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In 2015, with no prior meditation practice, I decided to take a meditation course in the form of a
10-day silent Vipassana retreat
. People warned me that it was a very aggressive beginning to a sitting practice, but I persisted because I thought that it would give me a framework for a meditative future.
It was a very difficult 10 days, and those people were right. A 10-day silent retreat was not a beginnerās path to meditating.
While I would do it again, I see the merits of starting a practice
before
launching into, say, a multi-day course with a dozen or so hours a day of meditating.
So I decided to build what I wish I had before I did the Vipassana retreat: a long compendium of meditation types for those who want to start meditatingābut donāt know where to start. Itās meant to be self-guided over the course of 10 weeks, a sampler of different meditation techniques alongside free tracks to try and resources that delve into each meditation type.
I am hoping this post will allow everyone to land on what practices serve them best. Purists may say that it dilutes the aim of a distinct, deep meditative practice. This may be true, but for many people starting a new habit is daunting because we rarely know
how
orĀ
where
to begin.
To try and minimize that friction, Iāve listed out several different types of meditation that beginners can all try, each techniques that I have used and continue to use in my practice. The best way to encourage new changes is to make them accessible, and then allow people to be disciplined in their application until the practice becomes a habit.
I hope this is helpful!
Table of Contents
10 Weeks of Free Tracks: Meditation for Beginners
Are you supposed to clear your mind of thoughts when meditating?
WEEK 1, Metta (Loving Kindness) Meditation
WEEK 2, Body Scan Meditation
WEEK 3, Mindful Breathing Meditation
WEEK 4, Mindful Breathing Meditation
WEEK 5, Self-Compassion Meditation
WEEK 6, Self-Compassion Meditations
WEEK 7, Self-Compassion Meditation
WEEK 8: Zen, Nanso Uran Hou (The Duck Egg Meditation)
WEEK 9: Zen, Healing Ointment Meditation
WEEK 10: Zen, Mindfulness of the Breath
A note about the neuroscience of meditation
Photo by Chris Ensey
Iām not an expert in meditation, nor am I a teacher. I am, however, someone who loves bringing disparate people together to explore a new thing. And right now Iād love you to explore meditation with me.
Are you supposed to clear your mind of thoughts when meditating?
No.Ā When I did my Vipassana course, I didnāt realize I wasnāt āsupposedā to keep my mind a blank slate. I assumed I was doing it wrong because all sorts of thoughts kept arising. Had I participated in meditation ahead of time, Iād have known that thoughts
always
arise, but the key is to observe them and gently return to the meditation practice. The goal is not to banish all thinking and achieve an empty mind. Also, ādoing it wrongā was a reflection of performative goals that have no place in a meditation practice grounded in grace. I was doing what I could, and that ought to have sufficed for me. But old patterns took over.
In years since the Vipassana experience, Iāve used meditation as a tool to keep me afloat and keep me grounded in the present. During the
hardest months of my life when I became disabled,
it was a source of comfort. Meditation became a respite from the pain, and something that lifted me up. Itās important to note, though, that meditation wasnāt intended as solace for a modern world. The ancient spiritual practice developed to allow a profound exploration of the mind, one that could eventually result in an intense shift in our state of being.
āMeditation is a catch-all word for myriad varieties of contemplative practice, just as sports refers to a wide range of athletic abilities. For both spots and meditation, the end results vary depending on what you actually do.ā
ā
Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body
These days, many meditation practices remove the core spirituality altogether, focusing instead on the benefits to the brain, especially a brain that has been rewired for trauma due to lifeās events. That can be useful, but I would caution you against falling into the performative trap as I did. Uncouple yourself from your goals and the ādoingā of the modern world, and sink into a practice that allows you to simply ābeā.
Eventually, attaining a state of acceptance of the present moment, no matter how hard, becomes easier. If Iām any indication, the roller-coaster of life then feels a little less jarring and you are able to cope with life better.
If youāre starting out with meditation, note that each of the tracks below is guided and instructions will take you through the 20 minutes or so of the track.
One thing I want to mention before you begin: for some people, particularly those living with trauma, chronic illness, or heightened nervous system sensitivity, certain meditation practices can occasionally feel activating rather than settling. Intensive body scans, in particular, can sometimes bring suppressed or difficult experiences to the surface. This doesnāt mean meditation isnāt right for you; it means itās worth approaching with self-compassion and curiosity rather than pressure. Research by Dr. Willoughby Britton at Brown University
has found that
anxiety, traumatic re-experiencing, and heightened emotional sensitivity are among the reported difficulties for those who experience adverse effects. Her work also notes that adverse effects and benefits are not mutually exclusive, as many of the same participants who reported adverse effects also reported improvements in depression with meditation.
f you find a particular weekās practice uncomfortable, please give yourself full permission to pause, move on to a different track, or return to one that felt grounding. For anyone who wants to explore this area further, Dr. Brittonās nonprofit
Cheetah House
offers support and resources for meditators navigating difficult experiences.
F
or additional information about the basics of how to meditate, see the links at the bottom of this post.
WEEK 1, Metta (Loving Kindness) Meditation
TRACK
HERE
.
For the first week, I chose a metta meditation. Metta means loving-kindness in Pali, and refers to an unconditional, wise love. A love that is inclusive, and doesnāt have strings attached. The choice was simple, because itās such a beautiful beginning.
The meditation starts with ourselves, then spirals out to friends, family, and eventually to all living things. Metta has no hoops to jump through ā all deserve it. It has no expectations of anything in return.
This is a track from Tara Brach, who wrote Radical Acceptance, a very important book for the perfectionists out there. Iām one of them, and in the spirit of starting with loving-kindness toward ourselves we are starting with metta.
Metta takes concentration, whereas Vipassana includes awareness of constant change ā awareness without consistently obsessing over it. Vipassana (the course I did and the practice I keep up) added a space between me and my reactions.
Metta, in contrast, feels more like a deep focus on primordial, compassionate love.
Further reading about loving-kindness and acceptance
:
Radical Acceptance
, by Tara Brach.
WEEK 2, Body Scan Meditation
TRACK
HERE
.
For the second week of meditation, we are moving from metta (loving kindness) to a simple body scan. While leaking CSF, I feel lots of pain but also a sense of distance from my body. And of course emotionally Iām quite attached to the desired outcome of walking again.
Enter the body scan.
For one, itās done lying down ā so we are all flat for this meditation.
But also itās a deep, moment-to-moment investigation into what the body is experiencing. We all carry stress in the body, but while we may feel pain resulting from that tension, we donāt necessarily know where it resides.
With awareness and open acceptance of what one feels during the scan on a micro level, the goal is to notice what is happening on that minute level, helping voice where the pain is and what it says.
I find that by following these meditations, I have a sense of release, relaxation, and calm. While metta had us bringing attention to all beings and things, the body scan turns that focus to the body itself, beginning with the left foot and ending at the top of the head.
I chose an abbreviated 30-min scan for this week, but in a few weeks Iāll share a 45-min one. I personally started doing body scan meditations after reading
John Kabat-Zinnās Full Catastrophe Living
and reading about his mindfulness-based stress reduction program.
For newer readers, more info about why I chose this book ā and others that can help with chronic paināat my post
here
.
Funny enough when I first heard this meditation, I hadnāt yet gone to the Vipassana course. I emailed a friend saying, āI tried the meditation but I think something is wrong with the audio ā there were all these periods of silence? So I just didnāt bother?ā
Of course now I know the silence is WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MEDITATING. All this to say, itās a practice, not necessarily something that feels intuitive or natural. John Kabat-Zinn on the body scan meditation:
āThe body scan is not for everybody, and it is not always the meditation of choice even for those who love it. But it is extremely useful and good to know about and practice from time to time, whatever your circumstances or condition. If you think of your body as a musical instrument, the body scan is a way of tuning it. If you think of it as a universe, the body scan is a way to come to know it. If you think of your body as a house, the body scan is a way to throw open all the windows and doors and let the fresh air of awareness sweep it clean.ā
Further reading about mindfulness and pain
:
Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness
, by Jon Kabat-Zinn (Preface by Thich Nhat Hanh)
I took this while exploring the temples of Ankor, though I never did write about it on this blog
WEEK 3, Mindful Breathing Meditation
TRACK
HERE
.
The mindfulness of breath is a calming practice, one that steadies the mind and encourages concentration.
Vipassana is considered an insight meditation, whereby through the practice of continued close attention to sensation, ā
one ultimately sees the true nature of existence
.ā In the Vipassana course I attended, the first days were devoted to breath meditations, and only on day 4 did we move into Vipassana itself. The rationale, we were told, was that one must first develop calm and concentration, and then move into insight and awareness of more.
Traditional mindfulness of breath meditations are calledĀ
Anapanasati
.
Itās a straightforward term: translation is mind
fulness (
sati
) of breathing (
pana
). The goal is to use the breath itself AS the focus when our mind wanders. For last weekās track, the focus was on specific parts / sensations in the body. In contrast, this is all physical sensations of breathing.
I chose a midway breathing track for this week, since it starts with a body scan and moves into some breathing work. Next week, the track will focus on breathing via a traditionalĀ
Anapanasati
Ā guided meditation. Theyāre usually an hour-long but I will try to find a shorter one.
