Course Content
How Does Meditation Work?
In this lesson, you’ll discover how meditation reshapes the brain and supports overall well-being. Meditation increases gray matter in areas responsible for memory, learning, and emotional regulation, boosting cognitive skills and resilience. It strengthens areas tied to present-moment awareness and empathy, while reducing stress responses in the amygdala. Meditation also enhances physical health by improving sleep, reducing inflammation, and supporting immunity, offering a balanced approach to mental and physical wellness.
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Benefits of Meditation
Meditation’s ability to affect changes in the brain is exciting, but so too is how meditation improves our daily lives. The benefits of a steady meditation practice include the following.
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Forms of Meditation
Much of the latest research focuses on the benefits of mindfulness meditation, including breath awareness and more heart-based compassion practices. But there are many beneficial styles of meditation. We can work with the mind in many different ways. Each meditation technique offers us the ability to lead more calm, stable, and happy lives.
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How To Make Meditation Easy?
In this lesson, we’ll learn how to manage expectations in meditation, recognize common mistakes, and explore helpful practices to make meditation more accessible, enjoyable, and compassionate.
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How to Make Meditation a Habit
To make meditation a habit, start with small, manageable sessions (like 5–10 minutes) and aim to meditate at the same time each day to build routine. Create a dedicated, comfortable space, and track your progress to stay motivated. Celebrate each session without judgment, recognizing that consistency is more important than perfection.
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Is Meditation Safe?
Meditation is generally considered safe for most people and can provide numerous mental and physical health benefits. However, it's important to approach it mindfully. Anytime you’re meditating, with or without a guide, try to balance two types of attention. Place part of your attention on your intention, such as watching the breath. Use another part of your attention to tend to your meditation experience. If you notice resistance, reactivity, discomfort, or unease, address it in the most compassionate, caring way you can.Sometimes, this means staying with the experience and continuing to observe with a loving, caring kindness. Other times, this means gently navigating away from the discomfort or even taking a break from the practice entirely. You always have agency over your own practice.Meditation can help support mental and physical health, but it may not be a sufficient, stand-alone solution. If you’re using meditation as treatment for any physical, mental or emotional challenge, discuss your practice with a trauma-informed specialist, a trained medical professional or trusted counselor.
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Meditation Basics 101

    Transcript

    Mindfulness meditation is simple, but it’s not easy. Most of us have spent a lifetime chasing distraction, avoiding the truth of the present moment, or simply not noticing what’s going on. Cultivating the opposite takes great patience and repeated practice. 

    Over time, with as little as 5 minutes of practice each day, we strengthen the neural pathways that make meditation easier. As we realize the benefits we become motivated to meditate more often and to sit longer each time.

    Mindfulness of the breath is where most people start. To begin a meditation practice, try the following meditation steps:

    1. Find a Quiet Place

    To help minimize distractions, meditate in a relatively quiet place. Choose a location where you feel safe turning your awareness from the outside toward what’s going on within.

    2. Take a Seat

    We can meditate while standing, walking, sitting or lying down. Try starting with a seated practice. Your seat should be comfortable, yet upright, balancing comfort with alertness.

    3. Set an Intention

    During mindfulness of breath, your intention is breath observation. Setting an intention at the start of the practice allows you to observe when you’re meditating, and when you’re not.

    4. Place Your Mind on Your Intention

    If the intention is breath awareness, place your mind on your breath. Observe with eyes open or closed, while breathing naturally and normally. From moment to moment, without judgment or criticism, notice your breath with a spacious and kind curiosity.

    5. When Your Mind Wanders…

    At some point, you’ll notice that your mind has wandered and you’re no longer present with your intention. When this happens, rejoice! Let yourself relax and return to your intention. Repeat this step as often as you need to. With practice, you’ll notice sooner when the mind has wandered, and you’ll find it easier to return to your intention.

    6. Close with a Dedication

    When you’re ready to close your practice, take a moment to recognize the benefits you’ve received. Acknowledging these benefits and the success of your practice can help enhance the results. You may wish to dedicate the benefit of your practice toward a personal goal, to someone else, or to all beings everywhere. 

    Or if you need an easy audio guide, listen to our 10-minute guided meditation.

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