If you’re new to meditation and you want a good place to start, then the counting meditation is perfect for you. Even if you’re more experienced with meditation, the simplicity of the counting meditation makes it so effective that you will see the benefits of practicing it right away.

The counting meditation will help you develop your power of concentration. It was taught to me when I was studying martial arts as a young man, and I have kept with it ever since because it is incredibly beneficial. The results spoke for themselves. I went from having a squirrel brain that got distracted by whatever came my way to having laser-sharp focus on the task at hand.

The counting meditation helped me understand what the real goal of meditation is. All forms of meditation are, in their simplest forms, methods of developing concentration. Many people have the misconception that meditation is about invoking “blissful” states or emptying the mind. Which is part of it, but not the true goal.

What you should really be getting out of your meditation practice is the ability to focus your mind exclusively on one thing. It’s about developing presence. The focus of your concentration may be on the breath, a mantra or on a visualization, but it’s all really seeking the same end goal which is to develop your ability to concentrate your mind without becoming distracted.

Your mind becomes empty because your concentration on your breath is so powerful that intrusive thoughts have no room to creep in. You feel blissful because you are present with your breath without distraction. Those things are really just byproducts of having a disciplined mind that can concentrate on the present, on your breath. The goal should be to discipline your mind, to strengthen your willpower so that it has an iron rule on your attention.

How to do the Counting Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable position. Take a deep breath and relax.

Inhale through your nose. Fill up your belly and then your chest. Pause at the peak of your inhale.

Exhale through the nose or the mouth. Feel your chest fall and then empty your belly. Pause at the end of your exhale.

At that pause, mentally count “one.”

Keep this rhythm and count each of your breaths up to the number nine.

When you reach nine, start back over at one and keep the rhythm going.

If you lose track of what number you were on or if you skip a number, then start back over at one. You may be surprised as to how many times you fail to reach nine breaths without being distracted and losing count. Keep your breathing as natural as possible and don’t strain yourself.

It’ll probably be tedious and frustrating at first, as it was for me, but if you keep up with it you will see the results of your perseverance. Breathe in, breathe out, and count. Set yourself a timer and don’t worry about anything but the counting meditation until your timer goes off. Start at five minutes and work your way up as you are able to concentrate for longer periods of time.

Soon you will find that nothing can break your concentration. You can keep the rhythm of your breaths synchronized with your counting and you don’t get distracted or lose count. You have strengthened your ability to concentrate. You will find it easier to concentrate your attention on whatever it is you are doing without becoming distracted because you have disciplined your mind.

Try it out and determine the results for yourself!

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