As with the other meditations so far, by putting less energy toward stressors or anxieties or pain during the meditation, we help our minds balance. With a regular mindful breathing practice, eventually that return to focusing on balance becomes more habitual, and carries to other aspects of our lives.
WEEK 4, Mindful Breathing Meditation
TRACKĀ
HERE
.
As I mentioned last week, we are doing another mindful breathing meditation. Many are over an hour but I chose this 26 minute one because it focuses on the four stages I learned when I first was taught how to practice it.
It opens by bringing attention to the physicality of breathing, counting (1) first our outbreaths and then (2) our inbreaths. When the mind wanders ā which of course it will ā we start back at breath 1 again. After that, we (3) focus on breathing but without the counting to keep things on tempo. Just noticing instead the continuity of that inhalation and exhalation, an infinity of sensations in flow. And finally, we (4) hone in on the minutiae of breathing specifically around the nostrils.
As with last week, the focus is on the breath as a tool to calm the mind.
WEEK 5, Self-Compassion Meditation
TRACKĀ
HERE
.
The next two weeks of our group meditations will focus on self-compassion.
Iāve recommended Kristin Neffās work in my post onĀ
coping with chronic pain
, as I have found her work especially helpful as it relates to pain and progress. Her book about Self-Compassion has helped many readers too, as Iāve received quite a few emails from people who have done longer meditation programmes based on her work.
For week five, we are going to do a compassionate body scan. Unlike the Kabat-Zinn scan from a few weeks prior, this meditation starts at the crown of the head (not the left foot), and it is rooted in practices of self-compassion.
What does this mean?
Per Neff, it is the skill of ātreating yourself like you would treat a close friend who was struggling.ā The idea of compassion generally (for all, not just ourselves) necessitates understanding suffering and feeling kindness and understanding in return, the desire to want to make those circumstances a little better.
It involves the quiet acceptance of the fragile human condition. And self-compassion is simply compassion turned inward, directed to ourselves.
What is it not? Self-compassion isĀ
NOT
Ā self-pity, self-esteem, or self-indulgence.
Instead of chasing self-esteem, which Neff notes can flip into narcissism more quickly than weād like, weād all be best focusing on softening our self-recrimination. To focus on feeling good about ourselves by needing to be better than others (the pitfalls of self-esteem in excess), we also open the door to cycles of self-loathing.
The alternative, says Neff, is to develop self-compassion. To ābe kind to ourselves life goes awry or we notice something about ourselves we donāt like, rather than being cold or harshly self-critical.ā A self-compassion practice acknowledges the imperfections inherent in simply BEING human, and focuses on connecting us to others when we stumble ā instead of isolating ourselves in a trap of judgement.
1. Self compassion (not self judgement)
2. Common humanity (not isolation)
3. Mindfulness (not over-identification / obsessive thinking)
Yes, our old friend mindfulness! As with each of the Legal Nomads meditation practices weāve done so far, self-compassion also involves mindfulness.
It is important to recognize, accept without judgement, and observe the painful aspects of life as they arise moment to moment. Instead of doing what many of us do and push down the pain to suppress (or for some, to blow it up to magnificent scales for public drama), we take a BALANCED approach to negative emotions so that they are neither suppressed nor exaggerated.
(In my case, Iām a suppress-the-feelings person, not a have an epic meltdown kind of person, so this practice ā and meditation generally ā has helped me reach a state of more equanimity.)
Research in Neffās book (below) demonstrates that self-compassion decreases depression, alleviates stress, can help ease the thinking behind disordered eating, and mitigate chronic pain. At the same time, it increases happiness, optimism, hope, healthy behaviours, and immune function.
Further, practicing self-compassion or loving-kindness doesnāt just help us make other people happier, it helps makes us happier, too. Per
a 2020 piece about meditation and its effects on the brain
,
āLoving-kindness also boosts the connections between the brainās circuits for joy and happiness and the prefrontal cortex, a zone critical for guiding behavior,ā Davidson writes inĀ
Altered Traits
, his authoritative 2017 book on the neuroscience of meditation, which he co-authored with Daniel Goleman. āAnd the greater the increase in the connection between these regions, the more altruistic a person becomes following compassion meditation training.ā
Neffās guided meditations are more casual, almost like a friend guiding you along. Not for every session, but a nice contrast to last weekāsĀ
anapanasati
.
Further reading about self compassion
:
Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living
, by Pema Chodron
Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself
, by Kristin Neff
The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions
, by Christopher K. Germer (author of Week 6ās track, below
WEEK 6, Self-Compassion Meditations
TRACKĀ
HERE
.
WEEK 6! As promised, this weekās meditation is another meditative approach to self-compassion. Chris Germer, alongside Kristin Neff from last weekās track, co-founded the Mindful Self Compassion course. It is an 8 week course built on the principles I discussed in last weekās post: treating yourself like you would treat a close friend who was struggling.
This will be the second of three weeks focusing on this topic, primarily because many of you have written me over the years sharing your stories as I have shared mine. And through those stories and my own is one very similar thread: a tendency to be AWFULLY hard on ourselves even when we are doing our best. And a tendency to push through instead of giving our bodies a little more grace.
So Iām spending three weeks on self- compassion, because Iāve decided we all really need it.
Next week will be a wider scope meditation, a beautiful combination of the loving-kindness track from our first week and the compassion meditation āto ourselvesā from this weekās track.
WEEK 7, Self-Compassion Meditation
TRACK
HERE
.
This is our last of three weeks focusing on self-compassion. First was a compassionate body scan. Then, a deeply personal metta for ourselves. To conclude, Iāve chosen a track that concentrates on self-compassion for ourselves and others, braiding together the prior week.
Itās a calming, quiet meditation and one that focuses on sending someone specific the gift of compassion ā as well as ensuring we send it to our own bodies and souls.
WEEK 8: Zen,
Nanso Uran Hou
(The Duck Egg Meditation)
TRACKĀ
HERE
Iām glad to find us back together for week 8 of the group meditations. My goals with these sessions are both to create a space for people to engage in a meditation practice while knowingly connecting to others around the world, and to provide an overview of different types of meditation to help narrow down what works best for each reader.
On to this weekās track, which is a guided Zen soft ointment meditation based on the Zen āSoft and Duck Egg Meditation.ā
The practice was originally taught by Zen masterĀ
Hakuin
Ā (1685-1768) to remind the body to relax and heal. Hakuin learned the
Nanso
meditation when fell ill and was sent to the mountains near Kyoto to locate a hermit named Hakuyo in the hopes of finding a cure for what ailed him. Hakuyo taught Hakuin the introspective meditation. The meditation draws on our spiritual eyes, using them to reach harmony between body and mind. The egg-shaped buttery ointment starts at the crown, then melts slowly down to our feet, our suffering, sorrow, and pain with it.
āThe Tigerās Caveā
Ā by Trevor Leggett on the
Nanso Uran Hou
meditation:
āIf the student finds in his meditation that the four great elements are out of harmony, and body and mind are fatigued, he should rouse himself and make this meditation. Let him visualize placed on the crown of his head that celestialĀ SoĀ ointment, about as much as a duckās egg, pure in color and fragrance. Let him feel its exquisite essence and flavor melting and filtering down through his head, its flow permeating downwards, slowly leaving the shoulders and elbows, the sides of the breast and within the chest, the lungs, liver, stomach and internal organs, the back and spine and hip bones. All the old ailments and adhesions and pains in the five organs and six auxiliaries follow the mind downwards. There is a sound as of the trickling of water. Percolating through the whole body, the flow goes gently down the legs, stopping at the soles of the feet.ā
Once the ointment fills the whole body (as guided through the track above), we visualize the melted liquid flowing away through the fingertips and toes, slowly flooding your surroundings, until it looks like a lake that reaches the height of the navel. Once it reaches that level, it keeps circulating through body and mind, helping to heal.
WEEK 9: Zen, Healing Ointment Meditation
TRACK
HERE
.
For week 9, I am sharing a different version of the track from last week. Week 9ās Duck Egg meditation is called a Healing Ointment meditation, and is led by Julian Daizan Skinner, from Zenways in London. A long-time reader recognized the track from last week from her
Zenways
course, and graciously provided her teacherās guided version for us to meditate with together.
I love it so much that I had to share it here.
Weāve explored a few different types of meditation practices, and the current weeks are focused on Zen, using meditation and mindfulness practices aimed at developing insight into reality and who we really are.
In Zen, this is known as kensho ā literally seeing or experiencing your true nature, not depending on beliefs or notions.
āThere is no Zen without kensho; complete kensho is what is known as satori, Zen awakening. This realization is likened to finding an inexhaustible treasure, for it means the awakeningĀ of the whole potential fo r the experience of experience itself.ā ā Kensho: Heart of Zen, by Thomas Cleary
I truly love this Healing Ointment meditation, with a comforting voice and a guide to engaging the parasympathetic nervous system and relaxing the body and mind, inviting it to open to healing.
Further reading about Zen training and meditation
:
Zen Mind, Beginnerās Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation,
Ā by Shunryu Suzuki
Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy
, by Katsuki Sekida (A handbook for zazen, the seated meditation practice, and an authoritative presentation of the Zen path)
Kensho: Heart of Zen
, by Thomas Cleary
Practical Zen: Meditation and Beyond
, by Julian Daizan Skinner (who narrated this meditation)
How Rinzai Zen Came to America
Ā (Article)
WEEK 10: Zen, Mindfulness of the Breath
TRACK
HERE
.
