Meditation

Meditation Guides: Building a Practice That Lasts

Most people who try meditation stop within a few weeks, not because it failed but because nobody told them what to expect. These meditation guides are written to close that gap. They explain what the practice does, which technique suits which person, what the research supports and what it does not, and how a daily sit becomes something you keep.

Who this section is for

You might be starting from zero and wondering whether ten minutes a day is worth it. You might have a practice already and want to add mantra, yoga nidra, or a sleep routine. Or you might be a yoga teacher who has been asked to lead meditation in class and wants to do it properly rather than reading a script off a phone.

Each guide is written to one reader at a time, in plain language, by teachers who sit every day and who have taught the practice in Bali for years. Where we cite research on anxiety or sleep, we say what the studies found and how strong the evidence is.

How the meditation guides fit together

Begin with the benefits guide so you know what a reasonable expectation looks like. Then choose a technique: mantra meditation gives the mind an anchor, yoga nidra works lying down and suits people who cannot sit still, and the mudra guide adds the hand positions used in both. The mindset piece on moving from "I'll try" to "I will" is short, and it is the one to read when you have missed three days in a row.

The applied guides come next: sleep meditation, yoga for anxiety, and what to expect from a sound bath. The final two are for teachers. One sets out what an online meditation course should give you; the other compares eight teacher trainings, ours included, on hours, method, and price.

Start here

1. What Are the Benefits of Meditation?: what regular practice changes, and what the research supports.
2. Mantra Meditation: Techniques and Benefits: how to use sound as an anchor, with mantras to start on.
3. Yoga Nidra: The Practice of Conscious Sleep: the lying-down practice, its stages, and how to guide or follow one.
4. Mudras Explained: How Hand Positions Direct Your Energy: the hand gestures used in meditation and pranayama, and when to use each.
5. From 'I'll Try' to 'I Will': The Mindset Shift: the short piece to read when your practice has stalled.
6. The Ultimate Guide to Sleep Meditation: techniques for falling and staying asleep, and how to sequence them.
7. Yoga for Anxiety: What the Research Actually Shows: which practices have evidence behind them, and how to use them.
8. The 8 Best Meditation Teacher Trainings (2026): eight programmes compared on hours, method, format, and price.

If you want to teach, or simply want structure for your own practice, our 20-hour online Meditation Training is the programme behind these guides.