Distracted by email, iPhones, the ping of a new text message, bad news on television and the stresses of work, of relationships and family, it is easy to be overwhelmed, stressed and miss the extraordinary gift of being alive. Our bodies’ break down under the onslaught of stress – insomnia, anxiety, depression, and all chronic disease is made worse by unremitting stress.
Pain is inevitable. Loss is inevitable. Death, illness, war, and disaster have always been and will always be part of the human condition. Yet within it, I wondered as a young man, was there a way to understand suffering in a different light, to break the cycle of suffering?
I realized there was a way to be more awake, to see things as they are, to notice life as it is and to savor it, to love it, to wake up with gratitude, lightness, and celebration for the magic of life. It is always there, and the trick is simply to notice.
But to notice requires a stillness of the mind. This is something not quite so easy to achieve for most of us. Being awake takes practice. Each of us can find our path to being awake. Ancient traditions provide many avenues.
Belief in any particular religion or philosophy is not necessary, just a desire to show up and pay attention without judgment or criticism. To notice the ebb and flow of our breath and our thoughts without holding on to them, like waves washing over you on a summer day at the beach.
The good news is that all you need is a few minutes and a place to sit and be quiet (you can do this anywhere). Here is a simple instruction for mindfulness mediation you can try yourself.
Mindfulness Meditation
Instructions:
- Sit in a comfortable position. Try to sit in the same place each day. Avoid positions that you might fall asleep in.
• The back is long and supports itself.
• Shoulders are relaxed downward, the neck is long, and the chin is pointing neither up nor down.
• The face is relaxed.
Begin to breathe (preferably through the nostrils.) Feel the belly rise, the ribs expand, and the slight movement in the collarbones and shoulders as the breath moves upward. Feel the exhalation.
Focus on one aspect of the breath.
• The movement of air in and out of the nostrils.
• Or the lifting and falling of the belly.
- Watch that one aspect of the breath.
• When the mind wanders, gently bring it back to the breath and the aspect you have chosen to watch.
• Do this as many times as you need to.
• There is no such thing as a good or bad meditation. (Good and bad are judgments, events in the mind – just note them and go back to the breathing.)
- Start with 5-10 minutes and then increase the time until you can sit for 30 minutes.