In short: start with mindfulness of breathing, learn to recognise the five hindrances that get in the way, then grow into the four foundations of mindfulness, loving-kindness and insight. This guide links every ANEW meditation page in that order.
Everything on ANEW about meditation, in a sensible order: start with the breath, learn to meet the hindrances, and grow into mindfulness, love and insight.
Start here
- Buddhist Meditation for Beginners: How to Start, in Plain English
A simple guide to Buddhist meditation for beginners: how to sit, what to do with your breath and your wandering mind, how long to practice, … - Ānāpānasati: Mindfulness of Breathing in 16 Steps
Ānāpānasati, the Buddha's mindfulness of breathing, step by step: all 16 steps from the early texts in plain English, grouped in four sets, … - Walking Meditation: The Buddha's Five Benefits (AN 5.29)
The Buddha's five benefits of walking meditation (AN 5.29): fit for travelling, fit for meditation, healthy, good digestion, and lasting sti…
Working with the mind
- The Five Hindrances in Meditation, and How to Work With Them
The five hindrances, sensual desire, ill will, dullness, restlessness and doubt, explained with the Buddha's bowl-of-water images from the e… - How to Stop Overthinking: The Buddha's Five Methods (MN 20)
The Buddha's five methods for stopping unwanted thoughts (MN 20, Vitakkasaṇṭhāna Sutta): replace, see the drawbacks, ignore, slow down, and … - Two Kinds of Thought (MN 19): What You Think Shapes Your Mind
Before his awakening, the Buddha sorted his thoughts into two kinds (MN 19). 'Whatever you frequently think about becomes your heart's incli… - Buddhist Teachings for Overthinking: Calming a Busy Mind
What the Buddha taught about a restless, busy mind: 'in the seen, merely the seen', the quivering mind straightened like an arrow, and tamin…
Going deeper
- Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta in Pāli and English: The Four Foundations of Mindfulness
The complete Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (MN 10), the four foundations of mindfulness, line by line in Pāli and English, with a plain-English map of … - The Bowl of Oil (SN 47.20): The Buddha's Image for Mindfulness
Carry a bowl brim-full of oil through a crowd watching a dancer, with a man with a drawn sword behind you. The Buddha's unforgettable image … - Meditate Like the Earth: The Buddha's Advice to Rāhula (MN 62)
'Rāhula, meditate like the earth.' The Buddha's advice to his son (MN 62): be like earth, water, fire, air and space, unmoved by pleasant an… - Four Ways to Develop Stillness (AN 4.41)
The Buddha's four ways of developing immersion (AN 4.41): for blissful meditation now, for knowledge and vision, for mindfulness and awarene… - Metta Meditation: Phrases, a 5-Minute Script and the Original Words
A simple metta (loving-kindness) meditation: the classic phrases, a 5-minute script you can follow today, and the original words from the Bu… - The Four Brahmavihāras: Love, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity
The four Brahmavihāras, or immeasurables, in plain English: mettā, karuṇā, muditā and upekkhā, the Buddha's own words on spreading them, the…
Try it
Make your teaching card for today, or begin with a 3-minute practice.