| In his book, A New Earth, spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle | | | | and downs of life with ever-increasing skillfullness. We |
| tells a story of someone who brings him the catalogue | | | | all want to be happy and to reduce suffering. Over |
| from a large spiritual center, seeking advice on which | | | | time, one discovers that meditation makes this possible. |
| course to take. To this Tolle responds, "I don't know. | | | | But don't take my word for it. Take a seat and close |
| They all look so interesting. But I do know this: be | | | | your eyes. The Buddha himself invites you when he |
| aware of your breathing as often as you are able, | | | | said, "Ehi passiko," meaning, "You need not believe |
| whenever you remember. Do that for one year, and it | | | | what I tell you. Practice and find out for yourself. Then |
| will be more powerfully transformative than attending | | | | you can accept or reject. Come and see." |
| all of these courses. And it's free." | | | | Basic Meditation Instructions: |
| Tolle is right. Each of us has ready access to one of | | | | Allocate a special space, seat, and time of day just for |
| the most transformative tools available-breath | | | | meditation. Although you can meditate anywhere and |
| awareness. Most of the time we neglect this valuable | | | | at any time, consistency ensures a greater likelihood of |
| resource. Instead we look to our careers, families, | | | | success. Begin with sitting for 15 minutes a day. First |
| dream homes, relationships, upcoming vacations or | | | | thing in the morning or just before bed are good times |
| some indistinct time in the future for fulfillment. Sure, | | | | when external disturbances are likely to be minimal. |
| these things can make us happy; but only for a short | | | | You decide what works best for your life. If it feels |
| while. Sooner or later they will change or come to an | | | | appropriate after some time, you can gradually |
| end, and some degree of dissatisfaction will return. | | | | increase the duration of your practice to 30, 45 or 60 |
| There is no doubt about it: as long as we seek | | | | minutes. |
| happiness outside of ourselves, we will be disappointed. | | | | Meditation practice is a rich journey best approached |
| This information is nothing new. The Buddha knew this | | | | with patience, persistence, curiosity and no |
| more than 2,500 years ago when, after much diligence, | | | | expectations! Over time, meditating with a group on |
| he successfully found lasting happiness by | | | | occasion and seeking guidance from a skilled teacher |
| extinguishing the root of all suffering within himself. The | | | | can greatly support your practice. |
| Buddha then dedicated the rest of his life to teaching | | | | 1. Sit on a cushion on the floor with your legs crossed. |
| and spreading a non-dogmatic, systematic method to | | | | If this is not possible, sit on a chair. In order to have |
| inner liberation, which he called Vipassana Meditation | | | | good concentration, it is important not to be in pain. |
| (Vipassana means "Insight" in Pali, the canonical | | | | However you sit, be sure that your spine is straight. |
| language of Southeast Asia's Theravada Buddhism). | | | | 2. Place your hands either palms down over your |
| During the time since, this method has since | | | | knees, or the more traditional way is to cradle the |
| proliferated drastically; today its presence spans | | | | back of your right or left hand in the palm of the other |
| around the world. | | | | hand, with both palms up and resting on the feet. The |
| Vipassana Meditation can be divided into two stages: | | | | tips of the thumbs touch below the navel. |
| mindfulness of breathing (or anapanasati in Pali) and | | | | 3. Close your eyes and first bring your awareness to |
| insight. In the first stage one simply sits and observes | | | | the sensation of sitting. Feel your seat and your legs. |
| the breath. When the mind wanders-which it invariably | | | | Feel the support beneath you. Don't try to visualize |
| does-one continually returns to watching the breath. It | | | | anything. Just notice what is there. Do this for a few |
| only takes a few moments of sitting in meditation to | | | | minutes, until a feeling of physical and mental |
| realize that one's inner world consists of relentless | | | | steadiness and presence arise. |
| mental chatter. One aims not to quiet this chatter | | | | 4. Next, bring your awareness to your lower belly, just |
| (although that may happen at times on its own). | | | | below the navel. Notice the sensation of the breath, |
| Rather, one aims just to stay sitting, aware and | | | | the rise and fall of the abdomen with each in and out |
| accepting of all arising phenomena, whether they be a | | | | breath. Notice the length and depth of your breath |
| mind busy making plans, back pain, negative emotions, | | | | without judgment or manipulation. After several |
| or the sound of a jackhammer outside. When one | | | | minutes you can also bring your awareness to the |
| allows each moment to be as it is, without trying to | | | | natural gaps between the in and out-breaths. If you |
| cling to, reject, judge or change it in any way, inner | | | | can, stay alert to the entire cycle of the breath. |
| freedom takes root. | | | | 5. If the mind is very distracted and you are finding it |
| This first stage, anapanasati, can be outlined and | | | | difficult to follow the breath, you can count your |
| succinctly instructed, as this is the part of the practice | | | | breaths until the mind becomes more focused. |
| that one can actually do, practically and willfully. The | | | | 6. When a thought arises, label it "Thinking." When a |
| second component, insight, arises out of the firm | | | | sensation arises, label it "Feeling." When a sound arises, |
| foundation of anapanasiti like an act of grace. Insight | | | | label it "Hearing." Notice how the act of labeling |
| into the true, unwavering nature of reality happens | | | | something decreases its power to distract you. Do this |
| spontaneously over time when the mind settles into | | | | and gently, relentlessly bring your awareness back to |
| deeper states of acceptance and concentration. | | | | your breath. There is nowhere to go, nothing to do. |
| Even if one does not turn to meditation for | | | | Just sit, watching your breath. The key to greater inner |
| self-realization, the practice holds innumerable benefits. | | | | freedom is your unwavering commitment to return to |
| Meditation can reduce stress and therefore fortify the | | | | awareness, again and again. |
| immune system. It also improves mental concentration | | | | 7. At the end of your allotted practice time, slowly |
| and memory. In addition, one may notice an increased | | | | open your eyes. Stand up when you are ready. At |
| capacity to stay calm, peaceful, relaxed for oneself | | | | some point you may notice that the mindfulness that |
| and others, even under trying circumstances. With | | | | you have cultivated on your cushion has seeped into |
| practice, one attains a balance of mind to face the ups | | | | all that you think, do and say. |