The Happy and Prosperous Blog

(Inspired by the Western Buddhist Order)

This meditation has five parts; ideally each 5 minutes long, however 2 minutes will do…

Assume the position:

Either:

• Sit comfortably on the floor as in this photo

Or:

• Sit in an upright chair, ensuring your spine is comfortably upright & your shoulders are relaxed. Have your legs uncrossed and your feet firmly on the ground, hands resting in the lap.

Or:

• Lie on the floor (not bed). You may want to lie on a blanket & put a blanket over you so you don’t get chilly. Lie comfortably on your back with the small of your back not over curved. Rest your head on a firm cushion to assist the good alignment of the spine.

Relax your body into whichever position you have decided upon, become mindful of your breathing; in and out, in and out.

You are now ready to commence the meditation.

1. Bring to mind someone you care for dearly; remember them when they were very happy, see their face. Now generate positive feeling & focus it towards them, see them happy still. (Continue doing this until your timer goes off)
2. Next, bring to mind someone you know & like; Now generate positive feeling & focus it towards them, see them happy still. (Continue doing this until your timer goes off)
3. Thirdly, bring to mind someone you met today or yesterday that you do not know & that you feel neutral about. Now generate positive feeling & focus it towards them (Continue doing this until your timer goes off).
4. Fourthly bring to mind someone you have difficulty with at the moment - maybe you feel angry with them or frustrated with them. Now generate positive feeling & focus it towards them (Continue doing this until your timer goes off).
5. Finally, generate positive feeling and focus it towards yourself. Now focus it towards the room you are in; the house you are in; the street you are in; the town you are in; the country you are in; the world… (Continue doing this until your timer goes off).

Sometimes engaging with part 4 can stir all sorts of feelings, I recommend sticking with it & really working to generate that positive feeling (After I had done this meditation once, someone I had not seen for over a year after an unresolved conflict, rang me to re-establish contact… many thanks to them).

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Yesterday, I outlined some of the advantages of meditating. Today, I am offering a meditation technique. Please don’t be put off by the word ‘technique’. It’s just one way you can help yourself to meditate.

Seated Meditation:

1. Set your timer for 5 or 10 minutes.
2. Sit comfortably, but upright in a chair with your eyes closed.
3. Scan your body for areas of muscle tension & relax them.
4. Become aware of the air as it comes into your body through your nose; feel the movements of your nostrils, the drying of your throat, the expansion of your rib cage etc.
5. Next, apply the same awareness to the breath as it leaves your body.
6. Continue with this breathing awareness until your timer goes off.
7. When the random thoughts about next door’s cat or what to cook for dinner come crashing in, acknowledge that you’re thinking, then simply release the thought - don’t pursue & get lost in that train of thought, instead stop thinking about it & bring your attention back to the breath - in & out, in & out…
8. When you find, as you will, that you have just spent the last few minutes rehearsing a conversation with your next door neighbour (or the cat); don’t drop into the trap of self criticism - release that set of thoughts too & return yet again to the breath.
9. When your timer goes off, rejoice that you were willing to give yourself a few minutes to your self, dedicated to improving the quality of your life; and commit to do it all again same time same place tomorrow!!

You don’t just go to the gym once to get body fitness, so you will need to meditate regularly to get your mind muscle fit. Enjoy !

Sit still & live longer ? Are you sure ?? But I thought that exercise….

Well, it depends on what you’re doing when you’re sitting still !!

Meditation, sometimes referred to as ‘sitting’, can be of enormous benefit. It brings us more fully into the present moment, so each experience is richer and more vibrant - which can create the feeling of time slowing down. It is also renowned for its effects on our physiology, calming & quietening our bodies, which can result in lowered stress levels, with all the health benefits that affords.

How Is It Done?

Meditation isn’t all about sitting cross-legged, grappling with dickey hips, whilst managing a gaze of serene otherworldliness - oh no ! In fact there are many ways of achieving a meditative state. One could dance, engage in very very slow walking, sit upright in a chair, lying relaxed on the floor (as distinct from sleeping), or listening to birdcall with no internal discussion about other sounds - to mention just a few.

So what is this meditative state ?

In my experience it is a state in which I feel calm, relaxed, quiet, centred, expansive, connected to myself & the world around me.

All this just by:

• becoming aware that I am thinking
• choosing not to follow the train of thought that had begun
• choosing instead to focus on a pre determined topic

Becoming more skilled in having control over this marvellous tool, the mind, means we have choice about how we feel too. Think for a moment about a time you were really angry or scared - and now, how does your body feel (check out your breathing your shoulder muscles and your solar plexus) ? How are you emotionally ? Having the capacity to chose to think differently about a situation can save you a lot of grief !!

Obviously its easiest when sitting in the quiet ! However, developing the ‘mind muscle’ in these circumstances, means we have some skills to draw on in our active lives too.