Frequently Asked Questions About Meditation

Anyone can learn to meditate on their own, but taking an online meditation course and receiving guidance from a meditation teacher is far more effective. The best online meditation courses offer foundational training for free. At Mindworks, students begin with our free online meditation course, Journey to Well-Being Level 1: Fundamentals. This 14-day course teaches mindfulness meditation, an important foundational practice.

Guided mindfulness meditation is perhaps most recommended for beginners. Mindfulness meditation sets the foundation for more advanced practices by stabilizing and focusing the mind. Add the guide, and the practice becomes even more accessible for those who don’t have a lot of experience with meditation.

Beginners should meditate for at least 5 minutes once a day. A consistent daily practice is more beneficial than inconsistent, longer sessions. Try to do too much too soon, and you may be self-sabotaging by making meditation too much of a challenge. So, start with brief practices and then extend the duration of your meditations slowly over time.

Guided meditation is a style of meditation practice in which a meditation guide offers vocal instruction during the meditation. Typically, this includes instruction on how to set up your meditation posture and what to focus on during the meditation. The guide may interject throughout the practice to remind participants to stay focused on the meditation’s intention. The best guided meditation balances instruction with time spent in silence so practitioners can get to know their own minds.

Happiness is just one of many science-backed benefits of meditation. Meditation helps us discern between authentic happiness and fleeting pleasure. Real happiness meditation doesn’t merely encourage us to meditate on joy, but develops a mindful, aware and compassionate state of mind, which most people agree is the true cause of happiness.

Beginners learn meditation best when they take themselves to a meditation teacher. These days, that can mean registering for an online meditation course. The best online meditation courses teach the fundamentals of authentic meditation practice, giving beginners a strong foundation that allows for progression toward advanced meditation. Meditation training is a process that lasts a lifetime, but offers us increasing benefits along the way.

To get better at meditation, you need to practice consistently. Practicing mindfulness meditation can be made easier with the support of an online meditation course. In our Journey to Well-Being courses, we meditate daily for 14 days to make meditation a habit and hone our mindfulness technique.

With a consistent meditation practice, we learn to transform negative thinking patterns into positive ones. We don’t bypass negative thoughts or emotions but relate to them from a wider perspective. Even our emotional challenges become opportunities for learning and growth. Negative thought patterns dissipate with this changing perspective, made possible by getting to know our minds.

The habitual tendency of the mind is to wander, as the mind is accustomed to looking for something to do. In meditation, we learn how to be stable minded by training the mind to focus on an object of our choosing. Often, this is the breath or sensation in the body. At first, it is difficult to hold the mind still, but with practice, we notice sooner when the mind has wandered, and we can more quickly bring the mind back to the point of focus.

Peace of mind is achieved when the mind is stable, calm and clear, undisturbed by circumstances, thoughts or emotions. Peace of mind is just one of the benefits of regular meditation practice. Through meditation, the mind becomes focused and stable, leading to the feeling of peace and ease.

Meditation teaches us how to be present in the moment by bringing mindfulness to where our mind is. Typically, our mind is occupied with thoughts and emotions, pulled this way and that. In meditation, we train to instead rest the mind on the spaciousness that underlies this activity. To be present is to connect to this ground of awareness, something that becomes easier with practice.

To meditate on happiness it helps to begin with guided meditation for happiness. The practice might entail mindfulness of the body, a means of identifying what happiness feels like. It may include calling to mind a past experience of happiness, or noticing what makes you happy about the present moment. Happiness meditation is about learning to recognize joy so that we become more readily available for it outside of formal practice.

Beginners should start with mindfulness meditation. Online mindfulness courses teach the fundamentals, including what mindfulness is and how to practice mindfulness daily. Mindfulness is a foundational practice that trains the mind to be present with this moment, just as it is. To learn mindfulness meditation is easy with an online meditation course.

Meditation is not a means of stopping our thoughts, but a method of transforming our relationship to thoughts so they no longer control or overwhelm us. Of the different kinds of meditation, mindfulness meditation is particularly useful for teaching us to recognize thoughts as mere movement of the mind. With mindfulness meditation practice, we observe that when left alone, thoughts arise then dissipate. It’s up to us to choose which to pay attention to, and which to let go of.

Guided meditations work best as a means of introducing beginners to meditation practice, or as a way of introducing advanced meditators to a new style of practice. Because guided meditations are commonly geared toward beginners, you’ll often see guided meditation for sleep, for anxiety or for healing. These are the pain points that drive most people to meditation. Guided meditation works wonders to help people address these issues and more.

The best way to start meditating is to follow a free guided meditation led by a qualified meditation teacher. When we learn authentic meditation from an expert, we experience meditation’s benefits almost immediately. This helps encourage us to return to the practice, for meditation is something that will only genuinely transform us if we do it consistently, nearly every day. The best way to start meditating is to follow a free guided meditation led by a qualified meditation teacher. When we learn authentic meditation from an expert, we experience meditation’s benefits almost immediately. This helps encourage us to return to the practice, for meditation is something that will only genuinely transform us if we do it consistently, nearly every day.

Happiness meditation is the practice of happiness. While most of us agree we’d like to be happier, it’s not always easy to connect to joy. For many of us, joy may feel unfamiliar or even uncomfortable. We may fear joy because we fear losing it, or we may feel guilty for being happy in a world with so much pain. The truth is, to be joyful is our true nature and we best serve ourselves and others by allowing this joy to express itself. The best meditation for happiness merely gives us the courage to express our most authentic selves.

