Twenty minutes twice a day ...
... is a standard recommendation for meditation from a couple of traditions, such as Christian Contemplative Prayer, Centering Prayer, Zen or Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation. I had tried to adhere to this recommendation in the past, when I was in private practice. It was easier for me then to schedule my days. However I abandoned this practice after taking a full time job 12 years ago.
So I tried again today. As it looks to be another busy day, my best chance was to do it in the morning. I set my timer for 20 minutes, and I tried to make myself as comfortable on the couch as possible. Due to arthritis, I cannot sit with my legs crossed anymore, but I managed to establish a relatively straight posture.
When I finally closed my eyes, I was in a better position to observe my mind. It became impatient right away, trying to draw my attention to external distractions, such as Lady Wife doing her first morning steps in the bedroom upstairs. Then my mind calmed a bit, and I became sleepy. I noticed that my mind tends to produce more images, the closer I get to falling asleep. The moment I became aware of it, and started to breathe more deeply, my mind cleared up. This repeated itself a few times.
I once breathed very well, when I was actively involved with Rebirthing-Breathwork, American form of pranayama, established by Leonard Orr. This was in the 1980s. True, my lungs were also younger at that time. Following Orr's own practice, I used to breathe quite intensely for about 20 minutes during my morning baths, and sometimes in the evening as well. This was my meditation of the breath. The moment I lost contact with the Rebirthing community, when I moved to Northern Alberta in 1992, this practice gradually eroded on myself. I realized today that, as most people, I have become again a "shallow breather."
I am glad that I found this 20 minutes today to meditate. I will try to repeat this in the afternoon, before my sauna. I will try to become friends with my breath again! And give myself a chance to practice "awareness." Not that awareness cannot be practiced through the busyness; however, my mind seems to be weak, and it gets quickly lost in what I am doing.
"Breathe!" - was a logo on t-shirts promoted by Orr. "Breathe! Smile! You're alive!" - used to say Thich Nhat Hahn. And try to find these 20 minutes!
(PR)
So I tried again today. As it looks to be another busy day, my best chance was to do it in the morning. I set my timer for 20 minutes, and I tried to make myself as comfortable on the couch as possible. Due to arthritis, I cannot sit with my legs crossed anymore, but I managed to establish a relatively straight posture.
When I finally closed my eyes, I was in a better position to observe my mind. It became impatient right away, trying to draw my attention to external distractions, such as Lady Wife doing her first morning steps in the bedroom upstairs. Then my mind calmed a bit, and I became sleepy. I noticed that my mind tends to produce more images, the closer I get to falling asleep. The moment I became aware of it, and started to breathe more deeply, my mind cleared up. This repeated itself a few times.
I once breathed very well, when I was actively involved with Rebirthing-Breathwork, American form of pranayama, established by Leonard Orr. This was in the 1980s. True, my lungs were also younger at that time. Following Orr's own practice, I used to breathe quite intensely for about 20 minutes during my morning baths, and sometimes in the evening as well. This was my meditation of the breath. The moment I lost contact with the Rebirthing community, when I moved to Northern Alberta in 1992, this practice gradually eroded on myself. I realized today that, as most people, I have become again a "shallow breather."
I am glad that I found this 20 minutes today to meditate. I will try to repeat this in the afternoon, before my sauna. I will try to become friends with my breath again! And give myself a chance to practice "awareness." Not that awareness cannot be practiced through the busyness; however, my mind seems to be weak, and it gets quickly lost in what I am doing.
"Breathe!" - was a logo on t-shirts promoted by Orr. "Breathe! Smile! You're alive!" - used to say Thich Nhat Hahn. And try to find these 20 minutes!
(PR)
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