Today I invite you to sit for 10 minutes of meditation on your cushion (the floor or a chair).

Meditation is a type of observation. We observe things all the time, but when we observe we also try to make sense out of what we observed. “Why did he say that?” “Should I have done this instead of that?” “How is this going to turn out?” What makes meditation unique is that we only observe one thing at a time without analysis or commentary.

One of the best meditations is to observe the breath because it’s always with you. You don’t need any special equipment or a sacred location to observe the breath. Stop, limit distractions if you can, and count five breaths. Inhale, exhale, one. Inhale, exhale, two. And so on until you reach five. Then go back and start over from one and count five more breaths. Continue to do this for 10 or more minutes.

Why do we only count to five? Because we are observing one thing and one thing only. If your mind begins to wander, you’ll find yourself at a count of 8 or 12. Go back to one and count five breaths.

Meditation is that simple, but it’s also difficult because the mind really likes to wander.

If counting the breath is not for you, there are many other things you can observe instead. Gaze into a candle flame. Sit outside and observe a tree. Listen to the sound of a ringing bell. Chant a mantra. Whatever you choose, keep it simple and stay focused on that one thing.

Meditation brings us many wonderful benefits:

FOCUS: We learn how to focus the mind so that it is not distracted by the many other things vying for its attention. You choose what to think about without giving that right to someone else.

CLARITY: Our mind becomes more clear so that we see and understand things more fully. The mind is often compared to a lake where the sediment is churned up making the water cloudy and dull. Meditation encourages the sediment of the mind to fall to the bottom making the mind still and clear.

GOOD LISTENING: How many times have you walked away from a conversation only able to remember a fraction of what you heard? When the mind is focused and clear you’ll be able to hear what others are saying and recall the important parts.

BETTER SLEEP: When the mind is able to let go of excess thoughts as well as worry and fear, the mind can lead the body into restful sleep. This happens quickly and easily.

Knowing all of this, can you find 10 minutes for meditation today?

World Meditation Day is celebrated every year on May 21. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the many physical, emotional, mental and spiritual benefits of meditation. Will you join me in reflection and meditation?

For today’s practice, you’ll need a quiet place to sit and write. And you’ll need a piece of paper and something to write with. You’ll be making four lists on your paper so be sure to leave room for each of them.

The first list is the physical benefits of meditation. Many people are prescribed meditation by their doctor because it assists with health problems. Dr. Herbert Benson became famous for discovering the relaxation response that occurs in the body when we sit quietly for meditation, even when we’re contemplating something simple like a flower or a sacred word. Heart rate and blood pressure normalize as the nervous system becomes more balanced. What physical benefits do you receive from meditation? Write them down now.

The second list is the emotional benefits of meditation. Many people find that simple meditation techniques can help calm anxiety, fear and anger. They can help us cope with sadness, disappointment and uncertainty. In my own life I have made peace with a lot of fears through my daily meditation practice. What emotional benefits do you receive from meditation? Make a list on your paper.

The third list is the mental benefits of meditation. Most people get stuck in the loop of their thoughts; I am sure you’re familiar with how the mind will go over the same territory again and again. It’s exhausting and it’s not very productive. Another way we get stuck in our minds is by seeing the minutiae but not the big picture. We miss out when we don’t see the big, wide world of possibilities available to us. What mental benefits do you receive from meditation? Make your list now.
The fourth list is the spiritual benefits of meditation. Since the beginning of time people have practiced meditation as a way to become more acquainted with Transcendence, however they have named it or defined it. Some have used religious language and concepts, while others are more nature-oriented or spiritual in their focus. We have an individual life that we are each responsible for, that is true, but we are also part of something or Someone that is expansive, supportive, loving, all-inclusive. What spiritual benefits do you receive from meditation?

And now, with our lists before us, let’s close our eyes gently, sit a little taller in our seat, calm our breathing and focus on our heart space at the center of the chest. Let gratitude arise in your heart for the many benefits of meditation.

As you bring your meditation to a close and return to your day, I encourage you to find a place to post your list of meditation benefits. Look at it often and keep adding to the lists. Take it as more motivation to keep up with your practice.

This is the last of our series on news you can use from Yoga and Ayurveda to have a healthy Spring. So far we’ve covered Spring eating, Spring movement and Spring breathing. This post is on Spring meditation.
Meditation is meditation, right? Well, yes and no. Some people find a meditation style that works perfectly for them and they use it for years and years. But for many of us, our meditation style shifts with the seasons, just like our eating, movement and breathing.