Building off last weekās Healing Ointment meditation, I am going to spend our last week on Zen.
First off: Iāve received several emails over the years asking about how to work through the frustration of consistently losing place or focus.
It is the act of gently returning to the meditation again and again, without judgment or frustration, that helps train the brain. The answer for me is truly a matter of compassionate discipline, combined with the knowledge that the brain adjusts and gets less noisy as time goes on.
This week, weāre returning to the breath. Unlike the earlier
anapanasati
of week 4 (mindful breathing), based on the Vipassana meditation system, this week is a Japanese Rinzai Zen practice.
Per Julian Daizan Skinner from
Zenways
, āthe Rinzai Zen tradition extends back 2500 yrs and has a tradition of teaching meditation for wellbeing and insight both in and outside of the monastic setting.ā
In this 25 minute practice, we become aware of our breath from low in our abdomen, and then using counting to keep pace while allowing any thoughts or feelings to arise and pass away. When losing focus, we return to the breath ā without judgment! ā and begin counting again.
Simple but effective.
A note about the neuroscience of meditation
ā
Meditative awareness reduces tension in and heals the body. Meditation quiet the mind and gently opens the heart. Itās that is the spirit. It helps us learn to live more fully in the reality of the present, do you see more clearly the people we live with in the world we live in.ā
Jack Kornfield,
Meditation for Beginners
While the focus of these meditations isnāt the neuroscience, it is genuinely fascinating to understand what research tells us about how meditation affects the brain. The science has advanced considerably in recent years. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
notes
that meditation and mindfulness practices may affect the functioning or structure of the brain, and that studies have used various methods of measuring brain activity to look for measurable differences in practitioners. What researchers have found includes that a meditation practice
is associated with increased cortical thickness, reduced amygdala reactivity, and improvements in brain connectivity
. These are changes that impact emotional regulation, cognitive function, and stress resilience, reflected in the reports of many meditation practitioners.
While research demonstrated that meditation can help mental well-being, the specific neural activity underlying meditative practices and their positive effects was still not well understood. A 2025
study from Mount Sinai looked into the neural activity further,a nd found
that meditation is associated with changes in the strength and duration of beta and gamma brain waves. A senior author this 2025 study noted that, āthese kinds of brain waves are affected in mood disorders like depression and anxiety, so the possibility of being able to willfully control these through meditation is pretty amazing, and may help explain the positive impact that these practices have on individuals.ā The study was unique as they used used advanced invasive neural recording techniques, which allowed researchers to record detailed data, more than prior studies.
It is worth noting, as the NCCIH does, that much of this research remains preliminary and has been difficult to interpret across different study types, or meditation types, so results should not be taken as definitive. But the direction of evidence is consistent and encouraging.
For those curious about how these practices work at the level of the brain, the
NCCIHās updated overview of meditation and mindfulness
is a well-referenced starting point. And for a short accessible video introduction to the cognitive neuroscience involved, the Society for Neuroscienceās BrainFacts resource has a clear overview post and video
here
.
Another short video about the power of meditation:
And for those who want a more basic āhow toā than the styles set out in this post, please see the following:
Anandaās
How to Meditate
My friend Leoās tips for beginners to meditation:
how to understand the mind
Mindful meditation for beginners (
tips and a video
)
(This list is for new blog posts only. I won't share your information, or send you spam.) |
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# Meditation for beginners: free guided tracks for 10 weeks of meditative exploration
This post was last updated on March 20, 2026.
In 2015, with no prior meditation practice, I decided to take a meditation course in the form of a [10-day silent Vipassana retreat](https://www.legalnomads.com/vipassana-meditation/). People warned me that it was a very aggressive beginning to a sitting practice, but I persisted because I thought that it would give me a framework for a meditative future.
It was a very difficult 10 days, and those people were right. A 10-day silent retreat was not a beginnerās path to meditating.
While I would do it again, I see the merits of starting a practice *before* launching into, say, a multi-day course with a dozen or so hours a day of meditating.
So I decided to build what I wish I had before I did the Vipassana retreat: a long compendium of meditation types for those who want to start meditatingābut donāt know where to start. Itās meant to be self-guided over the course of 10 weeks, a sampler of different meditation techniques alongside free tracks to try and resources that delve into each meditation type.
I am hoping this post will allow everyone to land on what practices serve them best. Purists may say that it dilutes the aim of a distinct, deep meditative practice. This may be true, but for many people starting a new habit is daunting because we rarely know *how* or *where* to begin.
To try and minimize that friction, Iāve listed out several different types of meditation that beginners can all try, each techniques that I have used and continue to use in my practice. The best way to encourage new changes is to make them accessible, and then allow people to be disciplined in their application until the practice becomes a habit.
I hope this is helpful\!
Table of Contents
[Toggle](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/)
- [10 Weeks of Free Tracks: Meditation for Beginners](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#10_Weeks_of_Free_Tracks_Meditation_for_Beginners)
- [Are you supposed to clear your mind of thoughts when meditating?](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#Are_you_supposed_to_clear_your_mind_of_thoughts_when_meditating)
- [WEEK 1, Metta (Loving Kindness) Meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_1_Metta_Loving_Kindness_Meditation)
- [WEEK 2, Body Scan Meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_2_Body_Scan_Meditation)
- [WEEK 3, Mindful Breathing Meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_3_Mindful_Breathing_Meditation)
- [WEEK 4, Mindful Breathing Meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_4_Mindful_Breathing_Meditation)
- [WEEK 5, Self-Compassion Meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_5_Self-Compassion_Meditation)
- [WEEK 6, Self-Compassion Meditations](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_6_Self-Compassion_Meditations)
- [WEEK 7, Self-Compassion Meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_7_Self-Compassion_Meditation)
- [WEEK 8: Zen, Nanso Uran Hou (The Duck Egg Meditation)](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_8_Zen_Nanso_Uran_Hou_The_Duck_Egg_Meditation)
- [WEEK 9: Zen, Healing Ointment Meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_9_Zen_Healing_Ointment_Meditation)
- [WEEK 10: Zen, Mindfulness of the Breath](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_10_Zen_Mindfulness_of_the_Breath)
- [A note about the neuroscience of meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#A_note_about_the_neuroscience_of_meditation)
## 10 Weeks of Free Tracks: Meditation for Beginners
Photo by Chris Ensey
Iām not an expert in meditation, nor am I a teacher. I am, however, someone who loves bringing disparate people together to explore a new thing. And right now Iād love you to explore meditation with me.
### Are you supposed to clear your mind of thoughts when meditating?
No. When I did my Vipassana course, I didnāt realize I wasnāt āsupposedā to keep my mind a blank slate. I assumed I was doing it wrong because all sorts of thoughts kept arising. Had I participated in meditation ahead of time, Iād have known that thoughts *always* arise, but the key is to observe them and gently return to the meditation practice. The goal is not to banish all thinking and achieve an empty mind. Also, ādoing it wrongā was a reflection of performative goals that have no place in a meditation practice grounded in grace. I was doing what I could, and that ought to have sufficed for me. But old patterns took over.
In years since the Vipassana experience, Iāve used meditation as a tool to keep me afloat and keep me grounded in the present. During the [hardest months of my life when I became disabled,](https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/jodi-ettenberg-legal-nomads-csf-leaks-wellness-cmd/index.html) it was a source of comfort. Meditation became a respite from the pain, and something that lifted me up. Itās important to note, though, that meditation wasnāt intended as solace for a modern world. The ancient spiritual practice developed to allow a profound exploration of the mind, one that could eventually result in an intense shift in our state of being.
> *āMeditation is a catch-all word for myriad varieties of contemplative practice, just as sports refers to a wide range of athletic abilities. For both spots and meditation, the end results vary depending on what you actually do.ā*
>
> ā [Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body](https://amzn.to/2MWQkrU)
These days, many meditation practices remove the core spirituality altogether, focusing instead on the benefits to the brain, especially a brain that has been rewired for trauma due to lifeās events. That can be useful, but I would caution you against falling into the performative trap as I did. Uncouple yourself from your goals and the ādoingā of the modern world, and sink into a practice that allows you to simply ābeā.
Eventually, attaining a state of acceptance of the present moment, no matter how hard, becomes easier. If Iām any indication, the roller-coaster of life then feels a little less jarring and you are able to cope with life better.
***If youāre starting out with meditation, note that each of the tracks below is guided and instructions will take you through the 20 minutes or so of the track.***
***One thing I want to mention before you begin: for some people, particularly those living with trauma, chronic illness, or heightened nervous system sensitivity, certain meditation practices can occasionally feel activating rather than settling. Intensive body scans, in particular, can sometimes bring suppressed or difficult experiences to the surface. This doesnāt mean meditation isnāt right for you; it means itās worth approaching with self-compassion and curiosity rather than pressure. Research by Dr. Willoughby Britton at Brown University [has found that](https://www.brown.edu/news/2021-05-18/adverse-effects) anxiety, traumatic re-experiencing, and heightened emotional sensitivity are among the reported difficulties for those who experience adverse effects. Her work also notes that adverse effects and benefits are not mutually exclusive, as many of the same participants who reported adverse effects also reported improvements in depression with meditation.***
***f you find a particular weekās practice uncomfortable, please give yourself full permission to pause, move on to a different track, or return to one that felt grounding. For anyone who wants to explore this area further, Dr. Brittonās nonprofit [Cheetah House](https://www.cheetahhouse.org/) offers support and resources for meditators navigating difficult experiences.***
*F**or additional information about the basics of how to meditate, see the links at the bottom of this post.***
***
### WEEK 1, Metta (Loving Kindness) Meditation
TRACK [**HERE**](https://www.tarabrach.com/guided-meditation-metta-practice/).
