Kindly Breathe

Which brings us to our first meditation.

This is called kindly breathe.

When you're ready,

Take a moment to find a comfortable position.

Close your eyes if you like,

And focus your attention on the breath.

Just notice how simply by assuming a comfortable position,

The in-breath naturally deepens,

The out-breath gradually lengthens,

And with these deeper,

Longer breaths,

It's only a matter of time before you retreat from the noise of everyday life into a quieter,

Calmer,

More peaceful state.

In this inner sanctuary,

There's nothing to do but to be with the breath,

To breathe,

Kindly breathe.

And yet the mind has other things in mind than committing this deliberate act of self-kindness,

Or it will soon enough.

So when you notice your attention naturally wandering,

Become aware of where it's gone and gently bring it back to the breath.

With the kindness and patience,

You'd offer a new puppy,

Learning to stay.

Bring your attention back to the breath over and again.

In the beginning,

When you tell a puppy to stay,

It might sit for a bit before it gets up and walks away.

You wouldn't scold it.

You'd pick it up,

Put it back,

And remind it to stay until it can stay longer and longer all by itself.

Same with the mind.

When the mind naturally wanders,

You bring it back to the breath again and again until it can stay longer and longer,

Without judging if you're doing it right,

Without worrying if there's something wrong,

Without comparing yourself to those who seem to be having an easier time of it.

If your mind is more like a crabby two-year-old than an adorable puppy,

The task is the same.

Shower it with affection and keep on doing what you're doing.

Bring your focus back to the breath again and again and again.

When you can,

Notice what's on your mind.

Observe any and all thoughts without mentally running away with them or letting them keep you from gently refocusing on the breath.

Even your meanest,

Most critical thoughts deserve your full attention.

Where is your mind right now?

Is it here or is it mired in the past,

Regretting what you ate yesterday?

Or is it planning for the future,

Vowing to be good,

Starting tomorrow or Monday,

Or when you get back to restricting?

Observe your mind,

Notice its contents,

Return to the breath.

Similarly,

If bodily sensations enter your awareness,

Note the sensation.

Whether it's pleasant,

Unpleasant,

Or neutral,

Notice what it is without mentally turning toward or away from it.

Whatever you notice,

A sore muscle,

An itch,

A craving,

Observe the sensation without forcing or willing it away.

Notice what happens when you stop resisting a persistent sensation and stop insisting it be different right now,

When you just let it be.

Feelings have a way of ebbing and flowing too.

When feelings arise,

Pay careful attention to what's really happening,

Noting the qualities that make these feelings distinctive.

Notice what makes you more or less curious about a certain emotion.

What makes it easier or harder to sit with a particular feeling.

Whatever the feeling,

Do your best to acknowledge it,

Accept it,

And then refocus on the breath.

Whatever derails your focus,

A feeling,

Thought,

Sensation,

Or something else,

It's helpful to remember that puppy.

With as much loving kindness and as little irritation as possible,

Kindly remind the mind to stay.

Bring your attention back to this vital breath,

This seamless cycle of breathing in and breathing out.

Full inhalations,

Long exhalations.

And now,

Gradually turn your inner attention out.

Make your mental awareness more physical.

Focus your mind on your body,

Head and neck,

Fingers and toes,

Arms and legs.

And as your inside world rejoins the outside world,

It's only natural to expand your awareness to your present surroundings and linger in this calmer,

Clearer,

More self-compassionate state.

And as you linger,

Take a moment to reflect and ask yourself a few questions.

Like,

What did you notice?

What stood out as noteworthy?

Did you notice a racing mind?

That's pretty common.

A lot of people think they're doing it wrong if their mind is busy.

They think they're supposed to have a blank mind,

They're supposed to achieve nirvana.

But no,

That's part of this work.

If you notice a racing mind,

Just notice it and bring your attention back to the breath.

And over time,

It's likely it will quiet down,

But not necessarily.

A racing mind isn't bad or good,

It just is.

And maybe you noticed physical discomfort.

It can be uncomfortable sitting in one position for a while.

So if you notice that,

What are you going to do?

Well,

I encourage comfort.

So you could change your position and get more comfortable.

That is perfectly okay in meditation.

The trick is,

If the discomfort keeps you moving in your chair the whole time,

Maybe that's an invitation to settle down and see if you can just sit with that level of discomfort and observe it and watch it change.

So it's a judgment call.

If you're really uncomfortable,

Definitely get more comfortable.

But if you're fidgeting,

Sit,

Reflect,

Notice.

Sleepiness is another common concern with meditation.

If you felt really sleepy,

Or if you fell asleep,

You'd do better to pick a slightly less comfortable position or get some sleep first and foremost.

After you've gotten some sleep,

If you get sleepy whenever you're doing meditation,

Definitely pick a more upright position or even stand upright.

That is a fine position to meditate in.

You need to be awake to pay attention.

So do what you can to be alert,

Awake,

And stay focused.

Finally,

Let's talk about commitment to meditation.

My motto is,

Reap and ye shall sow.

If you meditate a little,

You will get a little benefit.

But if you make a bigger commitment to do your best to try it every day,

Even for five minutes or longer,

There's definitely a bigger payoff.

So reap and ye shall sow.

And if you're not ready to dive into meditation practice,

Well start where you are and see little by little what you can add in so you can benefit more.