Beginning Meditation
In the Theravada Forest Tradition the “Meditation on Breathing” is a very popular practice. You can also do body sensation or scanning practice. Loving kindness — metta practice — is highly recommended as well; you could even make that your main technique if you chose. Walking meditation is optional but recommended as a complement to the sitting practice.
Try to have a daily meditation practice of at least 20 minutes per day. Over time you could get it up to an hour a day.
You could start a session sitting with breath meditation for 20 minutes, then loving kindness for 10 or 15 minutes. It’s important to keep up the effort!
Suggested Readings
The Basic Method of Meditation (Ajahn Brahmavamso)
Birken Forest Monastery Recommended Book List (Venerable Sona Thera)
Buddhism in a Nutshell (Narada Mahathera)
Dhamma and Non-duality (Bhikkhu Bodhi)
The Four Noble Truths (Brian Ruhe)
An Interview with Bhikkhu Bodhi
Karma: It’s not about fatalism (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
Meditation on Breathing (Venerable Sona)
Meditation on Loving Kindness (Brian Ruhe)
Meditation on Loving Kindness (Venerable Sona)
Meditation: The Heart of Buddhism (Ajahn Brahmavamso)
The Quality of Mindfulness (Ajahn Brahmavamso)
Questions on Kamma (Bhikkhu Bodhi)
Rebirth (Bhikkhu Bodhi)
The Significance of Transference of Merits to the Departed
Walking Meditation (Ajahn Kusalo)
What is Buddhism (Narada Mahathera)
What is Theravada Buddhism?
