=============================================================================
Focusing the mind on the body can be readily accomplished while sitting. You
need to find a time and a place which affords you calm and freedom from
disturbance.
A quiet room with not much in it to distract the mind is ideal; a setting
with light and space has a brightening and clearing effect, while a cluttered
and gloomy room has just the opposite. Timing is also important, particularly as
most people's days are quite structured with routines. It is not especially
productive to meditate when you have something else to do, or when you're
pressed for time. It's better to set aside a period -- say, in the early morning
or in the evening after work -- when you can really give your full attention to
the practice. Begin with fifteen minutes or so. Practise sincerely with the
limitations of time and available energy, and avoid becoming mechanical about
the routine. Meditation practice, supported by genuine willingness to
investigate and make peace with oneself, will develop naturally in terms of
duration and skill.
Awareness of the body
The development of calm is aided by stability, and by a steady but peaceful
effort. If you can't feel settled, there's no peacefulness; if there's no sense
of application, you tend to day-dream. One of the most effective postures for
the cultivation of the proper combination of stillness and energy is sitting.
Use a posture that will keep your back straight without strain. A simple
upright chair may be helpful, or you may be able to use one of the lotus
postures. This looks
awkward at first, but in time they can provide a unique balance of gentle
firmness that gladdens the mind without tiring the body.
If the chin is tilted very slightly down this will help, but do not allow the
head to loll forward as this encourages drowsiness. Place the hands on your lap,
palms upwards, one gently resting on the other with the thumb-tips touching.
Take your time, and get the right balance.
Now, collect your attention, and begin to move it slowly down your body.
Notice the sensations. Relax any tensions, particularly in the face, neck and
hands. Allow the eyelids to close or half close.
Investigate how you are feeling. Expectant or tense? Then relax your
attention a little. With this, the mind will probably calm down, and you may
find some thoughts drifting in -- reflections, daydreams, memories, or doubts
about whether you are doing it right! Instead of following or contending with
these thought patterns, bring more attention to the body, which is a useful
anchor for a wandering mind.
Cultivate a spirit of inquiry in your meditation attitude. Take your time.
Move your attention, for example, systematically from the crown of the head down
over the whole body. Notice the different sensations -- such as warmth, pulsing,
numbness, and sensitivity -- in the joints of each finger, the moisture of the
palms, and the pulse in the wrist. Even areas that may have no particular
sensation, such as the forearms or the earlobes, can be "swept over" in an
attentive way. Notice how even the lack of sensation is something the mind can
be aware of. This constant and sustained investigation is called mindfulness
(sati) and is one of the primary tools of Insight Meditation.
Mindfulness of breathing
Instead of "body sweeping", or after a preliminary period of this practice,
mindfulness can be developed through attention on the breath.
First, follow the sensation of your ordinary breath as it flows in through
the nostrils and fills the chest and abdomen. Then try maintaining your
attention at one point, either at the diaphragm or -- a more refined location --
at the nostrils. Breath has a tranquillising quality, steady and relaxing if you
don't force it; this is helped by an upright posture. Your mind may wander, but
keep patiently returning to the breath.
It is not necessary to develop concentration to the point of excluding
everything else except the breath. Rather than to create a trance, the purpose
here is to allow you to notice the workings of the mind, and to bring a measure
of peaceful clarity into it. The entire process -- gathering your attention,
noticing the breath, noticing that the mind has wandered, and re-establishing
your attention -- develops mindfulness, patience and insightful understanding.
So don't be put off by apparent "failure" -- simply begin again. Continuing in
this way allows the mind eventually to calm down.
If you get very restless or agitated, just relax. Practise being at peace
with yourself, listening to -- without necessarily believing in -- the voices of
the mind.
If you feet drowsy, then put more care and attention into your body and
posture. Refining your attention or pursuing tranquillity at such times will
only make matters worse!
Many meditation exercises, such as the above "mindfulness of breathing", are
practised while sitting. However, walking is commonly alternated with sitting as
a form for meditation. Apart from giving you different things to notice, it's a
skilful way to energise the practice if the calming effect of sitting is making
you dull.
If you have access to some open land, measure off about 25-30 paces' length
of level ground (or a clearly defined pathway between two trees), as your
meditation path. Stand at one end of the path, and compose your mind on the
sensations of the body. First, let the attention rest on the feeling of the body
standing upright, with the arms hanging naturally and the hands lightly clasped
in front or behind.
