Irish Community for Christian Meditation

It only takes five minutes to learn and once you get going you'll surprise yourself. See Introduction to and Experience of Meditation for Beginners information below

• Sit down with feet firmly on the ground, your hands resting on your knees, your back as straight as possible.
• Take some deep breaths and / or listen to some gentle music for one or two minutes. This will help to focus your attention.
• Close your eyes gently. Begin to say your prayer word or mantra so to anchor your mind, by gentle and persistent repetition. The mantra we suggest is MARANATHA, an ancient Christian prayer. Say it in four equally stressed syllables: MA - RA - NA - THA. Say it for the whole time of your meditation without any thought as to its meaning. You can say any mantra you like such as "Come Holy Spirit" or "Jesus". But whatever mantra you choose keep to it, do not change it.
• Meditate every morning and every evening for 20 to 30 minutes - even on Christmas Day.
• Distractions will come, let them float past you. As you become aware of them, return gently to saying your mantra. In this way you are choosing Jesus above the distraction.

It is a learning process:
learning to pay attention,
learning to concentrate,
learning to cope with distractions,
learning to be at peace,
and learning to enjoy to the full the wonder of our creation.