The Basic Mechanics of Meditation

This is the time to do nothing but be you.
There are two aspects to meditation: mindfulness and awareness. We start with mindfulness practice.
Sit with a straight back on a cushion or chair, in a quiet clean place, relaxed and aware of the touch of the body and all the other senses.
If sitting on a cushion, place the feet onto the thighs, onto one thigh or legs crossed in front.
Chin slightly in, to keep the spine in line.
Hands on thighs or lap.
Eyes half open, open, or closed.
Jaw relaxed, and tongue touching the roof of the mouth.

This is merely to be comfortable and relaxed: the body supports itself, and the back will strengthen in time.

Allow the breath to be gentle, simply becoming aware of the breathing: inhale, pause… exhale, pause…rest in that awareness.

If thoughts come, just let them be; they will arise and go. In fact, they may seem to be getting worse, but this is because you are now noticing more! Just continue.

There two aspects to meditation – mindfulness and awareness. Because our minds are over active in this speedy world, we need mindfulness first, in order to calm the mind down. Mindfulness is precise focus on an object or image. This trains the mind to stop wandering, and when it does (and it will) we gently bring it back to the object of our attention. Of course, we can do this with any activity, but here we are focusing on our spiritual awakening. Generally we use the breath. If our energies are dull or excited, chanting helps to ground us, and then we can continue resting in meditation.

 However, we do not stay here.

 Mindfulness is a reminder that we have a mind. Once we are aware of this mind, we are naturally introduced to awareness itself. We have just taken a step back from what we thought we were. We have assumed that we are this thinking mind, and suddenly we discover that we cannot be those thoughts, as there is something that is aware of them…an awareness!

 We have just stepped back towards our own reality.

 We now become aware of the awareness itself – aware of awareness. We have arrived at stillness, and can drop the mindfulness…just be aware of the awareness. Sitting with the back straight, but not stiff or tense, allows the body to be unconstricted, and breathe freely, and the inner channels are open (within this physical body are channels, winds and energies, known as the subtle body).

The final step back.

 Once we are aware of awareness, we realise that there is nothing else going on. It is empty of any thoughts or contaminations, but purely aware. There is no longer ‘me being aware’…just awareness.

Ah! There you are. We need time to assimilate this, to become familiar with it.

Thoughts will still arise in the mind because of our past ‘business’, but now there is space to view this ‘business’. This pure awareness is actually called ‘the view’…clear luminosity…clear light!

 Mindfulness is the meditation.
Pure awareness is non meditation: it is pure recognition.

Don’t get too stuck in mindfulness, as it is only a reminder. If we become too attached to mindfulness, we may acquire a strange attitude (this happens to westerners).

Awareness is being ordinary.

It’s that simple.

The world may seem more crazy, and we will find our emotions exploding once in a while – that’s natural. We are not enlightened yet! Gradually, this pure awareness moves about in daily life and affects our conduct, decreasing desire and fear, and increasing compassion. Then we can start to eliminate the effects of karma.

Meditation takes us from not knowing to knowing, like switching on a light!