So what exactly is a Spring style of meditation? It will take its cues from what we know about the Spring season, such as the heavy, slow, nurturing qualities that describe the kapha dosha in Spring. Here are some practices to consider:

Sitting meditation: This is a time of year when we can really take advantage of the heavy, slow qualities by emphasizing their best features—stability and stillness. We may find that sitting quietly is actually easier this time of year. Find a place where you won’t be disturbed. Sit up straight in a chair or on the floor; even sitting back against a straight wall can help. Set your timer for 5 minutes and follow your breath. If your mind wanders, continually return to your breath. Gradually add time until you’re sitting for 20 minutes.

Walking meditation: If the heavy, slow qualities of kapha are dragging you down, get up and walk. The traditional way to do this is to walk slowly and mindfully by concentrating on each step. One breath per step for 10-20 minutes. Another way to do walking meditation is to get out in Nature—go to a park or walk a trail all the while listening, looking and enjoying the gifts of Nature. No worries allowed to accompany you on this journey!

Give generously from the heart: The most loving and big-hearted people are those with kapha constitution. We can all take a cue from them by giving generously from our heart by making delicious foods to share with others, giving donations to charities that directly help people or animals, or listening without judgment when someone shares their pain or concerns.

Here’s to having a healthy Spring naturally. You can do it!

The Sanskrit word for lovingkindness is maitri (pronounced “my tree”) which also means friendliness or goodwill. Different from love that is shaped by desire or attachment, the basis of lovingkindness is caring for others without seeking any benefit for yourself. As Dr. John Douillard is fond of saying, “I love you but it’s no concern of yours.”

Remember the Four Boundless States we began to discuss in the last post: Equanimity, Lovingkindness, Compassion and Joy. Lovingkindness builds on Equanimity as it challenges us to extend goodwill to ALL, not just those we know or like. In fact, begin to see that all beings want to be happy and free, just like us. When we share these positive qualities with others we are also cultivating them in ourselves. That’s a win-win!

For this reason, practicing lovingkindness is a cornerstone of meditation practice. And it’s so very simple to practice.

Begin by making a list of several states you would like for yourself, such as
I want to be safe
I want to be well
I want to be peaceful
I want to be happy

From the list choose 3-6 statements you would like to repeat silently for yourself: May I be safe. May I be well. May I be peaceful. May I be happy. Repeat them one after the other or repeat one several times before moving onto the next. As you breathe slowly and deeply, allow the truth of these statements to sink deep into your mind and heart.

Lovingkindness can now be extended to others. Choose a person or other being (such as a beloved companion animal) to whom you would like to extend friendship and goodwill. Envisioning this one, offer the same positive statements to them.

Next, send lovingkindness to someone for whom you have neutral feelings, meaning they are not especially beloved or despised, just someone who you have not formed an opinion about, such as a clerk in a store.

Finally, send lovingkindness to someone with whom you have difficulty, perhaps someone who has a viewpoint different from yours. Breathing slowly and deeply, offer the positive statements to them, recognizing that this may be challenging.

A really fun way to practice lovingkindness is to share it whenever and wherever you go. Silently send a few statements of goodwill to other drivers, to colleagues at work, to family members at home, even government leaders. Do you know folks who are sick or dealing with difficulty? Send them lovingkindness. Are you concerned about a situation that’s ongoing or coming up soon? Send lovingkindness to everyone involved.

“To love is, first of all, to accept ourselves as we actually are. That is why in this love meditation, ‘Know thyself’ is the first practice of love.” –Thich Nhat Hanh

“Life is both dreadful and wonderful. To practice meditation is to be in touch with both aspects.” -Thich Nhat Hanh

I can really identify with these words from my esteemed teacher and venerable Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. So much of what we see in the world, and for many in our personal lives as well, is truly dreadful. Sometimes we don’t know how we can bear it. And much of the time life is truly wonderful too. So much joy, so much potential!

The wisdom of the Vedic and Buddhist teachers is that it is better not to attach to either view, neither wallowing in the pain nor seeking more of the pleasure. Why? Because both actions result in suffering. It’s pretty clear why rehashing the pain creates suffering, but the suffering that comes from pleasure is not always as evident. We all know that good times never last and that too much of a good thing (chocolate!) is painful. So it’s not the pleasure itself that causes suffering, but the need to hold onto pleasure as if it is the only possible experience we could have.

“Life is dreadful and wonderful.” We are destined to have both types of experience. We can hold them both in our awareness by accepting all that life brings our way without exception. This may seem like an impossible task, but the spiritual traditions do give us a way to do it—meditation.

