It’s important to establish a daily practice and then stick to it. This doesn’t mean dedicating 12 hours a day to meditation, it just means creating a space in your home where you can take a few minutes and meditate and do the exercises. I advise people to start with some of the basic exercises and devote 10 -20 minutes a day as they develop their physical and mental abilities. Many people quite simply overload themselves and expect too much too soon, then get discouraged when they don’t see the results they thought they should see. In Part 2 of this manual you’ll find some exercises, ranging from the very basic to the moderately advanced. My advice is to do them in that order, simply because we all have the temptation to jump in over our heads (which can also be a good thing) and overload ourselves. Getting Started Set aside a corner in one of your rooms. You can stock it with whatever accoutrement you wish. Many folks have cushions, candles, incense and a small CD player for music or guided meditation CD’s. Use whatever tools and accessories you want to, as there’s no right or wrong at this point. Once you’ve created your ‘sacred space’ then all you have to do is use it. Set aside a few minutes each day and just work on your breathing if you don't know what else to do. Don’t worry at this point about how long you meditate, just get into the habit of doing it. The effects of meditation are cumulative, so 5 minutes a day everyday is better than 20 minutes once a week. Eventually you’ll get to the point where you don’t need any accessories and you can clear your mind and meditate anywhere, at any time, but for now don’t worry about that, just create a pleasant, sacred atmosphere and get started. On ‘Expectation’ In the spiritual circles we often hear people talking about doing things ‘without expectation’. It’s amazing how often the simple truths are all around us. When we begin meditation or working towards the kundalini, we often feel that we should be able to do certain things within a certain time frame. We expect to be able to clear our minds and access our deeper abilities. We expect to be able to sit for an hour and meditate, or to see auras, or feel other people’s chi. Then when it doesn’t happen we become disappointed and confused. I can’t tell you how important it is to break free of these expectations. When we let go of expectations and learn to just relax in the moment and just BE, then we are making progress of the most important kind. In the west we tend to be so goal oriented and have a need to see results, but frequently the cumulative effects of meditation aren’t noticeable until much later. Meditation is about this moment, about BEing totally in this moment, rather than about who you’ll be when you’ve become a good meditator. The important thing with a regular practice is to just do it. The effects are cumulative and one day you’ll look back and see that all those short meditation sessions actually added up. Hope that helps some of you. Robert www.highmountainhoshin.com

My daily practice is at this point more of a weekly practice. I try to meditate for at least ten minutes every day during my lunch break. It helps me to clear my mind. When I don't engage in this practice I can feel the difference in myself. I need to do this to remain centered. One of my spritual mentors, Thorn is very big on daily practice. She has been a real inspiration for me. I have been studying with her for over a year and a half now. I know how important a daily practice is. I just need to ensure that I make the time necessary to carry it out. I feel much better when I do. Shannon

Some people will argue that you HAVE to meditate for at least 20 minutes at a time to get any benefits from it. I disagree completely. The effects of meditation are cumulative and 5 minutes a day, every day, is better than 35 minutes once a week. I think a lot of people are turned off and scared away from meditation because they think it has to be a huge time commitment. As you get into the habit of meditation you'll also find that you can begin to do it at other times, like while driving or at work. The meditative state doesn't require anything special or distracting. Once you can get control of your mind you'll find that you can calm it at will and simply focus on your breathing while doing other things. Robert www.windhavenco.org