Many people make an attempt at meditation but very few make it a daily practice perhaps because they are not sure what they are doing, feel like they aren’t doing it ‘right’ or simply start making excuses as to why they don’t have the time. The best way to start your meditation practice is find a Meditation for beginner class or program such as Jack Kornfield meditation for beginners, which gives you a guided program to follow from the beginning.

The Jack Kornfield audio book gives clear instructions for starting your meditation which is suitable for people who have never meditated before. You will be guided on how to sit, how to breathe and how to focus your attention with the aid of stories and sounds for guided meditation. He has also produced a volume titled Buddhist Meditation for Beginners which is particularly helpful for those interested in the more religious aspects of meditation.

Apart from a guided program, you will find it helpful to make meditation part of your daily routine to integrate it into your daily life. A quick search for “how to meditate for beginners” will give you lots of useful tips but the most important thing to concentrate on is just being sure to make time to meditate every day.

Try to set aside an area in your home or a spare room that you keep just for your meditation practice. You may wish to decorate this room with calming images, comfortable cushions or a meditation chair which can all help you to get into the right mind set for meditation. Many people choose to light incense and candles can also be helpful as looking at the flame will give you something to focus on.

The most important part of meditation is breathing. You do not need to follow a complicated breathing routine when you’re just starting out but be sure to breathe slowly and fully. Concentrating on your breath can help to block out distractions too. Make sure you are comfortable and can sit for a long period of time without having to readjust your body.

It is common for beginners to become frustrated or bored when they are first starting to meditate but instead of trying to ignore your feelings, just acknowledge them and let them go. It can help to focus on each part of your body in turn which will help you to concentrate and be aware of any areas of discomfort which may distract you later.

First thing in the morning is usually the best time to practice meditation when your mind is calmer and you are less likely to be disturbed – try getting up half an hour earlier to fit in your meditation practice. Many people also enjoy meditating in the evenings as it is very relaxing and can be a great sleep aid.

If you find you’re starting to become bored or frustrated with your meditation practice then it can be a good idea to buy some meditation for beginners books or DVDs. These will help you to become enthusiastic about meditation again and may provide some useful techniques to help your practice.

The premier was held at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York and attended by Elizabeth Gilbert, Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem and several other actors from the film, along with the director, Ryan Murphy. Following the US release date, the movie will also be released in Europe and Asia between August and November 2010. Eat Pray Love grossed an estimated $8.5 million on its opening night and is expected to be a box office hit.

The Indonesian premier of the film will be shown in Bali during the BALINALE 2010 International Film Festival from October 12^th – October 17^th 2010. The BALINALE film festival is co-founded by Christine Hakim who plays the Balinese traditional healer Wayan Nuriyasih. The film festival will also feature a selection of 25 films from around Indonesia and the world as well as workshops, a children’s program and short film competition.

The movie is sure to be a must-see for fans of the Eat Pray Love book as well as newcomers to the work of Elizabeth Gilbert. Unlike many book to film adaptations, it is not necessary to have first read the book in order to fully understand the story and sympathize with the characters.

Julia Roberts claims to have put on 10lbs while filming in Rome for the ‘Eat’ section of the story. Like Elizabeth Gilbert herself, the actress ate huge amounts of pizza and pasta during several shoots although she found it easy to lose the weight again after finishing filming.

While some critics have claimed the film (and book) is a superficial exploration of eastern spirituality based around a spoiled character, there is no denying the feel-good aspect of the movie. The uplifting story combined with sumptuous filming in the exotic locations of Bali, India and Italy make this a real treat for the senses.

Fans of the movie can even travel to Bali, visit Ubud where the majority of it is filmed and meet the real life characters from the book on an Eat Pray Love tour. Spiritual tourism is increasing in popularity and the release of the Eat Pray Love movie promises to encourage even more people to set off on a soul-seeking journey of their own.

Meditation is possible only when you are completely comfortable so that you are not distracted by niggles or aches which can cause you to change position or constantly think about how uncomfortable you are rather than focusing your mind. As you become more advanced in meditation, your back and leg muscles will become stronger and more flexible and you will find it easier to sit unsupported for long periods. In the meantime however, meditation chairs are a great way to ensure you are sitting in the optimal position for meditation and are still comfortable.

The style of a meditation chair is quite different to a regular chair. They are low to the floor and usually have a low back rest that supports only the lower back. There are many different styles and designs to choose from and the meditation chair you pick depends on your personal preferences for looks and comfort. These chairs are specially designed to align your back perfectly and provide the comfort and support you need to stay sitting for a long time. Regular chairs simply do not provide the correct kind of support for meditation.

