How to sit.
How to meditate without faking it, forcing it, or getting too ‘spiritual’.
If you have ever wondered how to meditate properly, you’re not alone.
Most of us try – and most of us feel like we’re doing it wrong. But what if the first step is to stop trying?
Everyone’s mind runs – mind running practice is sitting still and simply watching it.
We don’t chase after stillness – we stay still and notice the mind’s natural tendency to run.
This is observation. Mindfulness training. This is real meditation – not performance, not manifesting, not visualizing.
It’s the simplest thing we’ll never quite master.
When we sit and observe, we observe (without taking action) thoughts like:
Am I doing this right?
This is a waste of time.
Should I be doing something else right now?
I wonder if sitting will make me better at running around?
This is the secret truth about meditation – there is no right or wrong way to practice.
This is Meditation 101 – we sit and observe and we do not fix in any way.
This makes meditation so simple, our over-active mind think we are missing something.
Ironically, the only thing we are missing when we sit is our mind.
Meditation really is this simple – Sit. Notice. Repeat.
Step One – Stop.
Find a quiet(ish) spot – it can be in a park, on a bench or a patch of grass, or in your living room.
If you are practicing mind running with a group, remember to focus on your own path. We may mind run in a group, but the exercise is always done on our own.
It can be helpful to turn off your phone, or put it face down. We’re going to let the world keep moving by while we remain still.
Step Two – Sit.
You can sit upright or slouched. Cross-legged on the ground or in a chair.
Sitting is not about posture – it’s about presence.
Let your hands rest naturally. Relax. Your eyes can be open or closed, whichever invites attention to observe your mind process.
If you are with a group, don’t measure yourself against others. There’s no “correct” shape or method here. You don’t even need to sit – you can walk and be present. You can even lie down if needed – just try to stay awake.
Step Three – Notice.
This is the hardest step – what does it mean to ‘just’ notice?
We tend to think, judge, and then try to fix. But that is not what we are doing here.
We Sit and Notice. Not fix.
With mind running practice, thoughts are perfectly fine, no matter what they are. Just notice them. Don’t try to control how or where the mind runs, just observe it.
Good or bad, useful or not – these are just more thoughts about thoughts.
Watch these thoughts and do nothing about them. Just let them happen.
Some people like to notice their breath come and go – not to control it, just to flow with it. That is perfectly acceptable, don’t force anything, just notice.
Some people imagine they are sitting on a river bank, watching their thoughts float past on the water. That works too. And it’s true that no thought ever lasts too long. Just notice the thoughts – one will come along, and then another and another.
Notice. Just notice. Whatever thought that may run through your awareness.
And that is it. You are noticing the mind process unfold: the thoughts, sensations, urges, boredom, analysis, measuring… And because you are not fighting them or trying to fix anything – everything is being seen.
Should you notice that you drifted away, ran off in any one direction – just notice that too.
Remember that noticing is the practice, not correcting. Just noticing.
Repeat.
Just like running, step and after step we repeat this process until the exercise is over.
Sit. Notice. Repeat. Not to arrive somewhere/ anywhere, but to see more clearly where we already are.
Common Questions about How To Sit
Is Sitting / Mind Running Club (just) Meditation?
For some, meditation is an activity or action. Something they “do”.
It can involve our basic technique of just sitting and observing but it sometimes it also focuses on breathing, chanting, mantras, manifesting, or any number of ‘things’.
Our Mind Running technique keeps it super basic – just noticing – the fundamental form of meditation.
When we just sit and notice our mind run, we are not focused on any particular thing, outcome, or ideal.
We don’t intend to observe our thoughts or achieve any state of mind, we just observe whatever state we are in and whichever thoughts arise.
This shifts meditation from a ‘doing’ activity to a state of just being.
For example – a meditation practice may involve “brining your attention to your breath”, but a mind running practice would direct the mind anywhere, we just notice the mind as it runs. This does not mean we get lost in the thoughts, run a marathon and wake up 20 minutes later! Observing means we keep returning to the sidelines to sit and watch the mind as it runs in circles. Our only ‘action’ observing. Simply noticing. Without setting any intentions or applying any meaning because that those concepts are just more mind running.
How long should I sit?
1 minute. 5 minutes. 20 minutes. The time doesn’t matter. Just show up.
As for how often, aim to practice once a day or whenever you notice your mind is running.
What do I do if my mind won’t stop thinking?
Nothing. Just notice it won’t stop. That’s it.
This doesn’t make sense – that is true – but this exercise runs opposite to our learned habits. Those same habits are what we are looking to break free from through our sitting practice.
The best advice here is – trust the system and just sit, notice, and repeat.
With practice you will feel a shift.
Should I practice Mind Running solo or with a group?
Mind running is never a team sport. You may practice mind run along side others, but your mind will always be running its own race.
Sometimes a group can make the exercise feel easier. Just like running for fitness, it can be helpful to have others along side you, to motivate you and keep you on track – but don’t limit yourself to only practicing as part of a group.
Others may help you feel more calm. Or not.
Others may help you notice patterns in your mind. Or not.
Remember – we don’t measure results here – we notice the experience instead.
If you do happen to be mind running along side others, always return to your own noticing.
You’re not running to compete with, or improve, or connect with others.
You’re practice to observe those very ideas as they pass through your mind.
Sometimes running with other’s help you, sometimes those around you become the focus of your practice.
I’m nervous to join a mind running group. What should I do?
It is totally understandable to be nervous. Most people are!
Remember you never have to talk to anyone, or “do” anything, or explain anything.
It can feel weird to walk up to a group or a person that is sitting quietly in the park, so don’t.
If you are nervous or unsure, just walk past the group and sit nearby. No one will mind. People walk through parks all the time.
If you are nervous, watch those thoughts.
Remember – there are no “pros” in mind running clubs – just people with the intention to exercise their awareness, like you.
Whether you sit directly beside another person, or 20 steps away, across the city in a different location, you’re running your own practice.
How do I know if I am doing it right?
If you’re noticing that question arise… you’re doing it!
Sit. Notice. Repeat.
Notice, don’t question.
Notice, don’t fix.
Notice, don’t judge.
Notice, don’t narrate.
Notice, don’t commentate.
Just notice.
Sit. Notice. Repeat.
What if I don’t like the people I am meditating with?
That is something worth noticing!
Observe that thought – What are you liking or disliking? What do you want from a practice?
Sit and let those questions be part of your sitting session, and not a reason to abandon it.
Just remember to use the same good sense you would any other time you sit in a park or a public space.
If the group doesn’t feel right, walk on by or sit on the next bench.
When we are practicing mind running, we are never expected to talk, share, or join in any way.
This is a space for sitting, observing, and repeating.
That’s all.