BUM ON CUSHION.

As long as you are relaxed and your back is straight, you can sit on a chair or cushion. Lying down is possible, but one tends to go to sleep. Sitting straight helps with natural breathing and flow, and keeps your mind alert.

Hands on lap or thighs, eyes slightly open, or open.

If there are many thoughts, just lower the gaze.

If you are feeling sleepy, raise the gaze.

Nothing forced, everything relaxed.

The senses are wide open.

Here we may have to make a distinction between paths. This is called Shamata meditation, and it uses the breath as a focus. Merely noticing the inhalation and exhalation, thoughts will come – just return to watching the breath. The thoughts may seem to get worse. They are not – you are just noticing more!

 The point here is that it is your time to relax, rest and be at peace. The body is still, and gradually the mind becomes still…but aware! You can go back to thinking later. This is called Shiney with support.

 Sometimes, we find ourselves in a vacant state, a dreamy state, which can be mistaken for meditation, but it’s not. It is a state of ignorance…not knowing. When we are day dreaming, we are cut off from our senses, and from what is around us.

 Once we are more or less comfortable with watching the breath, we come to Shiney without support. This is simply noticing that at the end and beginning of each breath, there is a gap – or we notice a gap between thoughts.

In that gap, we rest naturally.

There is a still ‘nowness’ present, and the senses remain wide open.

With the senses wide open and the sense of nowness, one can take the meditation into daily life. One experiences moments of spaciousness.

 Shiney with and without support are both still at a conceptual level, but it’s a start. It is building a firm foundation. It’s good to notice the difference between the two, as sometimes we have to return to Shiney with support when thoughts are rampant!

 All the best,

Tony