It is always recommended that you set aside a small area of your home especially for meditation practice. This allows you to get ‘in the zone’ as soon as you sit down to meditate and programs your mind to be ready for the task ahead. Purchasing a special meditation chair can really help to set aside this space for your meditation practice in your mind which will help you to focus and concentrate on your meditation and be less distracted by outside influences.

There are many popular styles of meditation chair to choose from so it is easy to find one that will both fit in your home and match your sitting style. The Rama Warrior meditation chair is a very popular style which is both comfortable and beautiful. This seat features a cushion that provides full support to your legs and knees and an adjustable backrest which can be fitted perfectly to your spine. The chair frame is carved from Mahogany or Maple wood and comes in a range of different fabric options.

The Lotus meditation chair is another popular choice designed in an ergonomic way to promote optimal posture and breathing. This rattan meditation chair is available in three sizes with a range of different cushions. The chair aids sitting in the lotus position and looks beautiful in any home or yoga studio.

The Seagrass meditation chair is designed to allow you to comfortably place your legs on the floor by raising your hips slightly, while providing support through the backrest and cushion. It is handcrafted in Indonesia and includes washable cotton covers making it a practical choice as well as beautiful.

People looking for a meditation chair to fit into a modern styled home should check out the Ecopod meditation chair. Constructed from eco-friendly materials, this chair has a backrest that is angled forward slightly to discourage slumping. It comes in two beautiful natural finishes and with cushion covers in either cream or mocha.

Travel has long been a method for people to ‘find themselves’ and there are several  travel memoirs which cataloged the authors’ travels around Asia or other faraway lands and show how their outlook on life is changed by the experiences they encounter while travelling. Learning to enjoy being alone and single is also a large part of the Eat Pray Love book and there are also many self help books which can help you to do exactly this. Finally if you’re just a fan of Elizabeth Gilbert’s writing style then you will probably enjoy her other books.

If you enjoyed the tales of Elizabeth’s stay in the ashram in India then you will also probably enjoy Yoga School Dropout by Lucy Edge. This is another autobiographical novel documenting the author’s trip to India in an attempt to find spiritual enlightenment through intensive yoga training in an Indian Ashram.

While the book offers an insight to the spiritual lessons Lucy learned on her journey, it is not all serious and there is a real touch of comedy to the writing, especially the descriptions of the various inhabitants of the ashram. This is a great book for anyone looking for an insight into India’s ashram culture with a few laughs thrown in.

In a similar vein, The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment by Isabel Losada is another memoir of the author’s attempts to find spiritual enlightenment through a number of different methods. She attends an ‘Insight seminar’, explores the world of tantric sex and even tries colonic irrigation in her attempts at self discovery. This is another funny book which does not take itself too seriously and gives the reader some really useful insights into the various methods that are offered as the way to enlightenment. You may also like A Beginner’s Guide to Changing the World by the same author in which she visits India and Tibet and gives an interesting view into the culture and lifestyles of this part of the world.

If you’re really looking to change your life rather than reading about other people’s attempts to do the same, there are various books in the ‘self-help’ genre that can put you on the right path. Choose To Be Happy: A Guide to Total Happiness by Rima Rudner aims to show you that anyone can change their life with the power of positive thinking. This book is the solution for overcoming negativity and spurring you into action in order to create happiness within your own life rather than waiting for it to happen.

A Weekend to Change Your Life: Find Your Authentic Self After a Lifetime of Being All Things to All People by Joan Anderson is another highly recommended guide for personal growth. Anderson draws on her own experiences of the time she spent away from her husband in order to grow as a person (which she also wrote about in A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman) and suggests exercises as experienced by women in her weekend by the Sea Retreats. Activities include beach walks, making lists and drawing pictures in order to find the ‘real you’.

The recently single can find tips and ideas for enjoying their new life in Single: The Art of Being Satisfied, Fulfilled and Independent, by Judy Ford. This book can help anyone from recent divorcees to the terminally single enjoy their single status and show how in the end, only you can provide the true happiness that you need.  Another useful book on the same theme is On My Own: The Art of Being a Woman Alone by Florence Falk. This book is an essay on the opportunities of solitude, helping readers to abandon the cultural associations of being a woman alone and learn to appreciate the freedom that comes from being single.

Elizabeth Gilbert fans will probably want to read her other books, starting with Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage. This book could be considered as somewhat of a sequel to Eat Pray Love, chronicling Elizabeth’s relationship with Felipe after they met in Bali and their eventual marriage. The book also acts as a history of marriage in divorce in different cultures intermingled with personal travel stories.

Gilbert has also written The Last American Man – a biography of Eustace Conway, a fascinating character who lived alone in the mountains, hunting to survive from the age of 17; Stern Men: A Novel, a coming of age story set on an island in Maine in the 1970s; and Pilgrims – a collection of 12 short stories all featuring characters who are looking for something in one way or another.

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