Samatha Tranquility Meditation For Beginners

Samatha meditation is about calming and steadying the mind. The Buddha often described it as “one-pointedness of mind” (ekaggatā), a state where the mind is settled, clear, and undistracted. Unlike insight meditation, which investigates impermanence, suffering, and non-self, Samatha’s goal is to cultivate concentration (samādhi).

It doesn’t seek to analyze or deconstruct experience—it seeks to stabilize it.

Transcript

The Buddha said,

Develop concentration.

For one who is concentrated,

Understands things as they are.

Let's begin by finding a comfortable position.

Gently close your eyes.

Allow your body to settle,

Your shoulders soft,

Your hands resting naturally.

Take a deep breath in and out.

Let this moment be a time for calm.

Bring your attention to your breathing.

Just the natural flow of the breath.

Notice the coolness as you inhale,

The warmth as you exhale.

The breath is your home.

Gently return here each time the mind wanders.

Stay with the breath.

Feel it at the nostrils or the rise and fall of the belly.

There is nowhere else to go.

Nothing else to do.

Just breathing.

Steady.

Peaceful.

If thoughts arise,

Let them drift by like clouds in the sky.

Return softly to the breath.

With each breath,

The body grows lighter,

The mind quieter,

The heart more at ease.

This is Samatha.

The whole body like a gentle wave.

Each breath brings stillness and peace to toe.

Let your body and mind rest in tranquility.

Take a deep breath in and out.

Carry this calm with you into the rest of your day.

May your mind be steady and your heart be at peace.