How To Meditate Quotes

“Mindfulness practice can teach us about the nature of thinking, and perhaps even more importantly, it can teach us that we are not our thoughts.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“Meditation isn’t what most people think,’ she said. ‘You’re meditating right now, in the way that you’re focused on what I’m saying. If your mind was somewhere else—if you were thinking about the Saints game or what you might have for dessert—that’s not meditation. You have to be here, now. Inhabit the present moment, because that’s the only way to find lasting happiness. If you think happiness is somewhere out there, you’ll spend your whole life chasing it, and once you find something that looks like happiness, it will change without warning. You have to accept yourself as you are, happy to be breathing, to be present in this moment.”
― Israel Morrow, Gods of the Flesh: A Skeptic's Journey Through Sex, Politics and Religion

“Mindfulness meditation practice will help you discern which thoughts support your goals and well-being and which thoughts are destructive or unhealthy and should be discarded.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“Attention is the yin to concentration’s yang. Attention (mindfulness) and concentration (focus) work together to provide a full, rounded experience of being both focused on the task at hand (whatever it may be), as well as having a complete awareness of, and an open mind to, the many aspects of the moment you are in.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“This sixth sense of thought often comes to the foreground in mindfulness practices like meditation.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“Thoughts provide important information, but they are not fundamentally different from or more important than, say, the taste of a pear or hearing a Mozart symphony.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“Just because you think something doesn’t mean it’s true, or even particularly important.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“If you’ve been thinking negative thoughts for long enough, you have probably come to believe in and identify with them.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“You are not your thoughts; you are the thinker of the thoughts.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“You should always try to meditate in a place where you will be safe and as undisturbed as possible, but keep in mind that in any meditation practice, a crucial component is to allow—even welcome—changes to the outside environment without interrupting the meditation. Simply observe, experience, and allow things to be as they are.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“By holding an open-focus awareness, you create a larger mental “container” for your thoughts to pass through.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“The mental perspective to hold here is that you accept and allow the dog to bark and the car to drive by, without entertaining the desire for things to be any different than they are.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“We can compare our attention to light: If we focus our concentration on something, we might say that we are “shining a spotlight” on it. When we practice open awareness, rather than shining a spotlight on one particular thing, we might say that we allow our awareness to “shine” in all directions around us, like the glow of a candle flame.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“When we simply notice and allow things to be as they are, we naturally disengage from the impulses that would try to control or change things. This is not a practice in passivity or ignorance—quite the opposite. This is a practice in opening your mind and allowing yourself to receive all the information you possibly can before making any moves or taking any action. Notice the word allow. We do not force ourselves to pick up on sensory input; the awareness expands naturally from a practice of calm, relaxed allowing.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“Through practicing mindful awareness, we cultivate discernment by being more sensitive to the bigger picture and how the present moment relates to it.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“As you practice observing your thoughts, you will become more aware of the tone of your internal voice and the kinds of thoughts you are having and develop the ability to intervene before saying or doing something you might regret.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“Envision your awareness as a glow in all directions around you, mentally scanning all directions at once—simply witnessing the moment as it is.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“By becoming more attentive and aware of the thoughts arising in your mind, you will create the opportunity to question and reframe them.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“If the mind wanders, bring your awareness back to the breath as it expands and contracts, and expand your awareness in all directions around you from there.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“Transitioning mindfully out of meditation helps you keep the relaxed state developed during your practice, thus extending the “shelf life” of the benefits of calmness, clarity, and openness.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“Do a mindful check-in at work—Take a brief moment to mindfully experience the workplace from your usual spot. Mentally scan in all directions around you.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“Do a mindful check-in during your meals—Notice the fragrances, the sounds, and the thoughts arising in your mind.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“Do a mindful check-in at the market—When visiting one of the places you usually do your shopping, take a moment to notice the temperature, the smells, the music, and the conversations happening in the background.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“Anywhere you find yourself, do a mindful check-in—Whenever appropriate, take a moment to close your eyes and listen in all directions around you. Be present with wherever you are, whenever you are actually there. Take it all in!”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“Mindful observation holds the same mindful awareness as open awareness, but with open eyes gently directing attention to a specific object.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“There is a silent act of will at play when we observe the impulse to allow our eyes to wander, then gently override it. This develops the mental fortitude and willpower to stick to whatever it is that we are focusing on or working with.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“By practicing mindful observation, you will become more aware of the virtues and qualities of what you are observing—a simple but useful spoon or a beautiful flower—which unlocks appreciation and gratitude for what you have. Cultivating a sense of gratitude in itself has been scientifically proven to have numerous health benefits.”
― Benjamin W. Decker, Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

“All meditation starts with the root of intention.”
― Andrew Pacholyk, Lead Us To A Place: Your Spiritual Journey Through Life's Seasons

“No matter what the tree, they all grow from one seed, which takes root and branches out. Meditation is like the lotus tree. Rich with many, many layers, leaves and petals. It blossoms to be a vibrant flower, but at its core, it is the same, basic principle, ~ the seed you plant.”
― Andrew Pacholyk, Lead Us To A Place: Your Spiritual Journey Through Life's Seasons

“I believe we are Five Dimensional Beings having an Eternity experience in a human body on a planet that is a challenge to master, and which gives us an opportunity to grow and evolve into Universal Citizens. Me? I'm an observer, yogi, and a toolmaker. An ordinary mystic.”
― Blair Abee, Higher Consciousness Meditation: Living a Life of Inner Richness and Mastery