Scientific research points to the benefits of meditation, for both body and mind. Evidence shows that meditation creates positive change in the brain by minimizing areas responsible for fear, anxiety, depression and a sense of separateness, while strengthening areas responsible for compassion. In the body, meditation improves sleep, minimizes inflammation, lowers blood pressure and so much more. You can trust that meditation works to improve mind-body well-being.

A daily meditation practice offers a number of benefits. As the mind becomes more familiar with the steadiness and clarity meditation provides, it becomes easier to maintain these states even when we’re not meditating. Thus, we approach all life’s circumstances with greater resilience, emotional intelligence, calm and ease. What used to be the source of anxiety and stress becomes far more easy to navigate.

Rewiring your brain with meditation simply requires consistent, daily practice. Over time, the habits we build within formal practice become easier to carry into our daily lives. As we become familiar with stability, calm, focus, patience and the felt sense of compassion, we find it easier to connect to these mental states, even when relating to people who present us with great challenge.

Evidence shows that meditation increases happiness. People who meditate regularly report greater overall well-being and quality of life. Even those who come to meditation for different reasons find meditation has allowed for more happiness and joy in their lives. Although there are guided meditations for happiness and meditations on joy, any authentic meditation style will lead to greater contentment.

Beginners normally start meditating with the support of beginner meditation classes or guided meditation. The best meditation courses introduce beginners to the fundamentals of the practice, so that when the class is over they can continue meditating daily on their own. It’s common to start with mindfulness meditation, using the breath or body as a point of focus. Once a calm and stable state of mind has been established, more advanced practices, such as awareness meditation, are introduced.

To train your mind with meditation, it’s best to take an online meditation training or to learn from a meditation teacher. While meditation is a deeply personal practice, expert meditation guidance can help us understand meditation techniques, avoid common mistakes, and benefit from the practice far sooner. Meditation instruction also benefits us by encouraging consistent practice. If a meditation course has given us a daily task to complete, we’re far more likely to do it, even after the class is over.

You can learn the basics of meditation in just a single session. Retaining this information, however, and getting the most from your practice requires more consistent instruction. Free guided meditation courses are a convenient way to make meditation a habit. With daily guided practice we learn experientially and come to embody the benefits of a more long-term meditation practice.

Meditation improves the health and well-being of both the mind and body. While we might typically think of meditation as something that affects just the brain and the mind, we cannot separate mind from body. Improving the health of either positively influences the other. Meditation therefore is a simple means of promoting mind-body health.

Meditation creates balance between the mind and body by helping us to become more mindful and aware of the connection between the two. With meditation, we see clearly how our thoughts, emotions and reactivity relates to our physical and psychological pain. We realize we can improve mind-body balance by strengthening both mindfulness and compassion.

Meditation is a mind-body therapy in that the practice benefits both body and mind. Mind-body health is dependent on us becoming more aware of activity in the mind, and also, how thoughts and emotions manifest in the body. With a regular meditation practice, the mind builds more resilience to stress and becomes less reactive. This peace and ease is felt in the body as well, as mind and body cannot be separated.

Meditation reduces stress by helping us to see our circumstances, thoughts and emotions from a wider perspective. Anxiety and stress meditation teaches us that while we cannot control the world around us, we can choose how we react to that world. Meditation helps us find greater compassion and patience and creates space in which we can pause, better assess our reality, and choose to respond more appropriately.

Mindfulness reduces stress and anxiety by shedding light on our habitual stress response patterns and their ineffectiveness. With mindfulness we can better assess what necessitates a stress response and what doesn’t. Our meditation practice also gives us more mental space in which to slow down, connect to the truth of the present moment, and choose the most skillful next step.

Meditation can make you a better parent by shedding light on your relationship to circumstances, thoughts and emotions, and the habitual reactions we have to each. Meditation develops mindfulness, awareness and compassion, allowing us to respond to both our external and internal world with greater skill. Meditation for parents also sheds light on the challenges our children have when faced with a similar sense of overwhelm. With meditation, we can help them learn too, by embodying presence, care and patience.

To learn how to meditate for anxiety and stress, it can be helpful to begin with guided meditation. Guided meditation for stress and anxiety typically includes mindfulness practice. As we learn to become more mindful of our present moment reality and reactions in the body and mind, we also become more mindful of the agency we have over how we react.

Meditation improves relationships by first and foremost, improving the relationship we have with ourselves. With meditation, we learn to be present with a much wider range of human experience, including uncomfortable thoughts and emotions. As we become more open and accepting, we become capable of doing the same with others, thus improving the connection with everyone we meet.

To improve communication in a relationship, meditation works wonders. With meditation, mindfulness and awareness strengthen. This not only makes us better listeners, but helps us speak more clearly, saying what we really mean. Meditation for relationship problems may also include compassion practices. With an open heart and an open mind, we bring greater patience and understanding to all our conversations.

Meditation for parents helps us understand the inner workings of our own mind, and that of our children. Once we have insight into our thoughts and emotions, we can better understand what it might be like for our children and teens as they deal with their own overwhelming inner world. The mindfulness that results can help us relate to our children in more compassionate, skillful ways.

Meditation can help resolve unhealthy relationships by bringing mindfulness, clarity, patience and compassion to each of our interactions. Meditation for relationships doesn’t change the other person, but improves our interactions by changing us. Meditation for relationship strength and healing helps us break free from habitual reactivity and stay grounded in presence, something that can profoundly alter the conventional dynamic between two people.