Allow the eyes to gaze at a point about three metres in
front of you at ground level, thus avoiding visual distraction. Now, walk
gently, at a deliberate but "normal" pace, to the end of the path. Stop. Focus
on the body standing for the period of a couple of breaths. Turn, and walk back
again. While walking, be aware of the general flow of physical sensations, or
more closely direct your attention to the feet. The exercise for the mind is to
keep bringing its attention back to the sensation of the feet touching the
ground, the spaces between each step, and the feelings of stopping and starting.
Of course, the mind will wander. So it is important to cultivate patience,
and the resolve to begin again. Adjust the pace to suit your state of mind --
vigorous when drowsy or trapped in obsessive thought, firm but gentle when
restless and impatient. At the end of the path, stop; breathe in and out; "let
go" of any restlessness, worry, calm, bliss, memories or opinions about
yourself. The "inner chatter" may stop momentarily, or fade out. Begin again. In
this way you continually refresh the mind, and allow it to settle at its own
rate.
In more confined spaces, alter the length of the path to suit what is
available. Alternatively, you can circumambulate a room, pausing after each
circumambulation for a few moments of standing. This period of standing can be
extended to several minutes, using "body sweeping".
Walking brings energy and fluidity into the practice, so keep your pace
steady and just let changing conditions pass through the mind. Rather than
expecting the mind to be as still as it might be while sitting, contemplate the
flow of phenomena. It is remarkable how many times we can become engrossed in a
train of thought -- arriving at the end of the path and "coming to" with a
start! -- but it is natural for our untrained minds to become absorbed in
thoughts and moods. So instead of giving in to impatience, learn how to let go,
and begin again. A sense of ease and calm may then arise, allowing the mind to
become open and clear in a natural, unforced way.
Reclining at the end of a day, spend a few minutes meditating while lying on one side. Keep the body quite straight and bend one arm up so that the hand acts as a support for the head. Sweep through the body, resting its stresses; or collect your attention on the breath, consciously putting aside memories of the day just past and expectations of tomorrow. In a few minutes, with your mind clear, you'll be able to rest well.
Cultivating good-will gives another dimension to the practice of
Insight. Meditation naturally teaches patience and tolerance, or at least it
shows the importance of these qualities. So you may well wish to develop a more
friendly and caring attitude towards yourself and other people. In meditation,
you can cultivate good-will very realistically.
Focus attention on the breath, which you will now be using as the means of
spreading kindness and good-will. Begin with yourself, with your body. Visualise
the breath as a light, or see your awareness as being a warm ray, and gradually
sweep it over your body. Lightly focus your attention on the centre of the
chest, around the heart region. As you breathe in, direct patient kindness
towards yourself, perhaps with the thought, "May I be well", or "Peace". As you
breathe out, let the mood of that thought, or the awareness of light, spread
outwards from the heart, through the body, through the mind, and beyond
yourself. "May others be well."
If you are experiencing negative states of mind, breathe in the qualities of
tolerance and forgiveness. Visualising the breath as having a healing colour may
be helpful. On the out-breath, let go -- of any stress, worry or negativity --
and extend the sense of release through the body, the mind, and beyond, as
before.
This practice can form all or part of a period of meditation -- you have to
judge for yourself what is appropriate. The calming effect of meditating with a
kindly attitude is good for beginning a sitting, but there will no doubt be
times to use this approach for long periods, to go deeply into the heart.
Always begin with what you are aware of, even if it seems trivial or
confused. Let your mind rest calmly on that -- whether it's boredom, an aching
knee, or the frustration of not feeling particularly kindly. Allow these to be;
practise being at peace with them. Recognise and gently put aside any tendencies
towards laziness, doubt or guilt.
Peacefulness can develop into a very nourishing kindness towards yourself, if
you first of all fully accept the presence of what you dislike. Keep the
attention steady, and open the heart to whatever you experience. This does not
imply approval of negative states, but allows them a space wherein they can come
and go.
Generating good-will toward the world beyond yourself follows much the same
pattern. A simple way to spread kindness is to work in stages. Start with
yourself, joining the sense of loving acceptance to the movement of the breath.
