meditation guide here or guided meditation videos at Thubtenchodron.org