Esoteric, Mystical, Spiritual....Meditation Day 15

Have you ever experienced that sense of awe that hits you square in the chest? The more that you try and describe what it was that you felt, or what it was that made you feel that way, the further away you were from actually conveying your experience.
Meditation experiences can often be described as spiritual: as being mystical or as having sprung forth from some esoteric teaching. I don't want you attach any of these labels to your experience. Just watch. Note. Wonder.

Building a Firm Foundation - Meditation Day Twelve

It is imperative that we review the "why" behind our practice at this time. I know that it is still very early in our run at establishing our daily meditation practice but if you have learned anything at all thus far, it is that the mind is seldom very focused. We are like cats focused on the laser beam of our thoughts; running up walls and scurrying back and forth across the floor. Our backs are arched and we are poised to see where our mind will take us next.

In this very early stage of meditation, often called mindfulness meditation, we are learning to develop concentration. The development of concentration will create a measure of tranquility: it is at this stage that we will begin to move our concentration away from the breath and onto our other two forms of meditation.

Focus on the picture above
and imagine
that we can express ourselves
as both the holder
and the one being held......

This is the mountain,
the oasis,
to which we now
journey

What do you feel?

Where do you feel it?

Think on these things......

Seven Days of Meditation - Continue to sit through it all

I'm having difficulty in rising each morning. And I have to confess that things are getting off to a rather rocky start. I found that I have become very stiff in recent months. I have forgone the bench in favor of a Zafu and Zabuton. I have also noticed a greater degree of anxiety and tension tugging at me as though some little hobgoblin was biting at my heels yet escaping my grasp before I can get a handle on him. I've sat through the anxiousness: though my inclination was to flee the cushion altogether.

Sitting erect and balanced I focused on my breath. Just at the tip of my nose. I paid no attention to the thoughts that bounced like pin-balls throughout the hallways of my mind. Making note of them helped me to see that many of these thoughts were school yard bullies. The thoughts teased at my attempt to begin a meditation practice again. I'm not getting up like I should. My level of concentration will never get beyond where I am now. And Compassion? Why, you have so much anger hiding in you, you're gonna blow!

No wonder I felt anxious! All the criticism....and much of it continued throughout the day.

But that's the jib, you see. You keep on. You make note of thoughts: accept them. Do not judge them. Investigate them. And continue to sit. You are not your thoughts. The mind thinks thoughts. The heart beats. The ears hear and the eyes see.

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

A journey of any kind begins with that first step...Meditation Day Three

C'mon! You can do it!

Not too hard...not too soft. The middle way.

So, you have decided that you want to learn how to meditate. You've heard about the potential health benefits and the peace of mind that meditation can offer you. You have decided to make a commitment to practice but you find that your mind is quite uncooperative. Its harder than you think. You watch and count your breath only to find your mind wandering over ground that makes you exclaim, "How did I get here"? I must confess that I have literally fallen off the cushion in laughter with how I unsuspectingly attached myself to a thought and followed it all around the barnyard. One moment I am the serene present moment and the next I'm off in la-la land. You have to see the humor in it.

Accept where you are. Watch. Pay attention. No judgment.

Oh, we're gonna have fun together!

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."