Here is a meditation practice I learned from my ayurvedic teacher Dr. Vasant Lad. It’s called the empty bowl. It combines visualization with simple breathing to bring us into a state of present moment awareness. Through this practice we become capable of accepting all that flows toward us in the course of our day. I hope you will give it a try.

Sit comfortably in a cross-legged position or in a chair with feet on the floor and back upright. Open your palms and place the backs of the hands on the legs. Gently curl the fingers as if your hands are empty bowls. Watch the movement of your breath for a minute or two while letting all thoughts pass by. Once your attention is established, begin to breathe in this way: As you inhale, draw the breath into the body and imagine it can reach a point in your body just behind your navel. As you exhale, release the breath into the space about 9 inches in front of you. Repeat this breathing practice for 5 minutes, gradually increasing to 20 minutes. The empty bowls remind us of the baggage we carry in the form of regrets of the past and fear/worry about the future. Release attachment to these sources of suffering and live confidently in the present moment.

We open and close a lot of doors in our lifetime, don’t we? There are, of course, all the physical doors we go through, but there are many figurative ones too—such as starting or ending a career, a relationship or any phase of our life. The phrases “open the door” and “close the door” are used to signal these moments of crossing over from one place to another.

I got to wondering this week: “Can the doorway be like a mindfulness bell calling us back to our best selves?” Here are a couple of examples of how this became clearer for me.

My friend was the recipient of two small diamond-shaped pieces of paper which carried the parallel verses for the lunar new year. The giving and receiving of these verses is an annual custom in the tradition of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. The verses for this year are breathing in “Peace in every step,” breathing out “Freedom in every smile.” She decided to tape them to her front door so that she would see them and pause to breathe as she was heading out the door in the morning.

Another friend was telling me about the “do not disturb” sign she had purchased to place on the door of her meditation room so that she could alert other family members to her need for quiet and privacy. She got into the habit of storing the sign on the inside of her door when she wasn’t meditating. Recently she read the sign as she was walking out of her meditation room and it dawned on her that inside the door was actually a better location for the sign. It is now a reminder of her commitment to not disturb others as she makes her way through this life.

I invite you to observe the doors you cross over both literally and figuratively. What have you carried over those thresholds? What have you left behind? What can you do to remind yourself of the qualities you wish to embody as you step through the door?

Meditation is a type of observation. We observe things all the time, but when we observe we also try to make sense out of what we observed. “Why did he say that?” “Should I have done this instead of that?” “How is this going to turn out?” What makes meditation unique is that we only observe one thing without analysis or commentary.

One of the best meditations is to observe the breath because it’s always with you. You don’t need any special equipment or a sacred location to observe the breath. Stop, limit distractions if you can, and count five breaths. Inhale, exhale, one. Inhale, exhale, two. And so on until you reach five. Then go back and start over from one and count five more breaths. Continue to do this for 1, 5, 10 or more minutes.

Why do we only count to five? Because we are observing one thing and one thing only. If your mind begins to wander, you’ll find yourself at a count of 8 or 12. Go back to one and count five breaths.

Meditation is that simple, but it’s also difficult because the mind really likes to wander.

If counting the breath is not for you, there are many other things you can observe instead. Gaze into a candle flame. Sit outside and observe a tree. Listen to the sound of a ringing bell. Chant a mantra. Whatever you choose, keep it simple and stay focused on that one thing.

I once read the story of a man who sat for meditation. A fly landed on his face. Rather than brush the fly away, he observed the fly as it traveled all over his face. Like a visitor in a new land, the fly walked along every line of the man’s face. He simply sat with the fly. After his meditation time ended, he said this was the most present he had ever been in a meditation experience, all because his mind was completely focused on watching the fly.

Meditation brings us many wonderful benefits:

FOCUS: We learn how to focus the mind so that it is not distracted by the many other things vying for its attention. You choose what to think about without giving that right to someone else.

CLARITY: Our mind becomes more clear so that we see and understand things more fully. The mind is often compared to a lake where the sediment is churned up making the water cloudy and dull. Meditation encourages the sediment of the mind to fall to the bottom making the mind still and clear.

GOOD LISTENING: How many times have you walked away from a conversation only able to remember a fraction of what you heard? When the mind is focused and clear you’ll be able to hear what others are saying and recall the important parts.

BETTER SLEEP: When the mind is able to let go of excess thoughts as well as worry and fear, the mind can lead the body into restful sleep. This happens quickly and easily.

Let’s all count to five and meditate today!