Resources and Extras
We've gathered some of our favorite books, videos, and other resources to help inform your mindfulness journey in discovering some of the experts and contemplatives in the field. Feel free to purchase the items anywhere, but for your convenience, we've offered some easy links.
Meditation Apps:
Mindfulness Books:
How to Meditate
A Simple Meditation Practice
Sit comfortably. Find a spot that gives you a stable, solid, comfortable seat.
Notice what your legs are doing. If on a cushion, cross your legs comfortably in front of you. If on a chair, rest the bottoms of your feet on the floor.
Straighten your upper body—but don’t stiffen. Your spine has natural curvature. Let it be there.
Notice what your arms are doing. Situate your upper arms parallel to your upper body. Rest the palms of your hands on your legs wherever it feels most natural.
Soften your gaze. Drop your chin a little and let your gaze fall gently downward. It’s not necessary to close your eyes. You can simply let what appears before your eyes be there without focusing on it.
Feel your breath. Bring your attention to the physical sensation of breathing: the air moving through your nose or mouth, the rising and falling of your belly, or your chest.
Notice when your mind wanders from your breath. Inevitably, your attention will leave the breath and wander to other places. Don’t worry. There’s no need to block or eliminate thinking. When you notice your mind wandering gently return your attention to the breath.
Be kind about your wandering mind. You may find your mind wandering constantly—that’s normal, too. Instead of wrestling with your thoughts, practice observing them without reacting. Just sit and pay attention. As hard as it is to maintain, that’s all there is. Come back to your breath over and over again, without judgment or expectation.
When you’re ready, gently lift your gaze (if your eyes are closed, open them). Take a moment and notice any sounds in the environment. Notice how your body feels right now. Notice your thoughts and emotions.
Additional Guided Meditation
MAP Mindfulness Programs
MAP Mindfulness is dedicated to an ongoing exploration and discussion about mindfulness in today's world.
Our goal is to provide individuals and groups with tools to help them navigate through life with Meditation, Awareness, and Pause.
We are dedicated to providing mindfulness programs to children, teens, their parents, adults, caretakers, and many others.
Our work takes into account recent research in neuroscience and other disciplines to best develop and deliver mindfulness practices.