For the first week, I chose a metta meditation. Metta means loving-kindness in Pali, and refers to an unconditional, wise love. A love that is inclusive, and doesnāt have strings attached. The choice was simple, because itās such a beautiful beginning.
The meditation starts with ourselves, then spirals out to friends, family, and eventually to all living things. Metta has no hoops to jump through ā all deserve it. It has no expectations of anything in return.
This is a track from Tara Brach, who wrote Radical Acceptance, a very important book for the perfectionists out there. Iām one of them, and in the spirit of starting with loving-kindness toward ourselves we are starting with metta.
Metta takes concentration, whereas Vipassana includes awareness of constant change ā awareness without consistently obsessing over it. Vipassana (the course I did and the practice I keep up) added a space between me and my reactions.
Metta, in contrast, feels more like a deep focus on primordial, compassionate love.
**Further reading about loving-kindness and acceptance**:
[Radical Acceptance](https://amzn.to/2EP8Ga4), by Tara Brach.
***
### WEEK 2, Body Scan Meditation
TRACK [**HERE**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DTmGtznab4).
For the second week of meditation, we are moving from metta (loving kindness) to a simple body scan. While leaking CSF, I feel lots of pain but also a sense of distance from my body. And of course emotionally Iām quite attached to the desired outcome of walking again.
Enter the body scan.
For one, itās done lying down ā so we are all flat for this meditation.
But also itās a deep, moment-to-moment investigation into what the body is experiencing. We all carry stress in the body, but while we may feel pain resulting from that tension, we donāt necessarily know where it resides.
With awareness and open acceptance of what one feels during the scan on a micro level, the goal is to notice what is happening on that minute level, helping voice where the pain is and what it says.
I find that by following these meditations, I have a sense of release, relaxation, and calm. While metta had us bringing attention to all beings and things, the body scan turns that focus to the body itself, beginning with the left foot and ending at the top of the head.
I chose an abbreviated 30-min scan for this week, but in a few weeks Iāll share a 45-min one. I personally started doing body scan meditations after reading [John Kabat-Zinnās Full Catastrophe Living](https://amzn.to/2Qhgwuv) and reading about his mindfulness-based stress reduction program.
For newer readers, more info about why I chose this book ā and others that can help with chronic paināat my post [here](https://jodiettenberg.com/chronic-pain).
Funny enough when I first heard this meditation, I hadnāt yet gone to the Vipassana course. I emailed a friend saying, āI tried the meditation but I think something is wrong with the audio ā there were all these periods of silence? So I just didnāt bother?ā
Of course now I know the silence is WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MEDITATING. All this to say, itās a practice, not necessarily something that feels intuitive or natural. John Kabat-Zinn on the body scan meditation:
> *āThe body scan is not for everybody, and it is not always the meditation of choice even for those who love it. But it is extremely useful and good to know about and practice from time to time, whatever your circumstances or condition. If you think of your body as a musical instrument, the body scan is a way of tuning it. If you think of it as a universe, the body scan is a way to come to know it. If you think of your body as a house, the body scan is a way to throw open all the windows and doors and let the fresh air of awareness sweep it clean.ā*
**Further reading about mindfulness and pain**:
[Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness](https://amzn.to/2KuMgKD), by Jon Kabat-Zinn (Preface by Thich Nhat Hanh)
I took this while exploring the temples of Ankor, though I never did write about it on this blog
***
### WEEK 3, Mindful Breathing Meditation
TRACK [**HERE**](https://m.soundcloud.com/user-191298933/mindful-breathing).
The mindfulness of breath is a calming practice, one that steadies the mind and encourages concentration.
Vipassana is considered an insight meditation, whereby through the practice of continued close attention to sensation, ā[one ultimately sees the true nature of existence](https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-practice-vipassana-insight-meditation/).ā In the Vipassana course I attended, the first days were devoted to breath meditations, and only on day 4 did we move into Vipassana itself. The rationale, we were told, was that one must first develop calm and concentration, and then move into insight and awareness of more.
Traditional mindfulness of breath meditations are called *[Anapanasati](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anapanasati).* Itās a straightforward term: translation is mindfulness (*sati*) of breathing (*pana*). The goal is to use the breath itself AS the focus when our mind wanders. For last weekās track, the focus was on specific parts / sensations in the body. In contrast, this is all physical sensations of breathing.
I chose a midway breathing track for this week, since it starts with a body scan and moves into some breathing work. Next week, the track will focus on breathing via a traditional *Anapanasati* guided meditation. Theyāre usually an hour-long but I will try to find a shorter one.
As with the other meditations so far, by putting less energy toward stressors or anxieties or pain during the meditation, we help our minds balance. With a regular mindful breathing practice, eventually that return to focusing on balance becomes more habitual, and carries to other aspects of our lives.
***
### WEEK 4, Mindful Breathing Meditation
TRACK [**HERE**](https://www.wildmind.org/audio/mobfour.mp3?_=3).
As I mentioned last week, we are doing another mindful breathing meditation. Many are over an hour but I chose this 26 minute one because it focuses on the four stages I learned when I first was taught how to practice it.
It opens by bringing attention to the physicality of breathing, counting (1) first our outbreaths and then (2) our inbreaths. When the mind wanders ā which of course it will ā we start back at breath 1 again. After that, we (3) focus on breathing but without the counting to keep things on tempo. Just noticing instead the continuity of that inhalation and exhalation, an infinity of sensations in flow. And finally, we (4) hone in on the minutiae of breathing specifically around the nostrils.
As with last week, the focus is on the breath as a tool to calm the mind.
***
### WEEK 5, Self-Compassion Meditation
TRACK [**HERE**](https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/meditations/noting.practice.MP3).
The next two weeks of our group meditations will focus on self-compassion.
Iāve recommended Kristin Neffās work in my post on [coping with chronic pain](https://jodiettenberg.com/chronic-pain/), as I have found her work especially helpful as it relates to pain and progress. Her book about Self-Compassion has helped many readers too, as Iāve received quite a few emails from people who have done longer meditation programmes based on her work.
For week five, we are going to do a compassionate body scan. Unlike the Kabat-Zinn scan from a few weeks prior, this meditation starts at the crown of the head (not the left foot), and it is rooted in practices of self-compassion.
What does this mean?
Per Neff, it is the skill of ātreating yourself like you would treat a close friend who was struggling.ā The idea of compassion generally (for all, not just ourselves) necessitates understanding suffering and feeling kindness and understanding in return, the desire to want to make those circumstances a little better.
It involves the quiet acceptance of the fragile human condition. And self-compassion is simply compassion turned inward, directed to ourselves.
What is it not? Self-compassion is **NOT** self-pity, self-esteem, or self-indulgence.
Instead of chasing self-esteem, which Neff notes can flip into narcissism more quickly than weād like, weād all be best focusing on softening our self-recrimination. To focus on feeling good about ourselves by needing to be better than others (the pitfalls of self-esteem in excess), we also open the door to cycles of self-loathing.
The alternative, says Neff, is to develop self-compassion. To ābe kind to ourselves life goes awry or we notice something about ourselves we donāt like, rather than being cold or harshly self-critical.ā A self-compassion practice acknowledges the imperfections inherent in simply BEING human, and focuses on connecting us to others when we stumble ā instead of isolating ourselves in a trap of judgement.
1\. Self compassion (not self judgement)
2\. Common humanity (not isolation)
3\. Mindfulness (not over-identification / obsessive thinking)
Yes, our old friend mindfulness! As with each of the Legal Nomads meditation practices weāve done so far, self-compassion also involves mindfulness.
It is important to recognize, accept without judgement, and observe the painful aspects of life as they arise moment to moment. Instead of doing what many of us do and push down the pain to suppress (or for some, to blow it up to magnificent scales for public drama), we take a BALANCED approach to negative emotions so that they are neither suppressed nor exaggerated.
(In my case, Iām a suppress-the-feelings person, not a have an epic meltdown kind of person, so this practice ā and meditation generally ā has helped me reach a state of more equanimity.)
Research in Neffās book (below) demonstrates that self-compassion decreases depression, alleviates stress, can help ease the thinking behind disordered eating, and mitigate chronic pain. At the same time, it increases happiness, optimism, hope, healthy behaviours, and immune function.