Meditation is good for parents because a healthy parent is a better parent. Taking care of our own bodies and minds not only sets a good example, but allows us to be present in the most challenging of circumstances, improving our relationship with our children. Guided meditation for parents does far more than simply minimize the stress of parenting. It invites mindfulness and compassion into our lives, and with it, infinite benefits.

To meditate for emotional healing, it’s best to start with a foundation of mindfulness. With mindfulness meditation for emotional regulation, we learn to identify our emotions and how they feel in the body. As we become increasingly curious about our emotions we see that we are more than just the energy of our emotions, even when our emotions feel strong and overwhelming. In this space between self and emotion, no matter how small, we realize we have agency regarding our reactions to emotion, and can choose compassion versus further perpetuating harm.

Meditation benefits us emotionally by putting us in touch with our emotions and teaching us to accept and allow for all of them with lovingkindness and even gratitude. Through meditation, we learn that no one emotion is bad or wrong, rather each of our emotions serves a valuable purpose. The spaciousness and patience meditation gives us allows us to experience and express our emotions in a healthy, skillful manner that causes us (and others) far less pain.

Mindful parenting starts with a formal meditation practice. While we can practice mindfulness in daily life, it’s far easier to cultivate a calm and steady state of mind when we are seated on our cushion, relatively free from distraction. If we can make space for meditation, mindful parenting more naturally follows. Mindfulness for parents is an ongoing practice that requires diligence and guidance.

Meditation develops empathy by increasing our awareness of how our own minds work, and thus shedding light on the common human habit to seek happiness and avoid pain. A regular meditation practice makes it clear that while we may not always agree with the methods of others, everyone everywhere just wants to be happy and is deserving of our love and kindness.

Lovingkindness meditation works to bring greater joy, happiness and ease into our lives. When we practice sending well-wishes out into the world, we connect to the true source of that well-being, which is found within. Cultivating awareness of those positive feelings helps them grow. As our practice deepens, we act in the world with more compassion, thus becoming the very loving presence we wish upon all others.

Meditation increases compassion by introducing us to the reality of suffering. Through meditation, we come to a deep understanding that pain is simply part of life. With the proper meditation guidance and training, however, we realize the only appropriate, effective response to this suffering is compassion, both for ourselves and for all others. An open mind necessitates an open heart, and vice versa.

Compassion and suffering are related in that compassion is an active response to suffering. To think, speak or act compassionately, we must first be capable of recognizing that suffering is present. To recognize suffering in another requires at least some level of mindfulness regarding the inner experience of both ourselves and others. The selfless action of compassion is made possible when we are courageous enough to face the truth of suffering.

We can build equanimity in meditation practice, but the true power of equanimity lies in how we might apply it to our everyday lives. Equanimity practice takes place each time we choose not to react, but to mindful respond. We practice equanimity when we treat all others with the same care and kindness, including ourselves. We may not always get it perfect, but our efforts help us strengthen equanimity over time.

To practice equanimity meditation is to cultivate equanimity despite what arises during your meditation practice. Cultivating equanimity through mindfulness may include practicing non-reactivity in meditation. For example, observing hindrances and distractions as they arise, and wisely applying the antidote without attaching or attempting to avoid your experience. In meditation, equanimity may also be practiced as part of a compassion practice. For example, by exchanging self, enemies, acquaintances or close loved ones as the objects of loving-kindness.

Lovingkindness meditation and mindfulness meditation are not the same. However, each plays a role in supporting the other. As our mindfulness increases, we become more aware of the benefit of extending love and kindness equally to all beings. It becomes clear that getting started with metta meditation is the most logical means of cultivating happiness.

Evidence shows that the long-term effects of lovingkindness meditation include reduced stress, anxiety and depression. Those who consistently practice lovingkindness meditation experience less sense of separateness and reap the benefits of closer, healthier relationships. As we open our hearts, the whole world appears to open its heart to us too.

Psychologists sometimes categorize empathy as three types. The three types of empathy are cognitive, emotional and compassionate empathy. Cognitive empathy is our ability to logically understand what another may be feeling. Emotional empathy refers to our ability to feel what another might feel, to resonate with their emotions. Compassionate empathy describes the desire to help another feel better by taking action to relieve their pain.

Compassion meditation is the intentional practice of deepening awareness of the shared human experience of suffering, and at the same time, cultivating an open-hearted desire to ease this suffering. Authentic forms of compassion meditation include loving-kindness metta meditation, tonglen meditation and meditating on the four immeasurable qualities, among other methods.

True compassion is unconditional. However, prejudices, fear, a sense of separateness and mistaken beliefs regarding scarcity or cause and effect typically prevent us from offering unconditional compassion. With a consistent meditation practice, we can develop the wisdom that allows us to see that all beings, including ourselves, are equally worthy of compassion.

Empathy burnout is the result of an imbalance between the three types of empathy. When we place all our energy on emotional empathy, we do little more than resonate with the pain of others. This is understandably exhausting! Empathy that is balanced among the three types, however, is endlessly sustainable. Compassion knows no bounds when imbued with wisdom.

Lovingkindness meditation, also known as metta meditation in the ancient Pali language, is a Buddhist compassion practice. In loving-kindness meditation, we practice sending wishes of well-being to ourselves and to all others. The benefits of lovingkindness meditation include a more kind, generous and open heart and reduced self-grasping.

Compassion and unconditional love differ in that compassion has a prerequisite of suffering. We can share love unconditionally at all times, even when things are going well. Compassion, on the other hand, is specifically a desire to ease one’s suffering. To practice compassion at all times then, is to be aware of the existence of all-pervasive suffering in each and every moment.

