Silent Observation - Looking in Meditation Day Four

Are you beginning to settle into your meditation position? I know that its been only a few days. You should have chosen a meditation position which best fits you. A chair? A bench? A cushion? You should have also chosen which hand position is best suited to you. The Dhyana, the Gyan or the Varada.

You should be focusing on your breath, letting it naturally flow in and out, letting the tip of your tongue lightly touch your top teeth. Focus on the breath as it enters your nose and focus on the breath again as it leaves. Counting one as you breath in: two as you breath out: up to ten. Begin again. And again.

Let us now talk about the body. I know that it's a little more than difficult at this point to feel comfortable throughout your period of sitting. It's quite common that after two, three or five minutes you will have the desire to adjust yourself or change your positioning. What I am suggesting is that you just make a mental note and then do nothing. That's right. Don't move or adjust yourself. Just observe the thought and continue to watch and count the breath. We want to find our position as we begin to "sit". Remember how we gently stretched and found our balance? This was done before we moved onto the breath. So let us not forget this step. And I hope that you are wearing loose fitting clothes that do not constrict you in any way.

And while we're on the subject of constriction, what about scheduling a time for meditation each day? I would only remind you that we must not become inflexible fundamentalists. However, meditation is about responsibility. We want to change ourselves. We want to bring change to the world. It begins with a balanced mind and a compassionate heart: which are one in the same. It's not going to come about by wishing for it or through half hearted prayer. It does require something of you. That is your practice. And you must make time for it.

Let us, borrowing from author David Fontana and point out in his words, what meditation is....and what it isn't.

It isn't:
falling asleep
going into a trance
shutting yourself off from reality
being selfish
becoming lost in thought
forgetting where you are
It is:
keeping the mind alert and attentive
keeping the mind focused and concentrated
becoming more aware of the world
becoming more human (and thus more divine: me)
knowing where you

What to do, What to do, with the hands......

The world of hand gestures (mudra) used within the various schools of Yoga, Buddhist and Hindu teachings is vast and something that you need not concern yourself with. We are slowly entering the very deep well of mindfulness; our well is deep with muddy water and we are seeking to make it still; allowing the mud to settle and the water to become clear. We need not entangle ourselves with objects that will weigh us down and keep the water disturbed.

The first hand gesture is know as the Dhyana mudra. It is perhaps the most universal positioning of the hands during meditation.The second hand gesture is the Gyan mudra and the last is the Varada mudra.

Try all three as we begin to explore mindfulness, create compassion and still our minds. We're not in a race here. I want you to relax into your posture and place your hands where they will become part of your "sitting as a mountain."

A New Moon, a Solar Eclipse, signals our beginning...Meditation Day One

A New Moon Solar Eclipse will take place at 2:11 AM EST at25°01′ of Capricorn.

This total solar eclipse (like all solar eclipses) is a New Moon eclipse, which means that like all new moons, it represents a time of initiation and new beginnings. However, the difference lies in the duration of its energy, because events triggered by a solar eclipse can take up to an entire year to unfold.

AND it seems a good time to speak about hand positioning also known as mudras.