Further, practicing self-compassion or loving-kindness doesnāt just help us make other people happier, it helps makes us happier, too. Per [a 2020 piece about meditation and its effects on the brain](https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/1/10/21013234/meditation-brain-neuroscience-moral-obligation),
> āLoving-kindness also boosts the connections between the brainās circuits for joy and happiness and the prefrontal cortex, a zone critical for guiding behavior,ā Davidson writes in [*Altered Traits*](https://www.amazon.com/Altered-Traits-Science-Reveals-Meditation/dp/0399184384?ots=1&slotNum=1&imprToken=52bb2f2d-9c2b-f6ae-369&ascsubtag=[]vx[e]20777275[t]w[d]D), his authoritative 2017 book on the neuroscience of meditation, which he co-authored with Daniel Goleman. āAnd the greater the increase in the connection between these regions, the more altruistic a person becomes following compassion meditation training.ā
Neffās guided meditations are more casual, almost like a friend guiding you along. Not for every session, but a nice contrast to last weekās *anapanasati*.
**Further reading about self compassion**:
[Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living](https://amzn.to/2FDEtuY), by Pema Chodron
[Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself](https://amzn.to/2FPvIOu), by Kristin Neff
[The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions](https://amzn.to/2SpEiFi), by Christopher K. Germer (author of Week 6ās track, below
***
### WEEK 6, Self-Compassion Meditations
TRACK **[HERE](https://chrisgermer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Loving-KindnessforOurselves20.41ckgamplified12-14-14.mp3).**
WEEK 6! As promised, this weekās meditation is another meditative approach to self-compassion. Chris Germer, alongside Kristin Neff from last weekās track, co-founded the Mindful Self Compassion course. It is an 8 week course built on the principles I discussed in last weekās post: treating yourself like you would treat a close friend who was struggling.
This will be the second of three weeks focusing on this topic, primarily because many of you have written me over the years sharing your stories as I have shared mine. And through those stories and my own is one very similar thread: a tendency to be AWFULLY hard on ourselves even when we are doing our best. And a tendency to push through instead of giving our bodies a little more grace.
So Iām spending three weeks on self- compassion, because Iāve decided we all really need it. 
Next week will be a wider scope meditation, a beautiful combination of the loving-kindness track from our first week and the compassion meditation āto ourselvesā from this weekās track.
***
### WEEK 7, Self-Compassion Meditation
TRACK [**HERE**](https://chrisgermer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GivingandReceivingCompassion21.21ckgamplified12-14-14.mp3).
This is our last of three weeks focusing on self-compassion. First was a compassionate body scan. Then, a deeply personal metta for ourselves. To conclude, Iāve chosen a track that concentrates on self-compassion for ourselves and others, braiding together the prior week.
Itās a calming, quiet meditation and one that focuses on sending someone specific the gift of compassion ā as well as ensuring we send it to our own bodies and souls.
***
### WEEK 8: Zen, *Nanso Uran Hou* (The Duck Egg Meditation)
TRACK [**HERE**](http://mindfully.libsyn.com/zen-meditation-series-20-minute-soft-ointment-guided-meditation)
Iām glad to find us back together for week 8 of the group meditations. My goals with these sessions are both to create a space for people to engage in a meditation practice while knowingly connecting to others around the world, and to provide an overview of different types of meditation to help narrow down what works best for each reader.
On to this weekās track, which is a guided Zen soft ointment meditation based on the Zen āSoft and Duck Egg Meditation.ā
The practice was originally taught by Zen master [Hakuin](https://www.shambhala.com/hakuin-ekaku-c-1685-1768/) (1685-1768) to remind the body to relax and heal. Hakuin learned the *Nanso* meditation when fell ill and was sent to the mountains near Kyoto to locate a hermit named Hakuyo in the hopes of finding a cure for what ailed him. Hakuyo taught Hakuin the introspective meditation. The meditation draws on our spiritual eyes, using them to reach harmony between body and mind. The egg-shaped buttery ointment starts at the crown, then melts slowly down to our feet, our suffering, sorrow, and pain with it.
**āThe Tigerās Caveā** by Trevor Leggett on the *Nanso Uran Hou* meditation:
> *āIf the student finds in his meditation that the four great elements are out of harmony, and body and mind are fatigued, he should rouse himself and make this meditation. Let him visualize placed on the crown of his head that celestial So ointment, about as much as a duckās egg, pure in color and fragrance. Let him feel its exquisite essence and flavor melting and filtering down through his head, its flow permeating downwards, slowly leaving the shoulders and elbows, the sides of the breast and within the chest, the lungs, liver, stomach and internal organs, the back and spine and hip bones. All the old ailments and adhesions and pains in the five organs and six auxiliaries follow the mind downwards. There is a sound as of the trickling of water. Percolating through the whole body, the flow goes gently down the legs, stopping at the soles of the feet.ā*
Once the ointment fills the whole body (as guided through the track above), we visualize the melted liquid flowing away through the fingertips and toes, slowly flooding your surroundings, until it looks like a lake that reaches the height of the navel. Once it reaches that level, it keeps circulating through body and mind, helping to heal.
***
### WEEK 9: Zen, Healing Ointment Meditation
TRACK **[HERE](https://www.dropbox.com/s/tf73t3lbzynqoux/2-01%20Healing%20With%20The%20Soft%20Ointment%20Meditation.mp3?dl=0)**.
For week 9, I am sharing a different version of the track from last week. Week 9ās Duck Egg meditation is called a Healing Ointment meditation, and is led by Julian Daizan Skinner, from Zenways in London. A long-time reader recognized the track from last week from her [Zenways](https://zenways.org/) course, and graciously provided her teacherās guided version for us to meditate with together.
I love it so much that I had to share it here.
Weāve explored a few different types of meditation practices, and the current weeks are focused on Zen, using meditation and mindfulness practices aimed at developing insight into reality and who we really are.
In Zen, this is known as kensho ā literally seeing or experiencing your true nature, not depending on beliefs or notions.
> āThere is no Zen without kensho; complete kensho is what is known as satori, Zen awakening. This realization is likened to finding an inexhaustible treasure, for it means the awakening of the whole potential fo r the experience of experience itself.ā ā Kensho: Heart of Zen, by Thomas Cleary
I truly love this Healing Ointment meditation, with a comforting voice and a guide to engaging the parasympathetic nervous system and relaxing the body and mind, inviting it to open to healing.
**Further reading about Zen training and meditation**:
[Zen Mind, Beginnerās Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation,](https://amzn.to/2Dr5E7U) by Shunryu Suzuki
[Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy](https://amzn.to/2GxMQHn), by Katsuki Sekida (A handbook for zazen, the seated meditation practice, and an authoritative presentation of the Zen path)
[Kensho: Heart of Zen](https://amzn.to/2SXczj7), by Thomas Cleary
[Practical Zen: Meditation and Beyond](https://zenways.org/product/practical-zen-meditation-and-beyond/), by Julian Daizan Skinner (who narrated this meditation)
[How Rinzai Zen Came to America](https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/ruth-fuller-sasaki-zen/) (Article)
***
### WEEK 10: Zen, Mindfulness of the Breath
TRACK **[HERE](https://www.dropbox.com/s/2uxohn7j1lh8n8z/1-01%20Mindfulness%20of%20the%20Breath.mp3?dl=0)**.
Building off last weekās Healing Ointment meditation, I am going to spend our last week on Zen.
First off: Iāve received several emails over the years asking about how to work through the frustration of consistently losing place or focus.
It is the act of gently returning to the meditation again and again, without judgment or frustration, that helps train the brain. The answer for me is truly a matter of compassionate discipline, combined with the knowledge that the brain adjusts and gets less noisy as time goes on.
This week, weāre returning to the breath. Unlike the earlier *anapanasati* of week 4 (mindful breathing), based on the Vipassana meditation system, this week is a Japanese Rinzai Zen practice.
Per Julian Daizan Skinner from [Zenways](https://zenways.org/), āthe Rinzai Zen tradition extends back 2500 yrs and has a tradition of teaching meditation for wellbeing and insight both in and outside of the monastic setting.ā
In this 25 minute practice, we become aware of our breath from low in our abdomen, and then using counting to keep pace while allowing any thoughts or feelings to arise and pass away. When losing focus, we return to the breath ā without judgment! ā and begin counting again.
Simple but effective.
***
### A note about the neuroscience of meditation
> *ā**Meditative awareness reduces tension in and heals the body. Meditation quiet the mind and gently opens the heart. Itās that is the spirit. It helps us learn to live more fully in the reality of the present, do you see more clearly the people we live with in the world we live in.ā***
>
> Jack Kornfield, [Meditation for Beginners](https://amzn.to/2IU1RTC)
While the focus of these meditations isnāt the neuroscience, it is genuinely fascinating to understand what research tells us about how meditation affects the brain. The science has advanced considerably in recent years. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) [notes](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-effectiveness-and-safety) that meditation and mindfulness practices may affect the functioning or structure of the brain, and that studies have used various methods of measuring brain activity to look for measurable differences in practitioners. What researchers have found includes that a meditation practice [is associated with increased cortical thickness, reduced amygdala reactivity, and improvements in brain connectivity](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1361002/). These are changes that impact emotional regulation, cognitive function, and stress resilience, reflected in the reports of many meditation practitioners.
While research demonstrated that meditation can help mental well-being, the specific neural activity underlying meditative practices and their positive effects was still not well understood. A 2025 [study from Mount Sinai looked into the neural activity further,a nd found](https://www.mountsinai.org/about/newsroom/2025/new-research-reveals-that-meditation-induces-changes-in-deep-brain-areas-associated-with-memory-and-emotional-regulation) that meditation is associated with changes in the strength and duration of beta and gamma brain waves. A senior author this 2025 study noted that, āthese kinds of brain waves are affected in mood disorders like depression and anxiety, so the possibility of being able to willfully control these through meditation is pretty amazing, and may help explain the positive impact that these practices have on individuals.ā The study was unique as they used used advanced invasive neural recording techniques, which allowed researchers to record detailed data, more than prior studies.