The exchange of self and others is an advanced Buddhist meditation on selflessness. Normally, we put our own happiness and comfort first, offering love and compassion only to those we are close to. But to do so is limiting and actually causes us much pain. In exchanging self and others, we practice a mindfulness-induced selflessness, in which the boundaries between self, enemy, acquaintance or loved one become softer, allowing us to move toward selfless love for all.

The tonglen technique is a type of meditation in which we intentionally work to reverse our habit of cherishing ourselves more than others. Normally, we grasp at the love we can while trying our best to avoid pain. In tonglen meditation, we purposefully take pain from others and give them love in return. This special lovingkindness meditation opens the heart by transforming our selfish habits into selflessness.

To love selflessly is to love another without expecting anything in return. Many of us offer love only to our close friends and family, or only to those from whom we hope to receive something. As we develop mindfulness, awareness and wisdom with our meditation practice, we realize that all beings are equally worthy of our selfless love and compassion.

Buddhists understand the heart and mind not as two separate things, but as one thing. When heart and mind are connected, we realize that to be wise is to love unconditionally and vice versa. When we practice meditation for compassion we strengthen this heart-mind connection by developing both mindful insight and open heartedness.

Mindfulness and compassion meditation are two different practices, but each supports the other. With mindfulness, we become aware of the truth of suffering. Compassion practice helps us to develop the capacity to alleviate that suffering, for both ourselves and for others. Mindfulness allows us to discern when we are truly behaving compassionately, while compassion practice allows us to be mindful of the entirety of our human experience, even that which is painful.

To practice meditation for self-compassion or compassion meditation for others, it’s helpful to begin with a guide. Cultivating compassion, especially for those who are not close to us, and even for ourselves, can be a challenging prospect. Working with a knowledgeable teacher can help us move past self-imposed limitations, from kindness to love and from love to far-reaching compassion.

Meditation helps us in real life by stabilizing and focusing the mind. In meditation, we learn we don’t have to react to every thought and emotion. The result is a clear and focused mind that’s capable of emotional regulation. When we learn to relate to our inner experience differently, we also become better equipped to handle our outer experience, daily life, with greater calm and ease.

Meditation benefits us emotionally by putting us in touch with our emotions and teaching us to accept and allow for all of them with lovingkindness and even gratitude. Through meditation, we learn that no one emotion is bad or wrong, rather each of our emotions serves a valuable purpose. The spaciousness and patience meditation gives us allows us to experience and express our emotions in a healthy, skillful manner that causes us (and others) far less pain.

Meditation changes your perspective by putting space between you as the observer and your thoughts and emotions. When we’re no longer enmeshed with the activity of our mind, we are able to respond to this activity with more mindfulness and compassion. This changing perspective has the ability to free us from the stress and pain of negative emotions.

Evidence shows meditation is a more effective driver of habit change than willpower. A regular meditation practice helps us to become more mindful of our behavior and the perceived rewards of such behavior. Transformation occurs when we become aware that negative behaviors aren’t actually rewarding after all. With lovingkindness meditation we can offer ourselves grace for past transgressions and move forward with an open heart.

The best way to practice meditation for business success is to begin by contemplating your definition of success and what you need most to feel content and fulfilled. Meditation for business leaders can be a catalyst for recognizing your own highest potential. When we’re no longer dependent on the outside world to define our sense of self-worth, the world begins to respond to us as though we are one who is worthy. Success then, is a natural outcome for the one who understands fulfillment comes from within.

Meditation makes us kinder, not only thanks to heart-based practices such as lovingkindness meditation, but as a natural result of mindfulness. When we’re aware of how our mind works and how our actions affect both ourselves and others, we naturally act with more kindness and gratitude, as the insight revealed through meditation tells us it’s the wisest thing to do.

Meditation teaches us it’s possible to break free from habitual thinking and negative thought patterns. With meditation, we gain perspective and realize that thoughts and emotions are just movements of the mind. It’s up to us to decide how we want to interpret and respond to them. This change in perspective is at the core of disrupting habitual thinking.

In everyday life, it’s easy to get thrown off balance by unexpected ups and downs. When we’re resilient, we’re more capable of returning to a grounded, centered and stable state of being, despite our circumstances. From here, instead of mindlessly reacting, we can choose how to most skillfully navigate the next step forward. Life becomes far more manageable when we cultivate mindfulness and resilience.

Emotional wisdom is the ability to view our emotions from a wider perspective. Emotional wisdom gives us the power to release negative emotions and see even our greatest emotional challenges as opportunities for self-compassion. The insights revealed with awareness meditation contribute greatly to the changing perspective that allows us to become emotionally wise.

Meditators often refer to the space between thoughts as ‘the gap.’ This gap is the natural essence of your spacious mind, it is the ground of mindful awareness. Typically, we identify with our thoughts and emotions, in a deep meditative state, we connect instead to the spaciousness from which these thoughts and emotions arise.

Meditation helps us control our emotions in that it makes the experience of emotion more manageable. Each of our emotions, even the most uncomfortable, have a valuable role to play. Meditation does not rid us of emotion but teaches us to allow for a healthier expression of emotion. With meditation, we learn that emotions are a welcome, natural part of the human experience. When we accept them with care and compassion, they become far less overwhelming.

Meditation helps self-esteem by helping us realize that every human being has equal potential and is equally worthy of a life of happiness and ease. Mindfulness, awareness and the qualities of compassion that we develop in meditation contribute greatly to our sense of deep inner value and self-worth. We realize our self-confidence is not dependent on external accomplishments, but to a growing familiarity with our highest inner self.

