When you're just starting a meditation practice, it's best to go somewhere with minimal distractions. Being out in nature can be tranquil, or you might find a secluded part of your home.  Try to find the best time of day. Early morning typically is a good time to meditate, and you can carry the peace with you throughout the day. It's also usually quiet at that time. When you first start, you may find it helpful to have some soft music playing in the background, or listening through earphones. You also can search online for guided meditation tracks that are designed to help you focus when you're new to the practice. Raja yoga meditation is done from a seated position. A simple cross-legged position is fine, or you can even sit in a chair if you need that support. Just make sure you're comfortable and that you feel stable.  When in cross-legged position, press your hip bones down and reach up through the crown of your head. Your shoulders should drop down your back with your chest opened. Make sure your spine is neutral. Don't arch your back or lean back or forward. It may help to place a folded blanket or rolled towel behind or under you to help with your posture and make you more comfortable. Raja yoga traditionally is done with your eyes open. When you're just starting, however, you may need to close your eyes so that you can center your mind.  Try to keep your eyes open at first, then close them if you're having difficulty or get distracted too easily. You will get better at it the more you practice. It can help to light a candle and focus your eyes on the flame. Turn your attention to your breathing, or to your other point of focus, such as a candle in front of you. Allow your thoughts to pass without judgement.  Particularly when you're just starting, your mind will probably try to throw all kinds of things at you. As you relax, things may come to mind that you'd forgotten throughout the day. Simply acknowledge those thoughts and return to your breath or point of focus. Observe without judging or criticizing yourself or your mind. Don't fault or blame yourself if it takes you awhile to get settled. Once you get settled, if another thought comes, have patience. Acknowledge the thought and allow the thought to pass, and then return to your breath or point of focus. As your thoughts start to flow, set an intention for your practice. Let that thought be your awareness as you sit in meditation. It could be related to some struggle you're currently having, or just a general affirmation.  For example, your thought might be "I am a peaceful soul." Try to empty your mind to the point that this is the only thought that exists. Your thought may be more directed to your personal circumstances. For example, if you are currently undergoing some uncertainty, such as turmoil at work, you might make your thought something like "my well-being is not attached to any outcome." As you fall deeper into a meditative state, your thought will bloom into a feeling that radiates through your entire being. Your understanding and feelings will combine to produce a profound sense of realization. For example, if your original thought was "I am a peaceful soul," you can nurture that thought by repeating things such as "I am a peaceful soul...I am a peaceful being...Peace is my original nature." When your meditation is over, try to hold on to the inner peace you found during meditation as you go through your day. If you feel the peace slipping away, take a few moments if you can for a brief meditation to re-center yourself.  Over time and with practice, you will awaken into a more profound state of well-being. You will be able to focus and concentrate better because you are centering and grounding yourself through your practice. If you feel stressed or overwhelmed during the day, try to find a place where you can retreat, even if only for a minute. Take several deep breaths and focus on your breathing until you find your inner calm.

Summary: Find a quiet place. Sit comfortably. Bring your attention into the present. Withdraw your attention from sounds and everything that is around you. Create a peaceful thought. Continue to create and experience being peaceful. Carry that peace with you.


You can choose from a number of formats (website, Power Point, Google Doc, Word Doc, printed worksheet, etc) but you should generally always have a title page. This sets the tone for the assignment and makes it look more professional. The Title page just shows the title of the quest and your name. Give it an interesting title! The introduction will...you guessed it: introduce the student to the assignment. Usually it introduces the concepts dealt with in the assignment. Many times a WebQuest will have a bit of a story that goes with it, and the introduction can serve to tell the story and give a summarized, basic description of what the student is supposed to learn. The Task page clearly states what the student needs to learn by the end of the assignment. Remember: the goal of the question, this learning journey, is the knowledge they come out with at the end. Use this knowledge goal to create the "story" of the quest your students will be sent on. The official Webquest site lists a variety of Task types which each serve a different education purpose. Some of the types include Journalistic, Mystery, Persuasion, Analytic, and Compilation. The Process page clearly outlines what the student needs to do and in what order the tasks need to be done. Be as clear as you can: the idea is that the student can do the assignment perfectly without you needing to give them any more explanation. The Resources page gives the students a direct map to all of the sources of information they can use. This means you'll need to identify sources for the information you want them to learn. Get good at using a search engine and learn how to use keywords and boolean properties to find the information you want. The Evaluation page contains a rubric, so the students know exactly what you're looking for from them and what they need to do to get a good grade. The conclusion page wraps up the assignment, goes over the sorts of things that your students should have learned, and encourages them to learn more. You may wish to include more sources for them to do some extra learning and research if they're interested or finish early.
Summary: Make the Title page. Make the Introduction page. Make the Task page. Make the Process page. Make the Resources page. Make the Evaluation page. Make the Conclusion page.