Meditation is the secret to a happy life. The profound benefits of this spiritual science is a long list, and a list which is being constantly being validated by scientific research these days. So if you are interested in joy, peace, health, healing, compassion and wisdom, then you should learn how to meditate. It is the answer to suffering and is the key to enlightenment and bliss.

In this article I will help the beginner meditator get started on this adventure. Below you will find the details for two basic meditation techniques, which are perfect for those who are just starting out on this path and looking to learn the fundamentals of meditation.

Just because the following are basic meditation techniques, do not feel that the great benefits will not be bestowed onto you as a result. Not at all. Meditation does not have to be complicated to be effective and useful. In fast these basic techniques have been used by such master like the Buddha himself, to achieve great spiritual progress and awakenings.

The wonderful thing about learning meditation is that it required nothing more than passion and application on your part. It requires no money, no special gifts, no special talents, no endless training and no gurus. Just sincere interest on your part is enough, along with a commitment of time in the range of 20 to 40 minutes per day.

Given all that you gain by learning how to meditate, I think it really is a no brainer and there is no better to start than right now. So let?s get down to learning two great meditation techniques to get you started on this most wonderful of journeys.

The following meditation techniques are the two very best and most widely used techniques and have been proven to be effective and enormously beneficial. The first is Zen Meditation technique and following that is So Hum Mantra Meditation technique.

Zen Meditation Technique:

Here are instructions for the beginner?s version of this wonderful technique:

? Sit up nice and tall.

? Once you take your posture, you can either close your eyes, or in traditional Zen practice, keep them open with an unfocused gaze on the floor in front of you. Also, once you take your posture you should remain completely still, and sit without fidgeting or moving.

? Then bring your awareness to your breathing and begin to count your breaths from 1 to 10, with each inhalation and exhalation incrementing the count. Once you get to 10, come back to 1 and start over. So you would do 5 completes breaths to get from 1 to 10.

? If your mind wonders during this time, simply see your thought, let it go and return to your count.

? If you get lost in your thinking, then again, simply see the thoughts that carried you away, let them go and return to 1, and start over.

So Hum Mantra Meditation:

? Again sit up nice and tall. If you are not able to sit in the traditional cross legged posture, then feel free to sit up on a chair as well. It is more important to sit up nice and tall and keep your back straight than to sit cross legged.

? Now as you breathe begin intoning the following sounds mentally. As you inhale think the sound "soooooo" and as you exhale think the sound "hmmmmm". So Hum means "I AM THAT" and is the essence of non-duality. It means everything is you and that you are everything. This is actually the true nature of reality and the highest purpose of meditation is to awaken to this truth.

? Continue to chant the mantra internally in this way without manipulating your breath in any way. Done for twenty minutes this meditation will transform you inside out.

I really hope you take up the practice of meditation and learn this great art. If you want a more complete meditation program you can find one here: Learn How to Meditate Course . This one decision is the key to you fulfilling your purpose in life and achieving your highest potential. Be certain to find a excellent website to discover about Kabbalah from.