Meditation is important to happiness because it helps us discern between the happiness that arises from fleeting pleasure, and the genuine happiness that results from a deep connection to our most authentic self. As the mind becomes quiet in meditation, we catch glimpses of the infinite joy that arises from within. With continued practice, we learn we can call upon this contentment and confidence always, despite our external circumstance.

Meditation increases positivity by helping us see our circumstances, thoughts and emotions with an increasingly wider lens. With meditation, we learn that even the most challenging or seemingly negative of situations offers us the opportunity to practice compassion, patience, kindness and empathy, qualities which contribute to our well-being. Meditation makes it possible to transform any obstacle into an opportunity, and to transform ourselves personally in the process.

Business mindfulness may refer to the culture of mindfulness at a place of business, or the practices that support it. Corporate mindfulness is valuable for each individual within an organization, but also as a guiding principle for the organization itself. Everyone benefits from a workplace culture that values mindfulness, awareness, presence, compassion and kindness.

Equanimity means balanced, centered, grounded, stable or equal. Equanimity in Buddhism can mean to be free from attachment, aversion and ignorance, patiently and completely accepting of the truth of the present moment. Buddhist equanimity may also refer to the acknowledgement that all beings everywhere are worthy of achieving happiness and freedom from their pain, and that each of us has the potential to do so.

At first, we practice selflessness simply because we’ve been told it is the key to our happiness. However, we may not truly believe this until we begin to experience it for ourselves. As we practice not only meditations on selflessness, but behaving selflessly out in the world, we see first-hand that all our happiness comes from working to ensure the happiness of others. Conversely, we see that putting ourselves first or above others has been the source of all our pain.

Meditation can release emotions in one of two ways. First, as we settle the mind in meditation, the energy we’ve been distracting ourselves from becomes more apparent, including our emotions. During meditation practice, we may become aware of emotions we have long been ignoring and this can be quite uncomfortable. With practice and expert guidance, however, we can let these emotions ‘release’ by acknowledging them, getting curious about them, and then standing our ground in mindful presence as they go about their way.

It’s not always convenient to meditate in a busy environment, but it is possible. Meditation for busy professionals may need to take place first thing in the morning, to get scheduled as if it were a meeting, or to take place in small bits throughout the day. Interestingly, once we commit to meditating, we find there’s much more space in our lives than we previously realized. We become more mindful of how we use our time, our priorities shift, and in the process we experience more spaciousness.

Meditation is good for business because it allows the people at the heart of that business to become the best versions of themselves. Business leaders who meditate are more creative, solve problems with greater ease, find their relationships improving, and are more likely to work with a greater sense of meaning and purpose. For these reasons and more, meditation and business success go hand in hand.

Mindfulness meditation training is the formal cultivation of mindfulness using meditation practices. In mindfulness meditation, we practice acknowledging our present moment experience without clinging to what we like about it, or avoiding what we don’t like. Authentic meditation instruction may be found online in the form of mindfulness meditation courses and meditation classes.

As we’re learning meditation, we typically begin with mindfulness practice. Mindfulness trains the mind to remain stable, no matter our present moment experience. Awareness meditation is a more advanced practice in which we take the stability developed via mindfulness and apply it toward observing the mind itself. In Journey to Well-Being, Level 4: Resilience, we learn the fundamentals of awareness meditation.

Although subtle, there is a difference between awareness and mindfulness. Mindfulness refers to our capacity to be fully engaged with the present moment, just as it is. Awareness, on the other hand, relates more to the monitoring of engagement. Mindfulness meditation and awareness meditation are two distinct practices which train our focus and give rise to insight regarding our experience.

The two major types of meditation include mindfulness meditation and awareness meditation. Online meditation classes typically begin by teaching mindfulness meditation. This foundational practice helps bring a sense of calm and steadiness to the mind. When the mind is capable of maintaining focus, we can participate in more advanced practices, such as awareness meditation with greater ease and understanding.

Most of us are already far more resilient than we realize. Meditation increases this resilience by drawing our attention to the mind’s remarkable capacity to remain present, despite stress or discomfort. By practicing meditation, we develop the awareness and self-awareness that strengthens the resilient mind.

To get true meditation training, there’s no need to take yourself to a spiritual meditation teacher, although you certainly can. There are plenty of lay practitioners who are trained in authentic meditation lineages and have been given the blessing to share their knowledge with others. Mindworks Mind Trainers are all advanced practitioners and experts in their field. You can trust that the practices they share are genuine, having passed the test of time because they work.

We experience space in meditation by simply being present in the moment. We can be present with each thought as it arises, and we may also notice the space between thoughts. In a meditative state, we do our best to experience this space by letting go of each thought as it arises. With practice, we naturally become more connected to the quiet spaciousness at the core of our being.

To be stable minded means to be grounded and less likely to be thrown off balance by life’s unpredictability. A mind that is stable is less reactive and more capable of maintaining focus. A stable mind is just one of the many benefits of meditating regularly. When people say they have peace of mind, they are referring to the feeling of a calm, clear and stable mind.

In meditation, ‘the gap’ refers to the space between thoughts. When we say ‘mind the gap,’ the invitation is to place more of your attention on the spaciousness of mind, then the content that arises within that spaciousness. To ‘mind the gap’ is to become engaged with presence and clarity versus the superficial movement of the mind.

