I commonly hear folks say things like “I’m so bad at it”, “my mind is too crazy, I can’t stop thinking”, “I don’t have time” or “I can’t sit still that long”. Like yogāsana, meditation has become a widely consumed part of Western culture, and yet, there is quite a lot of misunderstanding and apprehension with regard to what it actually is and how to make it part of one’s life.
On my recent Nepal trip we devoted quite a bit of time and effort to meditation practice. In particular, we explored incorporation of meditation into activities such as walking, hiking and even simply experiencing the world around us. We went for teachings from my teachers and they emphasized the usefulness of short (2-5 minutes) practices; as well as, the importance of not turning away from the world, but rather, going deeper into it.
Just like when we hear the word “yoga” our mind conjures up an image of a body in the perfect triangle posture, similarly, when we hear “meditation” we jump to the image of someone sitting still in lotus with a serene look on their face. And while the potential for such a peaceful practice is there, meditation can be engaged in just about any situation in which we find ourselves. In fact, what we’re ultimately working towards is the ability to lean into the awareness present within such a state even when we’re faced with the most challenging of obstacles, such as the desire for a drink or smoke, or the grief of losing a loved one, or even the bitter pill of receiving our own fatal diagnosis.
I’m currently in month three of a six-month meditation program with Lama Willa Blythe-Baker based on her recently published book, “The Wakeful Body”. I was attracted to her teachings because, like me, in addition to being a practicing Buddhist she is also an asana practitioner. In her chapter on the “earth body”, she writes: “There is also a basic asana for the mind. It goes something like this:
Let your attention be relaxed and open.
Do not try to control things.
Do not follow after thoughts.
Do not push thoughts away either.
Be a pure witness of whatever is unfolding.”
So, when I wrote “It’s NOT what you THINK!”, I was getting at a few things:
Meditation isn’t something that happens only when one is seated and still;
meditation isn’t about stopping your mind from generating thoughts;
your thoughts are not a problem - they are not an obstacle to practice; and
no practice is wasted! Every time you bring your attention into a moment and generate some level of focus, you are one step closer to waking up. Think full on Buddhahood here— go big or go home! ;-)
In the twelve years I’ve been going to Nepal I’ve learned a lot from my Tibetan Buddhist teachers. One of the biggest, most helpful and practical things I’ve learned is how to relax around the practice of meditation. I used to come into it with so much angst because it seemed like my mind would speed up, not slow down or even stop, as I thought it was supposed to. They helped me experience that meditation isn’t something you “do”, but rather something you become. In fact, even their word for meditation, which is “gom”, means to “become familiar with”. Isn’t that cool? For me, that alone conjures up a sense of ease because becoming familiar with something suggests it was there all along. And that is exactly the point. So, come join me next Wed May 4th at 5:15pmCST and we’ll explore becoming familiar, spend some time practicing, and find ways to bring more meditation into your life!