As with many things, there is no one ‘right’ way to meditate, but there are a lot of different resources out there to help you get started.  I think it’s important to try a few things and explore a bit while developing your new routine and finding out what works best for you.  Here’s some of what I have explored since I got started.  To add to this list, please email me at submissions@wecanallbejedi.com.

• Tara Brach’s Smile Meditation is a great free resource you can use daily.  The original version is 25 minutes, but you can also find an abridged 10 minute version here.  Tara’s website is full of resources, including lots of other guided meditations one can explore.

• The UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center has some great free meditations available including through iTunesU.  Because of the length (12 minutes), I like to use the “Breath, Sound, Body Meditation 2009” but have also used the 19 minute-long “Complete Meditation Instructions”.  They also offer various other short meditations, some geared towards specific practices and activities such as ‘Body Scan for Sleep’.

• Headspace and Calm are the two Apps that I have heard of the most, and Headspace is the only one that I have tried.  It was paramount for me when first exploring building myself a daily practice and contains a ton of invaluable techniques, especially from the perspective of a newcomer.  After 8 months or so at 20 minutes per day I had virtually exhausted the guided meditations and it had simply become a tracking feature, which was nice for my OCD and love of data but no longer worth the annual subscription fee for me, which at the time I believe was $74.99 CAD per year.