How to meditate

Sit comfortably. Back gently upright, feet on the ground, hands resting. Close the eyes or soften the gaze. Take three slow breaths that are a little longer on the exhale than the inhale. You have arrived.

Toltec meditation begins by shifting from being the thinker to being the one who notices the thinking. Do not stop your thoughts. Simply watch them arise, exist, and dissolve — as if you were watching clouds cross a wide open sky.

The breath is the doorway. Feel it enter and leave — cool on the way in, warm on the way out. When you notice you've drifted (and you will), gently return. Each return is the practice, not a failure.

You will meet old stories — the Judge and the Victim, inherited beliefs, small fears wearing large costumes. Meet them as a compassionate witness. You do not need to argue with them. You need only see them clearly. To see is already to begin to be free.

Beneath every thought is the awareness that holds it. Rest there. This is what the Toltec call the nagual — the silent, luminous ground of being. You are not visiting it; you are it.

Each daily meditation ends with one small practice to carry into your day. This is where awareness meets the world. Do it lightly. Do it often. Life itself becomes the meditation.