Six-Point Preparation For Meditation

Question 1

Step 1 of six point preparation

Answer 1

Fire up your motivation.

Remind yourself why you’ve chosen to meditate. Don’t judge your reasons as being good or bad, just acknowledge and accept them as they are.

Question 2

Step 2 of six-point preparation

Answer 2

Set reasonable goals for every meditation. Ask yourself what you hope to accomplish in this particular session. Think about the problems you’ve been working on in recent sits. Then choose a goal for this sit that’s reasonable given your recent progress.

Question 3

Step 3 of six-point preparation

Answer 3

Beware of expectations.

Be careful of ambitious and expectations about where you should be. You can easily set yourself up for disappointment. Resolve to hold the goals you’ve set very lightly, to find enjoyment in every meditation no matter what happens, and to savor your achievement. Simply sitting down to practice is an accomplishment.

Question 4

Step 4 of six-point preparation

Answer 4

Commit to diligence. This means engaging wholeheartedly with the practice rather than spending your time on the cushion planning or daydreaming. Commit not to indulge in distractions. Whenever resistance arises, the best way to overcome it is by simply resolving to continue to practice.

Question 5

Step 5 of six-point preparation

Answer 5

Review potential distractions.

Perform a quick inventory of the things in your life that could come up as distractions. Acknowledge these thought and emotions and resolve to set them aside if they arise.

Question 6

Step 6 of six-point preparation

Answer 6

Adjust your posture

Don’t lean forward or backwards. Your shoulders should be even.
Your lips should be closed, your teeth slightly apart, and your tongue against the roof of your mouth with the tip against the back of your upper teeth. Angle your head slightly downward as though reading a book. Scan your body for any tension and let it go. You body should be a lump of soft clay, solid and stable but compliant