MEDITATION
Meditation is a form of mental training. There are two general types of meditation or mental training.
1) Concentration/ relaxation practice:
The meditator usually holds on to a static (fixed), chosen (or given), and often conceptual (or imaginary) object. It could be a physical one such as the breath, a color disc, certain sounds, or a mental one such as visualization, a mantra (repeated words/phrases) prayer or well-wishing and/or compassionate thoughts. Its goal is to cultivate inner goodness or relaxation or to build deep concentration, which could reach the level of absorption (jhana), a deeply calm state where one, although awake, may not be aware of external phenomena.
2) Mindfulness/Insight practice:
The object for this practice is, on the other hand, dynamic (changing/adapting), choiceless (no preference) and real (present time, direct/actual experience (before interpreting it based on past experience) as described in the Four Foundation of Mindfulness). It is usually the most predominant/obvious object that we perceive.
Only the presence of skillful mindfulness, balanced persistent interest and concentration/calm can give rise to deepening insight. The two practices (concentration and insight) can be mutually beneficial and practiced together, but it would be skillful to know the difference between the two, which mode is predominant, and to let go of holding on to any experience if one's aim is to be on the insight path.
Mindfulness meditation explores life as it is occurring in the present moment, without being attached to pleasant experiences or resisting unpleasant ones.
By paying nonjudgmental attention to all aspects of life, one develops insights into its ever changing, unsatisfactory and impersonal nature.
One therefore faces the ups and downs with more equanimity/composure, encountering less stress and confusion, more joy, and inner peace.
This form of meditation is traditionally practiced in meditation centers in South and South-East Asia and more recently in the West in the form of silent retreats and practiced by people of diverse backgrounds.
A secular and “generic” form is often taught in western clinical settings under the name "Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction" (MBSR) as an eight-week course (initially established by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn of the University of Massachusetts) or Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) used in psychotherapy for depression and anxiety and related mental disorder.
MBSR also includes Yoga and other relaxation techniques. There are numerous medical publications reporting various medical and non-medical benefits of this practice for chronic pain, stress, anxiety, depression etc. including studies in cancer patients and healthy volunteers showing improvement of their quality of life and immune function.
SITTING MEDITATION
The Breath
At the beginning of the sitting meditation, consider the breath your home or primary object, a place to take refuge in during the sitting meditation.
First, take two or three deep breaths if needed to help feel the sensations associated with breathing: the expansion and contraction of the lower chest or abdomen with each in-breath and out-breath, one breath at a time. (You can place a hand on the stomach to help feel these few breaths better). Then breathe naturally without controlling the breath.
If you have difficulty observing the breath there you could try to focus on the area of the nostrils or upper lip (or in between). Label (mental noting/naming "in" or "rising" and "out" or "falling") as needed.
Follow the changing sensations continuously from the beginning to the end of the in-breath then from the beginning to the end of the out-breath. Feel the motion/movements, tingling, pressure, vibration, lightness, heaviness, warmth, coolness... (reality) rather than paying attention to the superficial form or shape of the abdomen/body or "I am breathing" (concept). Try not to miss the end of both the in-breath and out-breath. This interest in seeing the end helps sustain the attention on the object.
After a few moments, you may realize that you are lost in thoughts instead of staying with the breath. Be willing to begin again and again in the present moment by simply make a soft mental note of “thinking” or “wandering”, then gently allow the attention to fall back on the breath. You can also make a gentle but firm determination (“not now/later”, or "thank you for visiting/sharing") to help letting thoughts go without trying to get rid of them harshly. Remember that the nature of the mind is to think, therefore do not judge yourself or be discouraged but be happy that you recognize them (we usually do not) without feeding them or indulging in them.
One technique to keep the mind from wandering (particularly if there is a gap between the out-breath and the in-breath) is to note at that gap (or the end): "rising... falling... sitting” (briefly bring the awareness to the sitting posture) ... then “touching” (feel a point in the body such as the buttocks, the hands, the legs etc…where there is contact or pressure; change the points at the next “touching”). If it is too much to note, just “rising... falling, touching” (or "rising... falling... sitting", or "rising... sitting... falling... touching") would be fine.
Another way is to note "rising...rising...rising, falling...falling...falling..." throughout the in-and-out breath.
An additional way to reduce the wandering mind is to count the breaths (at the end of rising and falling) from one to five: “rising…one, falling… one, rising…two, falling…two…” (begin again with “one” after reaching “five” or if you lose track of counting)...
When a sound, thoughts, feelings, or physical sensations become predominant in your awareness, gently bring your attention to it (in order to be aware of it with interest without trying to suppress it, nor feeding it), and as it passes away or no longer stays obvious, gently bring the attention back to the sensations of the breath. It is like a spider investigating an insect caught in part of the web, then returns to its center.
If you find yourself lost in thoughts, rather than judging, simply acknowledge it as “thinking…or wandering” then gently focus your attention back on the breath. Patiently begin again and again in the present moment by returning to the primary/home object regardless how many times you lose it due to wandering thoughts. Accept thoughts as part of a natural process, not something that should not be there. Later in the course, you can learn more how to work with thoughts.
WALKING MEDITATION
In this course, we will practice two kinds of walking meditation:
1) Informal mindful walking
As you take a stroll or walk from place to place, simply pay attention to general present time sense door experiences (moving, stepping, seeing, hearing, touching, breathing, coolness, pleasantness, etc...) or just have a relaxed, open soft gaze into the moment-to-moment present time life experience. Although the awareness could occasionally fall on the breath, one does not need to intentionally keep it there. This type of walk is considered walking meditation in some traditions. It is a very helpful and practical way of applying mindfulness but it does not replace the formal walking meditation in this tradition. Likewise, overall mindfulness in daily life activities does not replace formal sitting.
2) Formal walking meditation:
During formal walking meditation, one establishes mindfulness primarily through the physical aspect (first foundation) without paying attention to other experiences. Choose an individual short path (about 10-20 steps preferably secluded, indoor or outdoor) and walk back and forth in a relaxed manner while applying mindfulness of the body: the body moving, the feet touching the ground, the changing sensations of motion, heaviness, pressure, tingling, coolness
(More description of the sitting and walking techniques will be presented in the course).
PRACTICE IN DAILY LIFE
The mindfulness practice can also be done informally during ordinary daily activities by having a general awareness of what is happening in the body and the mind and what we interact with, using the tools shared in this course.
RIGHT ATTITUDE
To be relaxed yet alert.
Have no expectations.
Let go of controlling. Let it be. Try not to make anything happen but also not to reject anything (not adding or subtracting anything, just observe things as they really are).
Hold a joyful interest in understanding life by simply watching it unfolding in each moment: accept and observe both "good" and "bad" experiences, not wishing the pleasant ones to last and the unpleasant ones to stop.
Roots of stress:
Wanting something to happen is attachment.
Wanting something to go away is aversion.
Not knowing what is happening is delusion.