Building Blocks of Meditation (Notes)
TLDR; Meditation doesn’t need hours. Five minutes a day, done consistently, is enough to reset the mind and bring stillness.
Here are the lessons I learned from ‘The Building Blocks of Meditation’ by Venerable Nick Keomahavong a Buddhist Monk who is passing along ancient wisdom!
Start Small, But Show Up
Nick Keomahavong teaches that meditation is like caring for the body. You do not brush your teeth once a month and call it done. You do it every day. Meditation works the same way. Five minutes is a good start, but it is the rhythm of daily practice that matters most.
The Wandering Mind
The mind is restless by nature. It chases what it wants, resists what it dislikes, and clings to old beliefs.
Meditation is mental hygiene. Each session washes away the impressions of the day and brings you back to center.
Anchors for Attention
You do not stop the mind by force. It will push back with the same intensity. Instead, give it an anchor to rest on:
The breath
A word or phrase
The body’s sensations
The environment around you
When the mind wanders, bring it back gently. This return, done again and again, is the practice.
Balance of Ease and Alertness
“Meditation rests on two legs: comfort and awareness.” - Nick
If you lean too far into comfort, you drift off to sleep. If you ignore comfort, pain pulls the mind away. The middle path is steady. The body is at ease, the mind stays alert.
He recommends sitting with hips above knees, spine upright, eyes closed softly. The same spot each day builds a habit the body remembers.
What Stays With Me
“The mind that wants nothing gets everything.” - Lao Tzu
The point is not silence. It is learning to see thoughts and sensations without clinging. Neutral awareness is what stills the mind.
My Practice
Five minutes daily after work
Posture steady and open
Anchor on breath, body, mantra or what enters my field of awareness
Patiently and gently return each time the mind strays
The time is short, but the effect builds through consistency.
Recap
Start with five minutes, but make it daily.
The mind will wander. Anchors bring it back.
Comfort and awareness must work together.
Neutral observation, not control, is the goal.
Closing Thought
Meditation is not about doing it “right.” It is about showing up. Five minutes is a seed. Water it each day and the mind learns to rest on its own.
“The mind that wants nothing gets everything.”
