MEDITATION = Touching the middle. Connecting with our centre. Touching our soul.
“Meditation “ means so many things to so many people. And it requires a lot of work. Whether you sit in stillness and do nothing but follow your breath, or whether you undertake an activity that keeps you busy yet, somehow, allows you to meditate, a lot of work means quantity, quality as well as repetition.
Some people meditate to help with stress, or to reduce anxiety and provide peace of mind, while others meditate for some form of development or enlightenment that cannot always be defined.
So, what is meditation and how can we meditate, and why could we meditate?
Meditation is a technique, a process, a practice of training the mind to be more attentive. By focusing our attention on one particular point of reference (this can be a word, an activity, an action), we somehow create an opportunity for more within ourselves.
We can meditate by minimizing distractions (hence the importance of a comfortable and relaxed state of being), and choosing something to bring our attention onto (this could be breathing , or sharpening tools, for example).
And we can meditate in order to quieten the mind, which can reduce anxiety, blood pressure and stress levels, as well as developing an inner awareness of our selves.
Floor Work, Comfort First
Meditation – Posture
Sitting comfortably on a chair, we can adjust our posture so that our spine, neck and body follow as straight a line as comfort allows. Touching the tip of the tongue to the roof of our mouth so that it rests gently, there. Sitting straight so that our structure is perfectly and comfortably balanced can be helped by adjusting our posture so that our hips are slightly higher than our knees, by, for instance, moving the pelvis forward towards the front of the chair so that the back is not tempted to lean and slouch against the back of the chair. Or by placing a cushion underneath our buttocks to raise the hips above the knees. We continue to adjust our posture, looking for comfort, so that the head is supported by and balanced on the neck, which is, in turn , balanced on the spine. Making tiny adjustments to our spine , or even imagine ourselves sitting in a swimming pool with warm water up to our lips, so that our body feels supported by the buoyancy of the water. And our vertebrae can start to move gently, easing themselves into a more comfortable and more aligned position. A series of slow adjustments that maybe never really stop, so that our spine and neck provide a vertical support from our seat to the top of the head. And our shoulders, balanced on our collar-bones, can sink, heavy, minimizing any muscular activity in our shoulders, shoulder blades, the rest of our spine. And the top of our head can feel as if it were suspended from a thread, with the rest of our body hanging underneath it in turn, the chin gently tucked down and in.
So, in this position, we pay attention to our feet on the floor… And we notice our thoughts… We allow our thoughts to think… we notice any noises, inside or outside the room… any feelings that we experience… we notice these… Like we would little clouds in the sky… We bring our attention to our feet and how they contact the floor… We become aware of our ankles… our calf muscles … No judgement, just observing… Noticing our thoughts… Our feelings … Continuing with our awareness to our knees, our thighs… Our hips, the way our pelvis is in contact with our seat… The base of our spine, our belly… our chest, our shoulders… our arms, our wrists, our fingers… Our neck, our head…
We scan our entire body, from the top of our head to the tips of our toes… Making any tiny adjustments we need to feel more comfortable…
And we notice and follow our breath… Breathing in… and, on the out breath, letting go, a sigh of relief… Noticing the feeling of release, of comfort, at the moment of letting go… Of breathing out … Allowing our breathing to settle into a rhythm… …
With every out breath, we scan our entire body, from the top of our head to the tips of our toes… …
And we sit, like this, for the next 5 minutes or so… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … With every out breath… Heavy… Liquid… Toes … Feet… Ankles… Heavy, Liquid… Knees… Thighs… Heavy… Liquid… Hips… Pelvis… Belly… Chest… Shoulders… Arms… Elbows… Wrists… Hands… Finger Tips… TOH… Forehead… Eyebrows… Cheek bones… Gums… Jaw bone… Teeth… Ears… Neck… Every out breath, a flowing down… … …
And we sit, like this, for the next 5 minutes or so ….. … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …