how to meditate

an open awareness and mindfulness meditation

seat:

sit on a chair or cross-legged on a cushion on the floor. find a way to sit that works for you. find stability in your posture and groundedness in your seat. if on a chair, feel your feet flat on the floor and establish connection to the ground. if on a cushion, feel connection to the ground through your seat.

hands:

rest your hands on your thighs. alternatively, place one hand on top of another with your thumbs gently touching.

back:

keep your back upright in a comfortable, yet non-rigid, posture. you may gently rock back and forth to find a neutral posture. feel a string pull the top of your head towards the sky to help with posture.

mouth:

you may keep your mouth very slightly open. the openness is not visible to others but allows your breath to flow.

eyes:

keep your eyes open with a soft gaze and no specific focus. if meditating in a group, individuals often lower the gaze few feet ahead towards the floor.

aspiration for attitude:

allow your awareness to be open and accepting. allow yourself to be in the present moment without judgment. internal and external events will occur such as thoughts and emotions, or sounds and sights. allow these to pass through your consciousness, as if you are watching a show in which you are not an actor.

everything passes through your awareness, without rejection or attraction or apathy. with this openness and curiosity, allow yourself to just be. it is natural that you will be distracted or get stuck on ideas or feelings. this is a natural part of the process. when you realize you are lost or stuck, gently return to your open and aware consciousness.

this is simple but not easy (Christopher Germer, mindfulness and psychotherapy, 2013). start with five minutes a day. be with what is, openly willing to be with where you are now with you as you are now. if you are bored, open up to that, if you are frustrated that you are bored, open up to THAT, you’re just watching, right here, without trying to do anything. this is be-ing instead of do-ing.