The most nourishing form of meditation is that which you do every day! Mindfulness meditation, metta meditation and other meditation styles teach us to hold the fullness of our human experience with curiosity and care, nourishing us from the inside out. To reap the full benefit of meditation, establishing a consistent practice is key.

Mindfulness builds a resilient mind by helping us to become more aware of how our minds work, and how we tend to react to our circumstances, thoughts and emotions. With mindfulness and awareness meditation, we see that we have choice in how we interpret and react to our inner and outer experience. The result is resilience, the ability to stay or return to center, having been confronted by the uncomfortable or unexpected.

Of the meditation types that are best for working with emotions, mindfulness and metta meditation (lovingkindness practice) are well suited for reducing the overwhelm that often accompanies strong emotion. Meditation can improve mental health by teaching us to feel and express our emotions in more skillful ways.

Meditation builds self-awareness by generally strengthening our mindfulness and awareness. At first, we may find ourselves becoming more aware of the world around us. Ultimately, we become aware of how we process this world, internally, and how our own bodies and minds react to what we perceive. This is the process of developing self-awareness.

Meditation is a confidence booster. As we develop mindful awareness, we become more trusting of our interpretation of both our inner and outer experience. Guided meditation for confidence requires no special focus, meditation strengthens our connection to the innate wisdom we carry within. Those who meditate regularly naturally become more self-confident, their actions informed by intimate knowledge of who they really are.

Mindfulness increases confidence by helping us discern between conditional and genuine confidence. In our confused state, we have based our confidence and self-esteem on external factors such as achievements or circumstances. With meditation, we develop the ability to see past this, realizing that genuine confidence comes from within and is nurtured by getting to know our most authentic self through regular meditation.

Meditation helps well-being by promoting mental, physical and spiritual health. A consistent meditation practice fosters greater alignment between our thoughts, speech and action, resulting in genuine personal transformation. We become encouraged to live with greater authenticity, gratitude and compassion, all things which lead to improved quality of life.

In meditation, awareness refers to our ability to observe the mind itself, as a means of discovering how the mind makes sense of its experience. By observing how the mind works, insight arises regarding how we interpret our world, and therefore, how we tend to react to it. Mindworks focuses on teaching two primary styles of meditation, mindfulness and awareness.

Awareness is part of mindfulness in that both work together to bring stability, peace and ease to the mind. Awareness, the ability to observe the workings of our mind, would not be possible without the stability and focus we learn from mindfulness. And, mindfulness practice is made more effective when imbued with an awareness regarding the quality and characteristics of our mindfulness.

Mindfulness increases awareness by improving the stability and focus of our mind. Getting started with mindfulness is a common and skillful way to approach meditation. Once the foundation of mindfulness is established, we can then apply awareness, which is a more active investigation into the mind and how it functions to interpret our experience.

To meditate properly, it’s best to find a meditation course, teacher or guide. There are many misconceptions regarding what meditation is, and what’s supposed to happen while you’re practicing. By following online meditation classes and learning from a skilled, experienced meditation teacher, you can avoid many of the common mistakes that keep beginners from progressing in their practice.

Meditation is the best way to stabilize the mind. Our lives are unpredictable and in each and every moment we are tempted by distraction. What’s more, we have a lifetime of practice with reactivity. It takes dedicated, consistent practice to achieve stability despite being surrounded by so much that would have us thrown off balance. Thankfully, it’s possible to reach a stable and calm mental state, especially with the support of meditation training.

Meditation trains the mind by helping us develop self-awareness. With meditation, we gain an intimate understanding of the tendencies of the mind and how our reaction to this movement of energy can either help or hurt us. With authentic meditation guidance, we develop insight regarding our relationship to the mind. We learn to step free from habit and develop more skillful responses to our outer and inner worlds.

The role of a meditation teacher is to teach you how to meditate! The best meditation teachers are not there to fix, heal or change you, but to point your mind inward to the inner resources that will help you heal yourself. Famous meditation teachers may seem attractive to us for many reasons, but ultimately, the real teacher is within. The best meditation instructors merely introduce us to ourselves.

Meditation transforms you by introducing you to the habits of your mind, and then setting you free from these habits by illuminating them with mindfulness. Imagine, for a moment, if you approached each moment of your life with presence, openness, and a willingness to be amazed. For typically, we bring preconceived notions, judgments and expectations to each moment, which colors our experience, often negatively. The individual transformation that occurs with meditation extends into a transformation of our world.

Compassion and understanding go hand in hand. To become wise is to see the world through compassionate eyes, to know deep within that our happiness is the result of ensuring the happiness of all others. Conversely, to be genuinely compassionate is to practice a compassion that is imbued with wisdom, the understanding that all beings are equally deserving of our care and kindness.

The spiritual gift of wisdom is the result of a consistent meditation practice. In particular, meditating on compassion creates understanding, a profound experience of the truth of how things work. We come to realize that our own happiness is intimately connected to working for the happiness of others. As we begin to behave accordingly, our lives transform in once unfathomable ways.

One way to understand karma is to define it as the law of the universe. Put simply, karma is cause and effect, something we can observe with mindfulness and meditation. When we behave negatively, we harm both ourselves and others. Work for the happiness of others, and we become happier ourselves. Understanding compassion and karma in this manner is to understand the spiritual gift of wisdom itself.

To be selfless means to put the concerns, needs and wishes of others before our own. Typically, we operate with a ‘me-first’ attitude, mistakenly thinking that it’s best to take care of our own happiness first. Among the benefits of lovingkindness meditation is the realization that our happiness is actually best cultivated by working for the happiness of others.

