As we prepare to begin weekly meditation sessions at the Studio, I thought it best to examine the reasons and benefits of maintaining a regular meditative practice.
Many of us struggle to sit still -- not just in meditation, but all
of the time; we find it nearly impossible to turn ourselves “off”. Like a live
wire humming with electricity we seem to feel we must always be doing something.
Impatience
and restlessness consume us.
Tension throbs in our heads.
Nervous tics manifest
in our gestures.
Presenting as depression, anxiety and cardiac issues, stress
is literally killing us. Even when our bodies stop moving – when we are
watching TV, or reading a book, for instance – our minds spend so much time
racing from one errant thought to the next that we find it difficult, if not
impossible, to focus on the very things we do to relax.
No matter where we are or what we are doing, we feel embroiled in chaos.
In the car – we want to
get where we are going and get there now;
consequently, the cars in front of us are never driving fast enough; there is always some delay – construction detours,
extra long red-lights ... it all conspires against us. The resultant emotion can manifest as anything from mild annoyance -- "How dare they inconvenience me!" -- to full-blown road rage.
Waiting in line at the store –
of course, the person in
front of us not only has two carts full of groceries and, of course, they are paying by check, but wait
just a moment while I find my pen, I know it’s in here somewhere.
At work or in school – we have a
thousand things to do, reports are due, deadlines must be met, there are meetings to attend, work piles up, parent-teacher conferences that cannot be missed, there isn’t enough time in the day, and
yet the clock drags.
At home – we have yard
work, laundry, house cleaning, meals to be prepared, school lunches to be packed, kids have to go to piano lessons, sports, and doctor’s
appointments. We cook our meals in minutes in the microwave or order takeout
from the drive through since we don’t have time to sit down to a proper, healthy meal.
Our foot taps incessantly while we wait for web pages to load, cursing under
our breath if they take more than a few seconds.
Suddenly it’s like everything has to happen right
now and you cannot sit
still until it’s done.
And
it’s not just you, is it?
Look around. The world itself is in a rush, people
hustling and bustling, constantly moving, hurrying to get somewhere, -- anywhere! -- other than where
they are!
It seems everyone is losing their collective cool a little too
quickly these days. Tempers flare at the slightest provocation. We hurl insults
and names at one another. We grit our teeth and find ourselves just one
misspoken word away from a physical altercation ... as if that would
deescalate the tension.
Why?
Maybe it’s our culture of instant gratification. Maybe it is the advent of
technology that is supposed to provide convenience and make our lives more efficient.
Maybe it is advertising that sells us on the idea that we constantly have to
have more, that happiness comes from things we can buy: if we only buy this
program, take that pill, wear these shoes, drive this car, live in this
neighborhood, we will be better than the other guy.
Or
maybe ... just maybe ... it is something deeper, something compounded by all of
those things.
Maybe we have lost touch with a fundamental part of ourselves, a
connection with the greater world around us, the rhythm of nature. At our very
core is a part that recognizes the need to slow down, be patient, and live in
the present moment.
Through
meditation, I have learned that stillness is not just an external posture.
There is a deeper internal, and, yes, spiritual dimension to stillness.
Allow me to present these 4 simple tips for how to be still when
you meditate.
4 SIMPLE STEPS --
(1) DON’T MOVE
This
seems obvious, but you’d be surprised -- or maybe not -- by how hard this can
be. You must commit to not moving at all. Don’t just plop down somewhere and
try to be still. Rather, make a commitment to yourself that you are going to do
this and then persevere.
Your
focused intention will make a huge difference.
Like
anything new, it will take practice. Unless you already train in Martial Arts
or yoga, it may not come naturally. In the beginning, you will almost certainly
think of a million things that need to
get done, even more that cannot be done without you. Your mind will
flit restlessly from thought to thought to thought; you will fidget on your
cushion or in your chair. When I first started, I managed to sit still for
maybe 30 seconds before I knew I had to get up, before my muscles
would start twitching with kinetic energy. I willed myself to remain in place,
though, and after a few sessions the feeling began to diminish. Soon, I was
sitting for 20 minutes, then 30, then an hour. The longest session I ever did
was almost six hours, split into two 3-hour sessions with a slight break in between. So progress is not only possible, it is inevitable
With
practice and patience -- a lot of patience -- you will master this.
(2) START SIMPLE
It’s
important to build your confidence in being still. You don’t need to follow a
complex ritual, recite intricate mantras, or deck yourself out in robes (unless you want to ... then, by all means go for it!).
Find a comfortable spot, sit down, close your eyes and breathe. It really doesn’t
need to be any more complicated than that.
Depending on your level of practice, sit still for an appropriate amount of
time.
For
example, if you are a novice, try sitting perfectly still for 1 minute. If it
goes well, increase it to 2 minutes. Then try 5 minutes, etc.
As I said above, I started with 30 seconds. I would sit quietly in my chair,
legs crossed and hands laid loosely upon my knees in half-lotus position (not a
necessity, by the way), and I would follow my breath. If a thought arose – and a
ton of them did – I would notice it, and then return my attention to my breath.
The more I practiced, the easier it became to focus solely on my breath and to
quiet my mind.
You too can find your comfort threshold and practice right at the edge, slowly
increasing your capacity for stillness.
(3) PAY ATTENTION
When
you are sitting still, notice what’s happening. Notice the thoughts rising like bubbles but
do not attach to them. How does being still affect the quality of your
awareness? Don’t devote a lengthy amount of time to thinking about it, just
observe.
When
you are able to sit still for long periods of time, you will start to notice
the profound relationship between outer and inner stillness. The
inner stillness that you are cultivating will carry over into your daily life;
you will be calmer, more relaxed, more aware of your surroundings, more
acclimated to the present moment, less prone to anger.
The
stiller you become, the deeper your capacity for meditation; but more
importantly, the stiller you become, the more peaceful and aware you become.
The
stillness becomes an oasis in the midst of a busy day; the calm center to which
you retreat when life becomes hectic or overwhelming. In such times, you tap
into the reserves you have built up.
And meditation becomes a state of being rather than something you do.
(4) RELAX
It’s
easy to experience tension when trying to be still. I read once that meditation
is the perfect middle place between being alert and relaxed; the experience of
that middle place is deep inner stillness.
There
is no tension in that stillness. You are alert and deeply relaxed.
In order to achieve relaxation, you must breathe. Many schools of meditation
tell you to breathe normally as you meditate. I have found, on the other hand,
that deep breathing, from the abdomen – the center – helps to promote a relaxed
body and a calm, peaceful mind.
Try this: after you are seated comfortably, take a few – say, four or five -- deep, cleansing breaths; breathe in slowly for a count of four,until your lungs are full (but not over full to the
point of discomfort), hold it for another count of four, then exhale very slowly four a count of four until
your lungs are empty. You can do this as a “cleansing ritual” prior to your
actual meditation, or as the focus of the meditation itself.
As
you learn how to be still in meditation, it is important to remember to relax
at all times. Meditation is the opposite of tension. It’s all about release and
freedom.
To experience the many benefits of meditation, I invite you to join us at the Studio, Saturday mornings at 10:30, beginning February 6th, 2016.
Sit with us.
Breathe with us.
Become still and centered.
For more information, please call us at (570) 332-4377 or email us at barnesmartialarts@yahoo.com
This insightful article from Psychology Today illustrates seven distinct ways that meditation supercharges the human brain.