"May I be well." Then, reflect on people you love and respect, and wish them
well, one by one. Move on to friendly acquaintances, then to those towards whom
you feel indifferent. "May they be well." Finally, bring to mind those people
you fear or dislike, and continue to send out wishes of good-will.
This meditation can expand, in a movement of compassion, to include all
people in the world, in their many circumstances. And remember, you don't have
to feel that you love everyone in order to wish them well!
Kindness and compassion originate from the same source of good will, and they
broaden the mind beyond the purely personal perspective. If you're not always
trying to make things go the way you want them to; if you're more accepting and
receptive to yourself and others as they are, compassion arises by itself.
Compassion is the natural sensitivity of the heart.
Meditation can also proceed without a meditation object, in a state of pure
contemplation, or "choiceless awareness".
After calming the mind by one of the methods described above, consciously put
aside the meditation object. Observe the flow of mental images and sensations
just as they arise, without engaging in criticism or praise. Notice any aversion
and fascination; contemplate any uncertainty, happiness, restlessness or
tranquillity as it arises. You can return to a meditation object (such as the
breath). whenever the sense of clarity diminishes, or if you begin to feel
overwhelmed by impressions. When a sense of steadiness returns, you can
relinquish the object again.
This practice of "bare attention" is well-suited for contemplating the mental
process. Along with observing the mind's particular "ingredients", we can turn
our attention to the nature of the container. As for the contents of the mind,
Buddhist teaching points especially to three simple, fundamental
characteristics.
First, there is changeability - the ceaseless beginning and
ending all things go through, the constant movement of the content of the mind.
This mind-stuff may be pleasant or unpleasant, but it is never at rest.
There is also a persistent, often subtle, sense of dissatisfaction
. Unpleasant sensations easily evoke that sense, but even a
lovely experience creates a tug in the heart when it ends. So at the best of
moments there is still an inconclusive quality in what the mind experiences, a
somewhat unsatisfied feeling.
As the constant arising and passing of experiences and moods become familiar,
it also becomes clear that -- since there is no permanence in them -- none of
them really belong to you. And, when this mind-stuff is silent -- revealing a
bright spaciousness of mind -- there are no purely personal characteristics to
be found! This can be difficult to comprehend, but in reality there is no "me"
and no "mine"-- the characteristic of "no-self", or impersonality.
Investigate fully and notice how these qualities pertain to all things,
physical and mental. No matter if your experiences are joyful or barely
endurable, this contemplation will lead to a calm and balanced perspective on
your life.
These meditation exercises all serve to establish awareness of things as they
are. By bringing your mind fully onto experiences, you will notice more clearly
the state of the mind itself -- for example, whether you are being lazy or
over-eager in your practice. With a little honest appraisal, it becomes evident
that the quality of the meditation practice depends, not on the exercise being
used, but on what you are putting into it. Reflecting in this way, you will gain
deeper insight into your personality and habits.
There are some useful points to bear in mind whenever you meditate. Consider
whether you are beginning afresh each time -- or even better, with each breath
or footstep. If you don't practise with an open mind, you may find yourself
trying to recreate a past insight, or unwilling to learn from your mistakes. Is
there the right balance of energy whereby you are doing all that you can without
being over-forceful? Are you keeping in touch with what is actually happening in
your mind, or using a technique in a dull, mechanical way? As for concentration,
it's good to check whether you are putting aside concerns that are not
immediate, or letting yourself meander in thoughts and moods. Or, are you trying
to repress feelings without acknowledging them and responding wisely?
Proper concentration is that which unifies the heart and mind. Reflecting in
this way encourages you to develop a skilful approach. And of course, reflection
will show you more than how to meditate: it will give you the clarity to
understand yourself.
Remember, until you've developed some skill and case with meditation, it's
best to use a meditation object, such as the breath, as a focus for awareness
and as an antidote for the overwhelming nature of the mind's distractions. Even
so, whatever your length of experience with the practice, it is always helpful
to return to awareness of the breath or body. Developing this ability to begin
again leads to stability and case. With a balanced practice, you realise more
and more the way the body and mind are, and see how to live with greater freedom
and harmony. This is the purpose and the fruit of Insight Meditation.