Spiritual wisdom is different from simple knowledge, it is an experiential understanding of the true source of our happiness and well-being. With spiritual wisdom, we realize that our happiness is not the result of getting what we want, but rather connected to our capacity for empathy, compassion and understanding.

In Buddhism, the perfection of equanimity is just one of the characteristics of an enlightened being. To practice equanimity is to practice non-grasping in the face of pleasant experiences, to practice non-aversion in the face of unpleasant experiences, and to practice offering compassion and loving-kindness equally to all beings everywhere.

Meditation for spiritual well-being is not dependent on a belief in any particular religion. Our felt sense of spiritual well-being increases as we get to know the inner workings of our mind, and begin to understand that happiness and peace of mind are always available within. The experiences of connectedness, as well as those of spaciousness, that arise from meditation contribute to spiritual health.

The spiritual principle of selflessness is the recognition that we are no more worthy of love or happiness than another. Meditation on selflessness may include cultivating equanimity by exchanging self for others or by opening our heart and recognizing the suffering of all beings and extending compassion to each equally. Spiritual selflessness may also refer to the deep, felt acknowledgement of interconnectivity, that I am only because you are.

Karma is affected by every single thing we think, say or do. The law of karma is universal and doesn’t apply in some circumstances and not in others. Intention, however, can contribute to the strengthening (or weakening) of karma. For example, one way to make karma work faster is not only to do a good deed, but to do it with the wisdom of understanding how karma works and a deep, heartfelt desire to help others.

We cannot change the past, but we can change our karma by acting differently in the present. Once we know what creates negative karma, we can be more mindful and aware of our actions. With this awareness and understanding, we not only have an opportunity to avoid harmful actions, but can intentionally partake in the most powerful ways to build good karma, thus ensuring a more positive future.

There are many ways to improve your karma, all of which follow the same general principle; minimize harming others via thought, word and deed. What’s more, we can not only stop creating negative karma, but we can act to intentionally build good karma. Good karma examples also share one thing in common, they are the thoughts, words and deeds that would have us selflessly and compassionately serving others.

Buddhists understand that the law of karma is far more nuanced than ‘what goes around, comes around.’ That said, we should assume karma always comes back. While there are things we can do to reverse bad karma or to practice karmic cleansing, thinking we can wipe the slate clean at will is counter to our efforts to attract good karma. How we act matters. The best approach to good karma is to develop mindfulness and awareness, qualities that help us do our best to always be kind.

Meditation typically cannot cure addiction on its own, but can be an important, supportive tool for recovery. Meditation for addiction helps us to see our craving as a misguided attempt to escape pain and suffering. Mindfulness-based treatment of addiction helps us then apply mindfulness when craving arises, allowing us the opportunity to choose a more skillful means of coping.

Meditation for recovery often begins with mindfulness and awareness practices to reconnect us to the body and help us better understand the movement of our mind. Addiction meditation may also include working with trauma and heart-based compassion practices. Meditation for addiction recovery helps bring mindfulness to the causes and conditions that lead to insatiable craving, as well as those that lead to freedom.

Forgiveness plays a key role in recovery by helping to minimize the shame, guilt, resentment and self-criticism that often accompany addiction. Forgiveness meditation helps us embody a lasting self-compassion, peace of mind and support that stays with us throughout recovery, even as we face ongoing triggers and cravings.

Mindfulness helps with addiction by bringing awareness to our triggers, the process of craving, and our desire to escape from discomfort, pain or trauma. Mindfulness is also a powerful means of cultivating forgiveness. Mindfulness and forgiveness complement each other by strengthening our awareness not only of our past mistakes and bad habits, but of our innate potential to learn, grow and heal.

Meditation therapy for substance abuse helps us bring mindfulness to our addictions and their ineffectiveness in providing relief from discomfort, pain or trauma. Addiction meditation is not only helpful for fostering mindfulness-based habit change, but can provide us with a source of support as we progress in our recovery. Meditation is a coping tool that offers genuine, long-lasting well-being, especially when practiced as part of a comprehensive spiritual path.

Meditation for forgiveness begins with a deep understanding and acceptance of what it means to be human. As humans, we are prone to imperfection, as it is the only way to grow and learn. With the mindfulness and awareness of meditation, we can transform our past transgressions into opportunities for growth, offering ourselves and others compassion, forgiveness and loving-kindness.

Meditation can help with recovery by strengthening mindfulness, awareness and self-compassion. Mindfulness practices for addiction recovery deepen our awareness of craving, help us to become more accepting of discomfort, and can alleviate the shame and guilt that accompanies addiction by fostering self-compassion. The benefits of meditation in recovery may also include connecting us to meaning and a higher power, or a sense of something greater than ourselves.

Forgiveness meditation may include any combination of mindfulness, awareness and compassion practice. To forgive, we must first be mindful of what it is we seek forgiveness for, or what it is we’d like to forgive another for. With awareness, we then recognize our common humanity. Each of us have made mistakes in a misguided attempt to seek happiness or avoid pain. Finally, we offer compassion, the desire to remove our own suffering or that of another.

Level 1: The Fundamentals is completely free, with no credit card required. You are under no obligation to make a purchase when you register. Enroll with your name and email, and you’ll receive immediate access to the 14-day course.

You can learn to meditate for free by registering for a free mindfulness meditation course. The Mindworks Journey to Well-Being Level 1: Fundamentals is our free online meditation course, and among our most popular offerings. In this class, you’ll learn to meditate with just a 20-minutes per day commitment. Twenty minutes is brief enough to fit into our busy schedules, but long enough to offer real value and help us to establish the daily habit that will keep us meditating for a lifetime.