It is worth noting, as the NCCIH does, that much of this research remains preliminary and has been difficult to interpret across different study types, or meditation types, so results should not be taken as definitive. But the direction of evidence is consistent and encouraging.
For those curious about how these practices work at the level of the brain, the [NCCIHās updated overview of meditation and mindfulness](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-effectiveness-and-safety) is a well-referenced starting point. And for a short accessible video introduction to the cognitive neuroscience involved, the Society for Neuroscienceās BrainFacts resource has a clear overview post and video [here](https://www.brainfacts.org/diseases-and-disorders/mental-health/2024/the-cognitive-neuroscience-in-mindfulness-meditation-010424).
Another short video about the power of meditation:
And for those who want a more basic āhow toā than the styles set out in this post, please see the following:
- Anandaās [How to Meditate](https://www.ananda.org/meditation/how-to-meditate/)
- My friend Leoās tips for beginners to meditation: [how to understand the mind](https://zenhabits.net/meditation-guide/)
- Mindful meditation for beginners ([tips and a video](https://www.mindful.org/meditation-for-beginners-video/))
### About The Author
[Jodi Ettenberg](https://jodiettenberg.com/author/jodiettenberg/)
Jodi is a former lawyer turned award-winning travel writer and photographer whose expertise has led to features in the New York Times, National Geographic, BBC Travel, CNN, The Guardian, and more. In 2017, after nearly a decade of travel and food writing, a lumbar puncture led to a spinal CSF leak and left her disabled. Jodi's work has since shifted to focus on curiosity, chronic pain, and the challenges we all face when life changes drastically. She also sits on the Board of Directors for the Spinal CSF Leak Foundation, where she has been Board President since 2024. Please see the [About page](https://jodiettenberg.com/about/) for more.
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| Readable Markdown | This post was last updated on March 20, 2026.
In 2015, with no prior meditation practice, I decided to take a meditation course in the form of a [10-day silent Vipassana retreat](https://www.legalnomads.com/vipassana-meditation/). People warned me that it was a very aggressive beginning to a sitting practice, but I persisted because I thought that it would give me a framework for a meditative future.
It was a very difficult 10 days, and those people were right. A 10-day silent retreat was not a beginnerās path to meditating.
While I would do it again, I see the merits of starting a practice *before* launching into, say, a multi-day course with a dozen or so hours a day of meditating.
So I decided to build what I wish I had before I did the Vipassana retreat: a long compendium of meditation types for those who want to start meditatingābut donāt know where to start. Itās meant to be self-guided over the course of 10 weeks, a sampler of different meditation techniques alongside free tracks to try and resources that delve into each meditation type.
I am hoping this post will allow everyone to land on what practices serve them best. Purists may say that it dilutes the aim of a distinct, deep meditative practice. This may be true, but for many people starting a new habit is daunting because we rarely know *how* or *where* to begin.
To try and minimize that friction, Iāve listed out several different types of meditation that beginners can all try, each techniques that I have used and continue to use in my practice. The best way to encourage new changes is to make them accessible, and then allow people to be disciplined in their application until the practice becomes a habit.
I hope this is helpful\!
Table of Contents
- [10 Weeks of Free Tracks: Meditation for Beginners](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#10_Weeks_of_Free_Tracks_Meditation_for_Beginners)
- [Are you supposed to clear your mind of thoughts when meditating?](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#Are_you_supposed_to_clear_your_mind_of_thoughts_when_meditating)
- [WEEK 1, Metta (Loving Kindness) Meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_1_Metta_Loving_Kindness_Meditation)
- [WEEK 2, Body Scan Meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_2_Body_Scan_Meditation)
- [WEEK 3, Mindful Breathing Meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_3_Mindful_Breathing_Meditation)
- [WEEK 4, Mindful Breathing Meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_4_Mindful_Breathing_Meditation)
- [WEEK 5, Self-Compassion Meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_5_Self-Compassion_Meditation)
- [WEEK 6, Self-Compassion Meditations](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_6_Self-Compassion_Meditations)
- [WEEK 7, Self-Compassion Meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_7_Self-Compassion_Meditation)
- [WEEK 8: Zen, Nanso Uran Hou (The Duck Egg Meditation)](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_8_Zen_Nanso_Uran_Hou_The_Duck_Egg_Meditation)
- [WEEK 9: Zen, Healing Ointment Meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_9_Zen_Healing_Ointment_Meditation)
- [WEEK 10: Zen, Mindfulness of the Breath](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#WEEK_10_Zen_Mindfulness_of_the_Breath)
- [A note about the neuroscience of meditation](https://jodiettenberg.com/meditation/#A_note_about_the_neuroscience_of_meditation)
Photo by Chris Ensey
Iām not an expert in meditation, nor am I a teacher. I am, however, someone who loves bringing disparate people together to explore a new thing. And right now Iād love you to explore meditation with me.
### Are you supposed to clear your mind of thoughts when meditating?
No. When I did my Vipassana course, I didnāt realize I wasnāt āsupposedā to keep my mind a blank slate. I assumed I was doing it wrong because all sorts of thoughts kept arising. Had I participated in meditation ahead of time, Iād have known that thoughts *always* arise, but the key is to observe them and gently return to the meditation practice. The goal is not to banish all thinking and achieve an empty mind. Also, ādoing it wrongā was a reflection of performative goals that have no place in a meditation practice grounded in grace. I was doing what I could, and that ought to have sufficed for me. But old patterns took over.
In years since the Vipassana experience, Iāve used meditation as a tool to keep me afloat and keep me grounded in the present. During the [hardest months of my life when I became disabled,](https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/jodi-ettenberg-legal-nomads-csf-leaks-wellness-cmd/index.html) it was a source of comfort. Meditation became a respite from the pain, and something that lifted me up. Itās important to note, though, that meditation wasnāt intended as solace for a modern world. The ancient spiritual practice developed to allow a profound exploration of the mind, one that could eventually result in an intense shift in our state of being.
> *āMeditation is a catch-all word for myriad varieties of contemplative practice, just as sports refers to a wide range of athletic abilities. For both spots and meditation, the end results vary depending on what you actually do.ā*
>
> ā [Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body](https://amzn.to/2MWQkrU)
These days, many meditation practices remove the core spirituality altogether, focusing instead on the benefits to the brain, especially a brain that has been rewired for trauma due to lifeās events. That can be useful, but I would caution you against falling into the performative trap as I did. Uncouple yourself from your goals and the ādoingā of the modern world, and sink into a practice that allows you to simply ābeā.
Eventually, attaining a state of acceptance of the present moment, no matter how hard, becomes easier. If Iām any indication, the roller-coaster of life then feels a little less jarring and you are able to cope with life better.
***If youāre starting out with meditation, note that each of the tracks below is guided and instructions will take you through the 20 minutes or so of the track.***
***One thing I want to mention before you begin: for some people, particularly those living with trauma, chronic illness, or heightened nervous system sensitivity, certain meditation practices can occasionally feel activating rather than settling. Intensive body scans, in particular, can sometimes bring suppressed or difficult experiences to the surface. This doesnāt mean meditation isnāt right for you; it means itās worth approaching with self-compassion and curiosity rather than pressure. Research by Dr. Willoughby Britton at Brown University [has found that](https://www.brown.edu/news/2021-05-18/adverse-effects) anxiety, traumatic re-experiencing, and heightened emotional sensitivity are among the reported difficulties for those who experience adverse effects. Her work also notes that adverse effects and benefits are not mutually exclusive, as many of the same participants who reported adverse effects also reported improvements in depression with meditation.***
***f you find a particular weekās practice uncomfortable, please give yourself full permission to pause, move on to a different track, or return to one that felt grounding. For anyone who wants to explore this area further, Dr. Brittonās nonprofit [Cheetah House](https://www.cheetahhouse.org/) offers support and resources for meditators navigating difficult experiences.***
*F**or additional information about the basics of how to meditate, see the links at the bottom of this post.***
***
### WEEK 1, Metta (Loving Kindness) Meditation
TRACK [**HERE**](https://www.tarabrach.com/guided-meditation-metta-practice/).
For the first week, I chose a metta meditation. Metta means loving-kindness in Pali, and refers to an unconditional, wise love. A love that is inclusive, and doesnāt have strings attached. The choice was simple, because itās such a beautiful beginning.
The meditation starts with ourselves, then spirals out to friends, family, and eventually to all living things. Metta has no hoops to jump through ā all deserve it. It has no expectations of anything in return.
This is a track from Tara Brach, who wrote Radical Acceptance, a very important book for the perfectionists out there. Iām one of them, and in the spirit of starting with loving-kindness toward ourselves we are starting with metta.
Metta takes concentration, whereas Vipassana includes awareness of constant change ā awareness without consistently obsessing over it. Vipassana (the course I did and the practice I keep up) added a space between me and my reactions.
Metta, in contrast, feels more like a deep focus on primordial, compassionate love.