With the practice of Insight Meditation you will see your attitudes more
clearly, and come to know which are helpful and which create difficulties. An
open attitude can make even unpleasant experiences insightful -- for instance,
understanding the way that the mind reacts against pain or sickness.
When you
approach such experiences in this way, you can often unwind the stress and
resistance to pain, and alleviate it to a great degree. On the other hand, an
impatient streak will have different results: becoming annoyed with others if
they disturb your meditation; being disappointed if your practice doesn't seem
to be progressing fast enough; falling into unpleasant moods over insignificant
matters. Meditation teaches us that peace of mind -- or its absence --
essentially depends on whether or not we contemplate the events of life in a
spirit of reflection and open-mindedness.
By looking into your intentions and attitudes in the quiet of meditation, you
can investigate the relationship between desire and dissatisfaction. See the
causes of discontent: wanting what you don't have; rejecting what you dislike;
being unable to keep what you want. This is especially oppressive when the
subject of the discontent and desire is yourself. No-one finds it easy to be at
peace with personal weakness, especially when so much social emphasis is placed
on feeling good, getting ahead and having the best. Such expectations indeed
make it difficult to accept oneself as one is.
However, with the practice of insight meditation, you discover a space in
which to stand back a little from what you think you are, from what you think
you have. Contemplating these perceptions, it becomes clearer that you don't
have any thing as "me" or "mine"; there are simply experiences, which come and
go through the mind.
So if, for example, you're looking into an irritating
habit, rather than becoming depressed by it, you don't reinforce it and the
habit passes away. It may come back again, but this time it's weaker, and you
know what to do. Through cultivating peaceful attention, mental content calms
down and may even fade out, leaving the mind clear and refreshed. Such is the
ongoing path of insight.
To be able to go to a still centre of awareness within the changing flow of
daily life is the sign of a mature practice, for insight deepens immeasurably
when it is able to spread to all experience. Try to use the perspective of
insight no matter what you are doing -- routine housework, driving the car,
having a cup of tea. Collect the awareness, rest it steadily on what you are
doing, and rouse a sense of inquiry into the nature of the mind in the mist of
activity. Using the practice to centre on physical sensations, mental states, or
eye-, ear- or nose-consciousness can develop an ongoing contemplation that turns
mundane tasks into foundations for insight.
Centred more and more in awareness, the mind becomes free to respond
skilfully to the moment, and there is greater harmony in life. This is the way
that meditation does "social work"-- by bringing awareness into your life, it
brings peace into the world. When you can abide peacefully with the great
variety of feelings that arise in consciousness, you are able to live more
open[y with the world, and with yourself as you are.
As our insight deepens, we see more clearly the results of our actions -- the
peace that good intention, sincerity and clear-mindedness promote, and the
trouble that confusion and carelessness create. It is this greater sensitivity,
observing in particular the distress we cause ourselves and others, that often
inspires us to want to live more wisely. For true peace of mind, it is
indispensable that formal meditation be combined with a commitment to
responsibility, and with care for oneself and others.
There is really nothing mysterious about the path of Insight. In the words of
the Buddha, the way is simple: "Do good, refrain from doing evil, and purify
the mind". It is a long-observed tradition, then, for people who engage in
spiritual practice to place great importance on proper conduct. Many meditators
undertake realistic moral vows -- such as refraining from harming living beings,
from stealing, from careless use of sexuality, from using intoxicants (alcohol
and drugs), and from gossip and other graceless speech habits -- to help their
own inner clarity, and perhaps gently encourage that of others.
Meditating with a few friends at regular times can be a great support towards constancy of practice and development of wisdom. The solitary meditator eventually faces diminishing will-power, as there's often something else to do that seems more important (or more interesting) than watching the breath. Regular group meditation for an agreed-upon duration keeps the participants going, regardless of their flux of moods. (The investigation of these shifts of disposition often yields important insights, but on our own we can find it difficult to persevere with them.) As well as seeing the personal benefits, you can reflect that your efforts are helping others to keep practising.
The ideal is an upright, alert posture. Slumping only increases the pressure
on the legs and discomfort in the back. It is important to attend to your
posture with wisdom, not insensitive will-power! Posture will improve in time,
but you need to work with the body, not use force against it.
Check your posture:
If your posture feels tense or stack:
For the legs:
For drowsiness:
For tension or headaches: