meditation redux

as i'm sure we're all aware this shit is a work in progress. si, dans l'esprit de mes dernières vacances, voici la progression...

what we gonna do here is take a look at a simple meditation. whether you are new to meditation or a seasoned veteran, this technique can be very powerful.

before you begin this meditation, make the decision to sit down and devote yourself to it. find a place where you will not be disturbed, i.e. a room where no one will come in, where the phone does not ring, where little or no noise can get in, etc.

it is very important that you are physically comfortable when practising. this will help stop you from becoming distracted by bodily sensations that arise from being uncomfortable (obviously). it is best if you sit upright in a comfortable chairor cross-legged on a floor/cushion. make sure you clothes is not too tight/restrictive.

take a minute to relax. close your eyes and mouth, breathing normally through your nose. take a few deep breaths.

your goal is to turn your attention inward, away from the outside world of the ever changing ego and its associated judgments, towards a place of stillness and acceptance (trust me, it is there). you need a point to focus your attention on so that you can slowly withdraw from the external, chaotic side of the real world. this focus will be your breathing. become aware of your breathing with each inhale and exhale.

once you are aware of your breathing, slowly begin to breathe into your abdomen. in other words, try to breathe using your diaphragm, not just your lungs. the lungs expand downward instead of out during the inhale. If you are not sure how to breathe with your diaphragm or it is uncomfortable, then breathe like you normally do. just relax as best you can.

keep your attention on your breathing. feel yourself inhale and exhale. try not to let your attention wander from thoughts about the past to thoughts about the future, you are, after all, in neither of these places. try to withdraw your attention from all thoughts and let your attention become more and more immersed in the feeling of your breath coming and going. hold your attention and just be with your breath.

continuously recall your awareness to the inhale and exhale of your breath. if you find yourself being distracted by thoughts, gently bring your attention back to the feeling of your breathing. with each breath, allow yourself to be in the present. it is within the present that you can discover deeper levels of your mind and being. it is only ever the present you exist in.

now that you rest with your breathing, slowly turn your attention inwards and find the stillness in your mind. as you find the silence, be with it. Become the stillness. there is no reason to have any thoughts at this time. you have plenty time all day long for thoughts, now is the time for stillness. feel the silence and rest in it. if you find yourself distracted with thoughts, place your attention on your breathing again and withdraw from your thoughts. then slowly turn back towards the silence.

don't worry if you find yourself thinking a lot. this is normal. over time, you will gain the ability to quiet yourself more and more. like anything else, it just takes practice. and time. and practice and time...

try practicing this meditation once a day in the evening for about 15 to 20 minutes. make it a special part of your daily routine. as you become accustomed to your practice, add a morning meditation for the same amount of time.

finding the stillness within will be the most challenging task you can ever face, for silence is totally foreign to the normal condition of our minds. it will take persistent practice on your part. nevertheless, it is possible.

meditation can be very profound and meaningful, for the effects of resting within silence will be felt in your daily life. it gives you the opportunity to enjoy new meaning and appreciation. Meditation, like life itself, is full of paradoxes, for within the silence of nothing exists the noise of everything.

meditation. better than heroin.

bet you thought no one'd ever find anything you could say that about, ay? but's true. actually better than smack. and it's non-addictive. and it's free. damn, why'd no one tell me sooner? (they did actually, i just wasn't listening...ho hum)

so what's the trick? 'seasy, just sit and breathe. they really shouldn't call it meditating. that generally (if you're anything like me) brings up all sort of stereotypes and prejudices. like: "ain't that some hippy bullshit?". should just be called concentrating. that's what the word originally means after all. to meditate upon something is to concentrate on it. so you just concentrate on your breath. as soon as you realise your mind has gone off on one, which it most certainly will, just go back to your breath. simple. as.

another common misconception is the idea that you "clear your mind" and stop thinking. doctors have a name for this, it's called 'brain-dead'. you can't stop thinking. you can realise that your thoughts are just that: thoughts. nothing more nothing less. sounds obvious until you try it. then you realise all that stuff that's been worrying you, upsetting you or getting you to do stuff you didn't really wanna do were just thoughts. and who is in control of them? you. you are in control. no more having your dog walk you.

a particular 'distracting' thought pattern is thinking about various social interactions (is with me anyway) 'ooh', you think, 'i'll say this, then this and just wait till they hear this!' the best thing to do when this happens is to realise that whoever you're talking to in your head isn't there. or if they are you're meditating together, not talking. that shit ain't now. it can wait.

once you've got the basics down you can apparently start on all the next level shit like peering into the void on either side of reality, being a zen warrior and filling the universe with love. but that's enough hippy bullshit for now...

free your mind? chain that fukker up!

today we shall be discussing how to control one's own mind. there are (a few) different techniques for doing this but the end result is (or should be) the same. having control over one's own thought processes. as several buddhist masters (what does that even mean?) have noted (and trust me there are only so many ways you can say this): if your are not at peace with yourself (i.e. you are not in control of your own mind) no amount of possesions, comfort, luxury or anything else will make you happy. equally if you are at peace with yourself you can put up with almost anything.

my favourite example of this is the wise teaching of the sado-masochist in the cupboard. imagine, for a moment, that i have locked you in a small cupboard. i take you out twice a day only to beat you quite soundly. now, most people i know would be somewhat unimpressed with this treatment. i wouldn't blame them. however if the person involved was rilly, rilly into their s&m they'd love it. the difference? perception. you cannot change your external circumstances with your mind alone (a rather idiotic mistake to make) but you can change what you think of your external circumstances.

it may help (well, it helps me) to think of the mind like a dog (ok, i know i compare everything with dogs, but that's coz i rilly, rilly like dogs, ok?) anyhoo, if you let your dog/mind jump all over the place pulling you along you have no control over it or yourself. this is a very easy way to end up upset, stressed out, angry or fucked up on loads of drugs (or any combination of the above). however, teaching your mind to walk to heel, so you are in control of where it's going, well, that means its up to you. you can be happy, sad or anything in between but you are in control.

how to gain this control? i found meditation works quite well. but then, i can't get my sodding dogs to stop dragging me about. so who am i to talk?