**Further reading about loving-kindness and acceptance**:
[Radical Acceptance](https://amzn.to/2EP8Ga4), by Tara Brach.
***
### WEEK 2, Body Scan Meditation
TRACK [**HERE**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DTmGtznab4).
For the second week of meditation, we are moving from metta (loving kindness) to a simple body scan. While leaking CSF, I feel lots of pain but also a sense of distance from my body. And of course emotionally Iām quite attached to the desired outcome of walking again.
Enter the body scan.
For one, itās done lying down ā so we are all flat for this meditation.
But also itās a deep, moment-to-moment investigation into what the body is experiencing. We all carry stress in the body, but while we may feel pain resulting from that tension, we donāt necessarily know where it resides.
With awareness and open acceptance of what one feels during the scan on a micro level, the goal is to notice what is happening on that minute level, helping voice where the pain is and what it says.
I find that by following these meditations, I have a sense of release, relaxation, and calm. While metta had us bringing attention to all beings and things, the body scan turns that focus to the body itself, beginning with the left foot and ending at the top of the head.
I chose an abbreviated 30-min scan for this week, but in a few weeks Iāll share a 45-min one. I personally started doing body scan meditations after reading [John Kabat-Zinnās Full Catastrophe Living](https://amzn.to/2Qhgwuv) and reading about his mindfulness-based stress reduction program.
For newer readers, more info about why I chose this book ā and others that can help with chronic paināat my post [here](https://jodiettenberg.com/chronic-pain).
Funny enough when I first heard this meditation, I hadnāt yet gone to the Vipassana course. I emailed a friend saying, āI tried the meditation but I think something is wrong with the audio ā there were all these periods of silence? So I just didnāt bother?ā
Of course now I know the silence is WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MEDITATING. All this to say, itās a practice, not necessarily something that feels intuitive or natural. John Kabat-Zinn on the body scan meditation:
> *āThe body scan is not for everybody, and it is not always the meditation of choice even for those who love it. But it is extremely useful and good to know about and practice from time to time, whatever your circumstances or condition. If you think of your body as a musical instrument, the body scan is a way of tuning it. If you think of it as a universe, the body scan is a way to come to know it. If you think of your body as a house, the body scan is a way to throw open all the windows and doors and let the fresh air of awareness sweep it clean.ā*
**Further reading about mindfulness and pain**:
[Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness](https://amzn.to/2KuMgKD), by Jon Kabat-Zinn (Preface by Thich Nhat Hanh)
I took this while exploring the temples of Ankor, though I never did write about it on this blog
***
### WEEK 3, Mindful Breathing Meditation
TRACK [**HERE**](https://m.soundcloud.com/user-191298933/mindful-breathing).
The mindfulness of breath is a calming practice, one that steadies the mind and encourages concentration.
Vipassana is considered an insight meditation, whereby through the practice of continued close attention to sensation, ā[one ultimately sees the true nature of existence](https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-practice-vipassana-insight-meditation/).ā In the Vipassana course I attended, the first days were devoted to breath meditations, and only on day 4 did we move into Vipassana itself. The rationale, we were told, was that one must first develop calm and concentration, and then move into insight and awareness of more.
Traditional mindfulness of breath meditations are called *[Anapanasati](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anapanasati).* Itās a straightforward term: translation is mindfulness (*sati*) of breathing (*pana*). The goal is to use the breath itself AS the focus when our mind wanders. For last weekās track, the focus was on specific parts / sensations in the body. In contrast, this is all physical sensations of breathing.
I chose a midway breathing track for this week, since it starts with a body scan and moves into some breathing work. Next week, the track will focus on breathing via a traditional *Anapanasati* guided meditation. Theyāre usually an hour-long but I will try to find a shorter one.
As with the other meditations so far, by putting less energy toward stressors or anxieties or pain during the meditation, we help our minds balance. With a regular mindful breathing practice, eventually that return to focusing on balance becomes more habitual, and carries to other aspects of our lives.
***
### WEEK 4, Mindful Breathing Meditation
TRACK [**HERE**](https://www.wildmind.org/audio/mobfour.mp3?_=3).
As I mentioned last week, we are doing another mindful breathing meditation. Many are over an hour but I chose this 26 minute one because it focuses on the four stages I learned when I first was taught how to practice it.
It opens by bringing attention to the physicality of breathing, counting (1) first our outbreaths and then (2) our inbreaths. When the mind wanders ā which of course it will ā we start back at breath 1 again. After that, we (3) focus on breathing but without the counting to keep things on tempo. Just noticing instead the continuity of that inhalation and exhalation, an infinity of sensations in flow. And finally, we (4) hone in on the minutiae of breathing specifically around the nostrils.
As with last week, the focus is on the breath as a tool to calm the mind.
***
### WEEK 5, Self-Compassion Meditation
TRACK [**HERE**](https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/meditations/noting.practice.MP3).
The next two weeks of our group meditations will focus on self-compassion.
Iāve recommended Kristin Neffās work in my post on [coping with chronic pain](https://jodiettenberg.com/chronic-pain/), as I have found her work especially helpful as it relates to pain and progress. Her book about Self-Compassion has helped many readers too, as Iāve received quite a few emails from people who have done longer meditation programmes based on her work.
For week five, we are going to do a compassionate body scan. Unlike the Kabat-Zinn scan from a few weeks prior, this meditation starts at the crown of the head (not the left foot), and it is rooted in practices of self-compassion.
What does this mean?
Per Neff, it is the skill of ātreating yourself like you would treat a close friend who was struggling.ā The idea of compassion generally (for all, not just ourselves) necessitates understanding suffering and feeling kindness and understanding in return, the desire to want to make those circumstances a little better.
It involves the quiet acceptance of the fragile human condition. And self-compassion is simply compassion turned inward, directed to ourselves.
What is it not? Self-compassion is **NOT** self-pity, self-esteem, or self-indulgence.
Instead of chasing self-esteem, which Neff notes can flip into narcissism more quickly than weād like, weād all be best focusing on softening our self-recrimination. To focus on feeling good about ourselves by needing to be better than others (the pitfalls of self-esteem in excess), we also open the door to cycles of self-loathing.
The alternative, says Neff, is to develop self-compassion. To ābe kind to ourselves life goes awry or we notice something about ourselves we donāt like, rather than being cold or harshly self-critical.ā A self-compassion practice acknowledges the imperfections inherent in simply BEING human, and focuses on connecting us to others when we stumble ā instead of isolating ourselves in a trap of judgement.
1\. Self compassion (not self judgement)
2\. Common humanity (not isolation)
3\. Mindfulness (not over-identification / obsessive thinking)
Yes, our old friend mindfulness! As with each of the Legal Nomads meditation practices weāve done so far, self-compassion also involves mindfulness.
It is important to recognize, accept without judgement, and observe the painful aspects of life as they arise moment to moment. Instead of doing what many of us do and push down the pain to suppress (or for some, to blow it up to magnificent scales for public drama), we take a BALANCED approach to negative emotions so that they are neither suppressed nor exaggerated.
(In my case, Iām a suppress-the-feelings person, not a have an epic meltdown kind of person, so this practice ā and meditation generally ā has helped me reach a state of more equanimity.)
Research in Neffās book (below) demonstrates that self-compassion decreases depression, alleviates stress, can help ease the thinking behind disordered eating, and mitigate chronic pain. At the same time, it increases happiness, optimism, hope, healthy behaviours, and immune function.
Further, practicing self-compassion or loving-kindness doesnāt just help us make other people happier, it helps makes us happier, too. Per [a 2020 piece about meditation and its effects on the brain](https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/1/10/21013234/meditation-brain-neuroscience-moral-obligation),
> āLoving-kindness also boosts the connections between the brainās circuits for joy and happiness and the prefrontal cortex, a zone critical for guiding behavior,ā Davidson writes in [*Altered Traits*](https://www.amazon.com/Altered-Traits-Science-Reveals-Meditation/dp/0399184384?ots=1&slotNum=1&imprToken=52bb2f2d-9c2b-f6ae-369&ascsubtag=[]vx[e]20777275[t]w[d]D), his authoritative 2017 book on the neuroscience of meditation, which he co-authored with Daniel Goleman. āAnd the greater the increase in the connection between these regions, the more altruistic a person becomes following compassion meditation training.ā
Neffās guided meditations are more casual, almost like a friend guiding you along. Not for every session, but a nice contrast to last weekās *anapanasati*.
**Further reading about self compassion**:
[Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living](https://amzn.to/2FDEtuY), by Pema Chodron
[Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself](https://amzn.to/2FPvIOu), by Kristin Neff
[The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions](https://amzn.to/2SpEiFi), by Christopher K. Germer (author of Week 6ās track, below
***
### WEEK 6, Self-Compassion Meditations
TRACK **[HERE](https://chrisgermer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Loving-KindnessforOurselves20.41ckgamplified12-14-14.mp3).**
WEEK 6! As promised, this weekās meditation is another meditative approach to self-compassion. Chris Germer, alongside Kristin Neff from last weekās track, co-founded the Mindful Self Compassion course. It is an 8 week course built on the principles I discussed in last weekās post: treating yourself like you would treat a close friend who was struggling.
