MEDITATION
METHOD BASED UPON THE PRACTICE OF MINDFULLNESS
Guided sitting Meditation
1 Become aware of gravity in your body and let it settle for 5 minutes.
Become aware of the following contact points:
The parts of the body in contact with the floor.
The contact of your sitz bones with the cushion, bench or floor.
The contact of your hands resting on your lap or thighs.
The contact of the tongue to the palate.
2 Mindfulness of breathing
Observe the contact of the incoming and outgoing breath in your nostrils.
Observe the temperature variation of incoming and outgoing breath.
Observe the breathing cycle : inhale – pause – exhale – pause.
Observe the natural breathing cycles without trying to change your breath.
Don’t try to think or sculpt your breath, let breathing happen.
You then can choose to rest your attention on the breath happening either at the nostrils or chest or abdomen.
The posture
Meditation can be practiced in either of the 4 positions : sitting, standing, lying down or walking.
Sitting
First learn to sit properly so that your posture allows you to be relaxed and comfortable while remaining vigilant.
You can choose to sit on a chair with the soles of your feet resting on the floor, on a cushion (zafu) or a bench or the floor, cross-legged or astride.
Sit in the position of your choice and follow the instructions:
1. Adjust the tilt of your hips so that your spine rises upright in a relaxed manner.
2. Relax your shoulders and jaws.
3. Tilt your head by tipping your chin down slightly to elongate the back of the neck.
Observe, without judging, the thoughts which appear like clouds in the sky. When you become aware of being caught by a thought, gently and patiently bring your attention back to the breath or body sensations.