Adapted from an article by Ken Wilbur
1. It is possible to meditate at any time, but an ideal time is at sunrise.
2. It promotes your inner work to practice regularly and at least once, ideally twice, a day (morning and evening).
3. Take advantage of those moments when you feel naturally meditative.
4. Quiet surroundings are obviously helpful to the meditative process. Outer harmony (such as is found in a beautiful park or a picturesque lake) furthers inner balance. At home, it is helpful to create a special place for meditation. Ask your family to cooperate with you by not disturbing your meditation.
5. Prepare for your meditation session by washing your hands and face, and generally freshening up. This dispels drowsiness and promotes a wakeful, energetic disposition.
6. It is good to sit with the spine straight, whether it be on a chair or on the floor.
7. Begin by taking a few deep breaths, expelling all the tensions in the body and concerns of the mind.
8. Consciously relax your entire body, especially the chest.
9. Resolve to dedicate yourself to the meditation process wholeheartedly.
10. Tell yourself, mentally or aloud, that for the duration of the meditation, nothing else matters.
11. Be willing to surrender yourself and encounter the greater inner Being.
12.Begin your meditation practice, whatever your technique may be: the practice silence, mantra recitation, contemplation of a particularly meaningful image.
13. Don’t be concerned about distracting thoughts, sensations, and emotions. Neither welcome them nor repress them. Simply persist in your practice. Sooner or later, your inner world will become calmer.
14. There are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ meditations. All that matters is that you seriously engage the meditative process, regardless of the content that arises. Every meditation is a step toward greater inner freedom.