Many years ago, before it was big business, I learned
Transcendental Meditation. I did it for years, but I
never trained to teach it to anyone else – and it’s a
secret training; I couldn’t pass it on anyway, not just
from personal experience. Gradually I lapsed from
my own practice.
my mantra
that sang in my mind
falls silent
So then I learned something simpler, which is just
to pay attention to your breath – and when your
mind wanders, bring your attention, gently and
without struggle, back to your breath. Over the
years, I taught a lot of people. But gradually I
lapsed from my own practice.
sitting still
ten minutes is too long –
modern life!
Now I’m reading a book called ‘A Tale for the
Time Being,’ where an old Buddhist nun teaches
her great-grand-daughter how to do zazen. It’s
even easier than what I’ve been teaching, and I
only need do it for ten breaths at a time. I adopt it
at once! I don't think I can possibly lapse from just
ten breaths at a time.
briefly
being in this time –
enough
Notes:
As explained here, Zazen is not meditation.
The book is A Tale for the Time Being, by Ruth Ozeki.
To summarise / paraphrase the instructions from the book:
It's usually done cross-legged on a zafu cushion but it's OK to sit on a chair. The main thing is good posture, no leaning or slouching.
Put your hands in your lap, stacked so left hand is on palm of right. Your thumb tips meet on top in a kind of circle, level with your belly button. Relax, hold really still, focus on your breathing, not making a big deal about it but just noticing it. Notice everything that's going on, inside and out of you, including your breathing. If you find you're getting too distracted, count your breaths:
Breathe in, breathe out ... one.
Breathe in, breathe out ... two.
After 10 breaths, start counting at 1 again.
It's natural for a person to think, so when you notice your mind has wandered, don't freak out. Just drop it and start again from the beginning.
It doesn't say do it for ONLY 10 breaths, but that's how I began and it still felt great. Then I spontaneously started wanting to go longer, and even have begun feeling like bringing my legs up into a cross-legged position!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shared with Poets and Storytellers United for Friday Writings #87: What Pleases You? This piece references one of my very oldest pleasures, reading, and the very newest, sitting zazen.
When I sit down and try meditation, it always feels like a ton of time has passed and then I check my phone and it is just 4 or 5 minutes... I obviously have a mountain to climb to reach 10 minutes!! But when I'm staring at a blinking cursor trying to write, half an hour passes with no words sometimes...!!!
ReplyDeleteLOL
DeleteI'm reminded of what Natalie Goldberg's Zen master advised her, to make writing her 'practice' – 'because you like writing.'
DeleteTen breaths is a lot shorter than ten minutes! I'll post the instructions from the book, above, shortly. It doesn't say to do it for ONLY 10 breaths, but that worked amazingly for me, and now I am spontaneously choosing in the moment to go for longer (which I didn't intend nor expect, but it pleases me).
I had a blood sample given to a lab as a part of my semiannual cardiologist examination, the tech for the lab company has worked there since I started coming in 2001. She was going back to school in the evenings, a part-time student. When she gave up, though I tried to encourage her to go back o school, but it didn't happen, she never did. This time she said she had given up worrying about things, things and folk around. Now she was trying to find herself, she has a book that tells one way to make that happen. I'm not sure I have lost anything worth finding.
ReplyDeleteThose were thoughts I had again, before I reached the end of your write. I looked up "zanen", did you mean 'zazen'?
..
Dear Jim, my post says 'zazen.' And yes, I did mean that.
DeleteOh, sorry, I see the typo now in the text. Thanks, will fix.
DeleteThank you for that I learned mindfulness meditation. More like the second one but it is also just focused breathing. I am starting with that
ReplyDeleteThere's something about counting the breaths which seems to make it easier. And the fact that it is not to be regarded as meditation; that's not what one is trying to do.
DeleteThank you for sharing this both lyrically and practically. After reading, I tried it at my chair. It's a nice way to feel refreshed. And strange how minutes can seem like an eternity while years fly by.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's what happened for me too. I read it, I tried it, and was surprised how refreshed I felt.
DeleteI like the progression. I took TM in the 70s and did it for 5 or more years before I had kids and it fell away. I then did Passage Meditation for 5 or more years and now do TM occasionally. I am not a good candidate for paying attention to the breath because when I do I become self-conscious and forget how to breath. I like a word or more that grounds me.
ReplyDeleteI think it is probably a very individual, subjective thing as to what suits whom. I find that, paradoxically, mentally counting every ten breaths takes care of that little bit of wandering attention one always has, freeing me to notice all the other things going on – just notice them, not become engaged with them – while the counting becomes a background thing. It's like an anchor.
DeleteDear Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteThank you for what must be the most information packed Friday Write ever. Count me as a fan, one who will faithfully follow the instruction. Brava, Dear One.
LOL. I didn't set out to be so informative, but the discussion in the comments had me very soon decide it would be helpful to include instructions, and that a quick paraphrase would be 'legitimate use' not plagiarism.
DeleteRosemary Ma'am, very interesting find here! Never had an encounter of such peaceful experience. Would certainly want to do something about it. Thanks Ma'am!
ReplyDeleteHank
Dear Hank, you are very welcome!
DeleteMy meditation abilities are lacking. At least, if I have to sit still for long. I enjoy active meditating--walking through woods, swimming on my back, listening to my husband play the piano while I stretch my muscles... Still, I'm going to give this a try. Like a rather wise soul said, "I can possibly lapse from just /
ReplyDeleteten breaths at a time."
Your active meditation sound wonderful! I do think it's a matter of 'to each their own' – but I'll be interested to know how you like this after you try it.
DeleteLove this Rosemary. I have learned that the breath is everything.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you love it! I have some residual respiratory problems after living too long with mould, but this practice does seem to be helping with that too – or at least is not adversely affected.
Delete