This will be the second of three weeks focusing on this topic, primarily because many of you have written me over the years sharing your stories as I have shared mine. And through those stories and my own is one very similar thread: a tendency to be AWFULLY hard on ourselves even when we are doing our best. And a tendency to push through instead of giving our bodies a little more grace.
So Iām spending three weeks on self- compassion, because Iāve decided we all really need it. 
Next week will be a wider scope meditation, a beautiful combination of the loving-kindness track from our first week and the compassion meditation āto ourselvesā from this weekās track.
***
### WEEK 7, Self-Compassion Meditation
TRACK [**HERE**](https://chrisgermer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GivingandReceivingCompassion21.21ckgamplified12-14-14.mp3).
This is our last of three weeks focusing on self-compassion. First was a compassionate body scan. Then, a deeply personal metta for ourselves. To conclude, Iāve chosen a track that concentrates on self-compassion for ourselves and others, braiding together the prior week.
Itās a calming, quiet meditation and one that focuses on sending someone specific the gift of compassion ā as well as ensuring we send it to our own bodies and souls.
***
### WEEK 8: Zen, *Nanso Uran Hou* (The Duck Egg Meditation)
TRACK [**HERE**](http://mindfully.libsyn.com/zen-meditation-series-20-minute-soft-ointment-guided-meditation)
Iām glad to find us back together for week 8 of the group meditations. My goals with these sessions are both to create a space for people to engage in a meditation practice while knowingly connecting to others around the world, and to provide an overview of different types of meditation to help narrow down what works best for each reader.
On to this weekās track, which is a guided Zen soft ointment meditation based on the Zen āSoft and Duck Egg Meditation.ā
The practice was originally taught by Zen master [Hakuin](https://www.shambhala.com/hakuin-ekaku-c-1685-1768/) (1685-1768) to remind the body to relax and heal. Hakuin learned the *Nanso* meditation when fell ill and was sent to the mountains near Kyoto to locate a hermit named Hakuyo in the hopes of finding a cure for what ailed him. Hakuyo taught Hakuin the introspective meditation. The meditation draws on our spiritual eyes, using them to reach harmony between body and mind. The egg-shaped buttery ointment starts at the crown, then melts slowly down to our feet, our suffering, sorrow, and pain with it.
**āThe Tigerās Caveā** by Trevor Leggett on the *Nanso Uran Hou* meditation:
> *āIf the student finds in his meditation that the four great elements are out of harmony, and body and mind are fatigued, he should rouse himself and make this meditation. Let him visualize placed on the crown of his head that celestial So ointment, about as much as a duckās egg, pure in color and fragrance. Let him feel its exquisite essence and flavor melting and filtering down through his head, its flow permeating downwards, slowly leaving the shoulders and elbows, the sides of the breast and within the chest, the lungs, liver, stomach and internal organs, the back and spine and hip bones. All the old ailments and adhesions and pains in the five organs and six auxiliaries follow the mind downwards. There is a sound as of the trickling of water. Percolating through the whole body, the flow goes gently down the legs, stopping at the soles of the feet.ā*
Once the ointment fills the whole body (as guided through the track above), we visualize the melted liquid flowing away through the fingertips and toes, slowly flooding your surroundings, until it looks like a lake that reaches the height of the navel. Once it reaches that level, it keeps circulating through body and mind, helping to heal.
***
### WEEK 9: Zen, Healing Ointment Meditation
TRACK **[HERE](https://www.dropbox.com/s/tf73t3lbzynqoux/2-01%20Healing%20With%20The%20Soft%20Ointment%20Meditation.mp3?dl=0)**.
For week 9, I am sharing a different version of the track from last week. Week 9ās Duck Egg meditation is called a Healing Ointment meditation, and is led by Julian Daizan Skinner, from Zenways in London. A long-time reader recognized the track from last week from her [Zenways](https://zenways.org/) course, and graciously provided her teacherās guided version for us to meditate with together.
I love it so much that I had to share it here.
Weāve explored a few different types of meditation practices, and the current weeks are focused on Zen, using meditation and mindfulness practices aimed at developing insight into reality and who we really are.
In Zen, this is known as kensho ā literally seeing or experiencing your true nature, not depending on beliefs or notions.
> āThere is no Zen without kensho; complete kensho is what is known as satori, Zen awakening. This realization is likened to finding an inexhaustible treasure, for it means the awakening of the whole potential fo r the experience of experience itself.ā ā Kensho: Heart of Zen, by Thomas Cleary
I truly love this Healing Ointment meditation, with a comforting voice and a guide to engaging the parasympathetic nervous system and relaxing the body and mind, inviting it to open to healing.
**Further reading about Zen training and meditation**:
[Zen Mind, Beginnerās Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation,](https://amzn.to/2Dr5E7U) by Shunryu Suzuki
[Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy](https://amzn.to/2GxMQHn), by Katsuki Sekida (A handbook for zazen, the seated meditation practice, and an authoritative presentation of the Zen path)
[Kensho: Heart of Zen](https://amzn.to/2SXczj7), by Thomas Cleary
[Practical Zen: Meditation and Beyond](https://zenways.org/product/practical-zen-meditation-and-beyond/), by Julian Daizan Skinner (who narrated this meditation)
[How Rinzai Zen Came to America](https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/ruth-fuller-sasaki-zen/) (Article)
***
### WEEK 10: Zen, Mindfulness of the Breath
TRACK **[HERE](https://www.dropbox.com/s/2uxohn7j1lh8n8z/1-01%20Mindfulness%20of%20the%20Breath.mp3?dl=0)**.
Building off last weekās Healing Ointment meditation, I am going to spend our last week on Zen.
First off: Iāve received several emails over the years asking about how to work through the frustration of consistently losing place or focus.
It is the act of gently returning to the meditation again and again, without judgment or frustration, that helps train the brain. The answer for me is truly a matter of compassionate discipline, combined with the knowledge that the brain adjusts and gets less noisy as time goes on.
This week, weāre returning to the breath. Unlike the earlier *anapanasati* of week 4 (mindful breathing), based on the Vipassana meditation system, this week is a Japanese Rinzai Zen practice.
Per Julian Daizan Skinner from [Zenways](https://zenways.org/), āthe Rinzai Zen tradition extends back 2500 yrs and has a tradition of teaching meditation for wellbeing and insight both in and outside of the monastic setting.ā
In this 25 minute practice, we become aware of our breath from low in our abdomen, and then using counting to keep pace while allowing any thoughts or feelings to arise and pass away. When losing focus, we return to the breath ā without judgment! ā and begin counting again.
Simple but effective.
***
### A note about the neuroscience of meditation
> *ā**Meditative awareness reduces tension in and heals the body. Meditation quiet the mind and gently opens the heart. Itās that is the spirit. It helps us learn to live more fully in the reality of the present, do you see more clearly the people we live with in the world we live in.ā***
>
> Jack Kornfield, [Meditation for Beginners](https://amzn.to/2IU1RTC)
While the focus of these meditations isnāt the neuroscience, it is genuinely fascinating to understand what research tells us about how meditation affects the brain. The science has advanced considerably in recent years. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) [notes](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-effectiveness-and-safety) that meditation and mindfulness practices may affect the functioning or structure of the brain, and that studies have used various methods of measuring brain activity to look for measurable differences in practitioners. What researchers have found includes that a meditation practice [is associated with increased cortical thickness, reduced amygdala reactivity, and improvements in brain connectivity](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1361002/). These are changes that impact emotional regulation, cognitive function, and stress resilience, reflected in the reports of many meditation practitioners.
While research demonstrated that meditation can help mental well-being, the specific neural activity underlying meditative practices and their positive effects was still not well understood. A 2025 [study from Mount Sinai looked into the neural activity further,a nd found](https://www.mountsinai.org/about/newsroom/2025/new-research-reveals-that-meditation-induces-changes-in-deep-brain-areas-associated-with-memory-and-emotional-regulation) that meditation is associated with changes in the strength and duration of beta and gamma brain waves. A senior author this 2025 study noted that, āthese kinds of brain waves are affected in mood disorders like depression and anxiety, so the possibility of being able to willfully control these through meditation is pretty amazing, and may help explain the positive impact that these practices have on individuals.ā The study was unique as they used used advanced invasive neural recording techniques, which allowed researchers to record detailed data, more than prior studies.
It is worth noting, as the NCCIH does, that much of this research remains preliminary and has been difficult to interpret across different study types, or meditation types, so results should not be taken as definitive. But the direction of evidence is consistent and encouraging.
For those curious about how these practices work at the level of the brain, the [NCCIHās updated overview of meditation and mindfulness](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-effectiveness-and-safety) is a well-referenced starting point. And for a short accessible video introduction to the cognitive neuroscience involved, the Society for Neuroscienceās BrainFacts resource has a clear overview post and video [here](https://www.brainfacts.org/diseases-and-disorders/mental-health/2024/the-cognitive-neuroscience-in-mindfulness-meditation-010424).
Another short video about the power of meditation:
And for those who want a more basic āhow toā than the styles set out in this post, please see the following:
- Anandaās [How to Meditate](https://www.ananda.org/meditation/how-to-meditate/)
- My friend Leoās tips for beginners to meditation: [how to understand the mind](https://zenhabits.net/meditation-guide/)
- Mindful meditation for beginners ([tips and a video](https://www.mindful.org/meditation-for-beginners-video/)) |
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