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To develop One option is to take a structured course – such as Sam Harris’s Waking Up course. Simply download the app on your phone. Sam Harris’ focus is on open monitoring mindfulness and its broader implications in life. A friend recommended this course to me and it reconnected me with mindfulness practice. I’d strongly recommend it to others.

Alternatively, you could simply follow instructions such as these:

1. Prepare Your Body with Yoga Asanas (Optional, but Beneficial):

Before beginning your meditation practice, it can be helpful to perform a few gentle yoga asanas to stretch and relax your body. Yoga postures promote physical awareness, reduce tension, and help you settle into a state of relaxed alertness. Look online for a simple and beneficial routine here.

After completing a few minutes of asanas, find a comfortable seated position – either on the floor with a cushion, or in a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Allow your body to relax while keeping your spine straight and alert.

2. Begin with Focused Attention Meditation on the Breath (5-10 minutes):

To establish a base of concentration, begin with a focused attention meditation. Follow these steps:

  1. Focus on the Breath: Close your eyes and bring your attention to your breath. Notice the sensation of the air flowing in and out of your nostrils, or the rise and fall of your chest or abdomen.
  2. Anchor Your Attention: Allow your breath to become the anchor of your attention. Each time your mind wanders (and it will), gently bring your attention back to your breath. There’s no need to force anything – just gently refocus.
  3. Maintain a Soft Focus: Keep your focus on the breath as naturally as possible. Don’t try to control it; just observe its rhythm. Allow the mind to calm and settle, cultivating a sense of stillness.

This focused attention practice creates stability, grounding you in the present moment and preparing you for the more expansive awareness of open monitoring.

3. Transition to Open Monitoring Meditation (10-15 minutes):

Once your mind feels somewhat settled, transition from focused attention to open monitoring by broadening your awareness beyond the breath:

  1. Expand Your Awareness: Shift from focusing solely on your breath to noticing the entire ‘space’ of your conscious experience. This includes bodily sensations, thoughts, emotions, sounds, and even mental imagery. Instead of latching onto any specific experience, simply observe what arises and passes away, moment by moment.
  2. Non-Judgmental Observation: Let go of the tendency to judge or label your thoughts or sensations as good or bad, right or wrong. Just let them come and go as they naturally do, like clouds passing through the sky. Cultivate a sense of open curiosity about whatever arises in your field of awareness.
  3. Stay in the Background of Awareness: Imagine that your conscious awareness is like an open field, and you are observing from a spacious centre, noticing the changes that occur without identifying with them. Thoughts, sensations, and emotions will come and go, but you remain in the background as the observer. This helps reduce the ‘vortex’ of self-centred thinking.
  4. Ground Yourself if Overwhelmed: If you find that your mind becomes overwhelmed with distractions, gently return to the breath for a few moments to re-establish stability, then expand your awareness again.

4. Close the Meditation with Reflection:

After 15-20 minutes, gently bring your practice to a close:

  1. Take a few deep breaths, returning your attention to the physical sensations of your body and the space around you.
  2. Reflect briefly on the experience—whether your mind wandered a lot, felt calm, or encountered deeper sensations. There is no right or wrong result. The practice is simply about observing and noticing with awareness.
  3. Take a moment to express gratitude for the time spent in meditation.

5. Tips for Maintaining a Daily Practice:

  • Set a Regular Time: Establish a consistent time each day, either in the morning or evening, when you can dedicate 15-20 minutes to this practice.
  • Start Small: If 20 minutes feels daunting, begin with 10 minutes and gradually extend the time as you become more comfortable with the practice.
  • Be Patient with Yourself: Open monitoring meditation is about non-attachment and non-judgement. Your mind will wander, and that’s natural. Gently bring yourself back to the open space of awareness without criticism.
  • Use Yoga as Needed: Yoga asanas can be particularly helpful if your body feels restless or tense before meditation. Use them to calm and prepare yourself before settling into your practice.
  • Use a habit tracker such as Productive to help develop the habit.