You can learn to meditate on your own, at your own pace with online meditation classes. Mindfulness programs such as the Mindworks Journey to Well-Being require just 20 minutes per day, which you can complete at the time that’s most convenient for you.

The best online meditation courses are affordable and accessible. They allow students to learn at the time that’s most convenient for them, and at the same time, encourage consistent meditation practice. For a free online Buddhist meditation course, try Journey to Well-Being Level 1: Fundamentals. This 14-day course will introduce you to authentic mindfulness meditation, setting the foundation for beneficial, ongoing practice.

You can learn to meditate online and for most people, online meditation courses may even be preferable to in person training. The best online meditation courses allow you to learn at your own pace, while encouraging daily practice. Mindworks meditation courses offer authentic meditation training, providing a solid foundation on which to base a lifelong practice. Students can begin the popular Journey to Well-Being course for free.

Meditation indeed transforms your life, but the process begins with self-transformation. The mindfulness, awareness and compassion we learn in meditation changes how we react to both our outer and inner world. As we transform habitual reactivity into intentional response, our lives transform too. We begin to notice that because everything exists in relationship, our transformation journey encompasses our selves, our life, and everyone else in it.

Online meditation is effective when the instruction and guidance is authentic and delivered by meditation experts. Meditation organizations such as Mindworks provide evidence-based online meditation classes, taught by experts in their field. Participants learn the basics of mindfulness, awareness and compassion and have opportunities to advance their practice as they are ready.

Personal transformation begins with an exploration of who you already are. With authentic meditation guidance, we’re encouraged to turn our attention inward and explore our true nature. The real secret to achieving lasting personal transformation is that we don’t become anyone different, we simply let go of all that’s been preventing our most authentic self from shining through. That all this can begin with guided meditation may seem too simple, but these genuine, ancient practices are still with us because they work.

A meditation community is any group of people who share the same meditation practice, or who intentionally gather together to meditate. If you are a meditator, you’re already part of a community of like-minded practitioners who are turning to meditation to live more peaceful, centered and joyful lives. To connect with a closer, supportive network, consider joining a local or online meditation community.

Meditation teachers may be called many things, depending on the context in which they teach meditation. Some are spiritual lamas, gurus or guides, while others are meditation instructors, coaches, therapists, or counselors. At Mindworks, we call our meditation teachers Mind Trainers. This word not only describes what they do, but encompasses the many backgrounds of our teachers. They are scholars, doctors, psychologists, writers and professionals, all who are meditation masters and authorities in their field.

Those who are serious about building an authentic meditation practice absolutely need a meditation teacher. Online meditation courses can help us easily connect to those who walk the path ahead of us and have the skill to point us in the right direction. Meditation training helps us hone our practice and reach increasingly advanced stages of meditation for greater benefit.

We can teach ourselves to meditate by reading a book, following guided meditations, or watching online videos, but ultimately, we will need a personal meditation trainer to truly advance in our practice. At Mindworks, individual meditation instruction is offered via zoom at the completion of Journey Levels 4 and 9. This is a unique opportunity to meet with a qualified Mind Trainer and receive personal guidance for your practice.

It’s possible to learn meditation from a book, especially the fundamentals. A free meditation eBook can help you understand more about why you’re practicing, how to sit, what to focus on, and what to do as thought, emotions and other distractions arise. Ultimately, it helps to take a course or have a teacher, but the Mindworks Meditation eBook is a very good way to learn the basics of how to start a meditation practice.

You can see the results of meditation by simply closing your eyes, taking 5 long, slow breaths, and intently observing each one. However, these benefits will be short-lived! To experience benefits that stay with you, even after your daily practice is over, you need to spend more time in formal meditation. A free guided meditation course, such as the Mindworks Journey To Well-Being Level 1, can help motivate you to practice every day, and stay in meditation for increasingly longer sessions.

On some level, meditation is always self-taught, as it is a deeply personal process that takes place within our own minds. There are, however, certain meditation techniques that have been proven to be of benefit. To learn these techniques and set the foundation for a practice that grows as you do, it helps to have authentic meditation instruction. A non-profit meditation organization like Mindworks can be trusted to bring you the best in online meditation courses.

Beginners normally start meditating with the support of beginner meditation classes or guided meditation. The best meditation courses introduce beginners to the fundamentals of the practice, so that when the class is over they can continue meditating daily on their own. It’s common to start with mindfulness meditation, using the breath or body as a point of focus. Once a calm and stable state of mind has been established, more advanced practices, such as awareness meditation, are introduced.

A meditation class should last long enough to foster understanding and an experience of the benefits of meditation. Classes that take place over the course of 2 weeks or more also help build the habit of daily meditation. If we understand why we are meditating, have experienced a benefit and have made some accommodations to foster a daily practice, we’re far more likely to continue meditating when the meditation course is over. Continued practice is necessary for lasting transformation.

Personal transformation is a process that continues throughout our lives. When we apply intention to this process, we learn and grow positively. Having committed to a consistent meditation practice, you may begin to notice you react differently to the world around you, and even to your own thoughts and emotions. You may feel more resilient, less vulnerable to stress, and as if you have greater capacity for compassion. With continued practice you develop a deep, unshakable sense of contentment and joy. Despite life’s ups and downs, you remain stable, grounded and present. These changes help you be of greater benefit to everyone who knows you.