Meditation for Beginners: Where to Start and How Long
If you are new to meditation, start by sitting comfortably and noticing your breath coming in and going out. Three to five minutes is plenty at first, and when your mind wanders, gently coming back to the breath without blaming yourself is the whole practice. Hapjang (합장) is Goyosa, an online temple in your browser where you can sit on a cushion in the hall and follow a 4-second inhale, 6-second exhale guide together with other people.
- Starting length
- 3–5 minutes, then a little longer as it gets familiar
- Posture
- On a chair or the floor, back upright but relaxed
- Hapjang's guide
- 4-second inhale · 6-second exhale (6 breaths a minute); your own pace is fine
- Time limit
- None — press [Finish] to end
- Together
- "N people breathing together" shown on screen; 312 meditation cushions
What should a beginner start with?
The easiest place to start is the breath. It is always here and now, and it needs no preparation. Pick one thing, such as the coolness of air entering your nose or the rise and fall of your belly or chest, and rest your attention there.
There is no need to force the breath to be long. If it is short right now, notice that it is short; if it is rough, notice that it is rough. That is enough. Counting each exhale from one to ten, and starting again at one whenever you lose count, also helps at the beginning.
What posture should you sit in?
A desk chair is fine. Put both feet on the floor and keep your back upright, but let your shoulders and jaw relax. Rest your hands comfortably on your knees or in front of your belly. You can close your eyes, or keep them half open and look at the floor 1–2 m ahead.
If something hurts or goes numb, change position. Meditation is not about enduring pain.
If my mind keeps wandering, am I doing it wrong?
No. Thoughts arise on their own, and at first it is normal to find yourself somewhere else within a few seconds. The moment you notice "oh, I was thinking" is exactly the moment of meditation. Don't scold yourself; gently return to the breath. Repeating this again and again is the practice.
How long and when should you meditate each day?
Short and often is easier to keep up than long and rare. Attach it to something you already do every day, such as waking up, after lunch or before bed, and you won't forget. If it's hard to set aside time, start with a 5- or 10-minute break.
Are there other ways if sitting still is hard?
Many people find that meditation using the body suits them better. You can try several methods handed down in Korean mountain temples in Hapjang.
- Slow walk: walk very slowly and feel the soles of your feet.
- Prayer beads: move one bead for each breath.
- Singing bowl: follow the sound until it fades away.
- Sutra copying: trace the Heart Sutra stroke by stroke.
- Compassion practice: wish peace for yourself and others, one by one.
- 108 bows: match one breath to each bow.
What if meditation makes you uncomfortable?
If your breathing feels tight or you feel dizzy, stop following the guided rhythm, breathe normally and open your eyes. It's fine to stop. Meditation is just one way to rest the mind, not a treatment, and if you are going through a very hard time, please look at Where to get help first.
Your first breathing session in Hapjang
- Go to the hall Enter the Main Buddha Hall and go close to an empty meditation cushion. You go in and out of the hall by the side doors.
- Sit Sit using the button that appears on the cushion. On a PC you can also start breathing anywhere with the 1 key.
- Follow the breath Breathe in for 4 seconds and out for 6 with the on-screen guide. If that feels like too much, breathe at your own pace.
- Come back When your thoughts drift, notice it and return to the breath.
- Finish When it feels like enough, press [Finish]. There is no set time.
Try it in Hapjang
Breathing in Hapjang has no time limit, and the number of people breathing at the same moment is shown as "N people breathing together." Everyone's character breathes in the same rhythm (6 breaths a minute), so when several people sit in the hall with its 312 cushions, you can see them breathing together.
Frequently asked questions
How many minutes should a beginner meditate?
Three to five minutes is plenty at first. A short daily session is easier to keep up than one long session, and you can gradually add time as it becomes familiar.
How should I breathe when meditating?
The basic idea is to notice your natural breath rather than change it. If you want a rhythm, breathing in for about 4 seconds and out for 6 tends to feel comfortable, and Hapjang (합장) guides this rhythm too. If it feels like too much, breathe at your own pace.
What do I do when random thoughts come up while meditating?
Everyone gets them. Notice that you were thinking and gently return to the breath; repeating that return is what meditation practice is.
Is there somewhere to meditate online with other people?
Hapjang (합장) is Goyosa, an online temple in your browser where you can sit on cushions in the same hall as other visitors and breathe together. There is no sign-up or payment.
Related pages
- Simple Breathing Meditation: Inhale 4, Exhale 6The easiest meditation: sit and watch your breath. How to start with a 4-second inhale and 6-second exhale, and breathe with others online in Hapjang.
- Walking Meditation: How to Do Pohaeng, the Slow WalkPohaeng is the slow walking meditation Korean monks do between sitting sessions. Learn how to do it and follow the slow walk on Hapjang's forest trail.
- How to Do Loving-Kindness Meditation: 4 Simple StepsLoving-kindness (metta) meditation sends good wishes to yourself, a loved one, a stranger and all beings. Learn the four steps and try it in Hapjang.
- How to Use Buddhist Prayer Beads (108 Mala)How to count a 108-bead mala one bead at a time with your right thumb, why you turn back at the guru bead, and bead materials. Try it online at Hapjang.
- A 5- or 10-Minute Break: How to Rest Your Mind QuicklyFive minutes at work, ten before bed. Short ways to breathe, walk and simply watch at Hapjang, Goyosa, an online temple you open in your browser.
- Main Buddha Hall (Daeungjeon) — Sit and Bow OnlineThe Main Buddha Hall is the heart of a Korean temple. In Hapjang, sit on one of 312 cushions to breathe, bow, copy sutras and ring a singing bowl.
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