Meditation · 10 pages
Breath, meditation and rest
Plain guides to the quiet side of yoga: how to sit and meditate, a body scan from feet to head, breathing techniques for stressful days, and rest lying down.
You do not need to be flexible, calm or spiritual to begin any of these. You need a few minutes, somewhere to sit or lie down, and a willingness to notice what your attention does. Each page below is written for someone starting from nothing, with the safety notes up front.
If you would rather be guided in person, the slowest style of class, restorative yoga with bolsters and blankets, spends most of its time on the breath and on rest, and many classes for stressful seasons begin with a few minutes of quiet breathing.
Meditation
Breathing
Rest
Before you begin
Meditation and breathwork are not treatments for anxiety, depression or any health condition, and they are not right for everyone. If a practice leaves you more anxious or low, stop, open your eyes and move. The meditation pages carry the National Center for Mental Health crisis line, and the health and safety notes that cover every page here explain what a yoga class is and is not.
For the poses and the ideas behind the practice, the library of yoga guides and yoga philosophy in plain English sit alongside this section.
Questions
Where should a complete beginner start: breathing or meditation?
Start with the breath. A few minutes of slow breathing with a longer out-breath is easy to learn and easy to feel. Once that is familiar, the five-minute meditation on the how-to-meditate page builds on it, using the breath as the place your attention rests.
How is breathwork different from meditation?
Breathwork changes the breath on purpose: slowing it, lengthening the out-breath or counting it. Meditation usually leaves the breath alone and simply watches it, or watches sounds or the body, returning each time the mind wanders. Many people do a little breathwork first and then sit quietly.
How long should a beginner meditate each day?
Five minutes a day is a real practice, and it is easier to keep than a long session once a week. Pick a time you already keep, such as straight after waking, and add a minute only when five feels familiar.