“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” ~ Joseph Campbell

At the suggestion of a friend, I’ve been reading a lot of Joseph Campbell lately. I recently watched his DVD interviews with Bill Moyers around the idea of myth and the hero’s journey. A piece of the interviews that really caught my attention is their discussion about the importance of having a sacred place in our lives.
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Take a Cigarette Breath

I’ve always said that smoking is the American meditation. (Maybe the European one, too?) Taking a moment for yourself, focusing completely on your breath, noticing all the little sensations in your lungs, skin, and brain — isn’t that what meditation is all about? Yes, you could choose nicer companions than tar and ammonia. But let’s not neglect the little health routine that you’ve learned from smoking…

Read the whole thing at the Huffington Post: Take a Cigarette Breath

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

The Times has a profile of Tibetan monk Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, “The Happiest Man in the World.” He’s released a new book called Joyful Wisdom describing his methods.

In his book he recounts being extremely anxious as a child in Nepal, having had what a Manhattan psychiatrist would likely diagnose as panic attacks, and how he cured himself of this chronic anxiety by making his fears the focus of his meditation. He has had to earn his good cheer.

Rinpoche has studied both Western science and Tibetan Buddhist meditation in detail. He’s participated in scientific studies of meditation; since he’s spent over 10,000 hours meditating he’s considered an adept. (That’s the threshold for excellence, according to research.)

One form of meditation that seems particularly conducive to happiness, and stress reduction, is mindfulness meditation. This is generally a practice of observing the thoughts, body, etc, without trying to change anything. A clinical study of beginning meditators at a high-stress office, practicing mindfulness meditation thirty minutes a day for eight weeks, left them “saying that instead of feeling overwhelmed and hassled, they were enjoying their work.”

If you’d like some instruction in this practice, I know that Om Factory and New York Insight offer guided classes appropriate for all levels. Allyson Pimental and Michael Fayne, who teach the class at Om Factory, said that mindfulness meditation has been shown to help heart disease, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, depression, and many other ailments. My very first class at New York Insight got rid of a clenched jaw I hadn’t been able to close for two weeks. (Yes, I was a little stressed out.) I’ve also heard good things about the Dharma Punx talks at Lila Wellness. But there are many great centers around town, and many classes are by donation. So go try one on!

Last night in class, during the opening meditation, Amanda Zapanta asked us to think about what we look for in a partner — whether we’re single or in a relationship.

She read / talked about how what we look for in a relationship is often something we’re not giving ourselves. Think about that.

We have the inherent capacity to be happy, healthy and whole. Looking for strength, nurturing, cheerleading, or security from our partner ignores our ability to adjust our mental state and our habits to provide those things for ourselves.

It reminded me of another teacher, talking about relationships (I’ll find the link later), who said that relationships must be based on JOY, not NEED. Anytime we’re looking outside ourselves for happiness, we’re setting up trouble.

It’s an interesting thing to think about. The idea of “you complete me” is outdated; we need to complete ourselves, and free ourselves to have relationships based on sharing joy.

Theologue by Alex Grey

So we’re sitting comfortably. What’s next?

With the focus between the eyebrows, there’s a slight buzzing. Like a fly circling in front of the forehead. With further attention the pulse becomes noticeable, a slight throbbing pressure. The eyes are still dancing around; once they are still, the head will become darker. As if you’re in a theater, watching a projection on the back of your forehead, and they’ve just dimmed the lights. All of this is very subtle; it would be drowned out by the TV or a single thought.

In mindfulness meditation, we would watch the errant thoughts and sensations arise and depart. In this meditation, we’re seeking union with a chosen object, the point between the eyebrows, our center of intuition. We can hold in our minds the question “What is real?” to anchor our search, WITHOUT trying to solve it. Just returning again and again to the questioning: is this buzzing real? is this pressure real? is this darkness real?

Be receptive to healing, be receptive to feeling.

What is real? We look at a photo, and know that it is an image, not real, but it depicts a time and place and object which WAS real. We look at our bodies, and they have changed since the year before, the day before, the second before. What is reality?

Dive into the question without trying, without “figuring”, without “meditating”. Fall into the question as if falling asleep. Absorbed and absorbing the resting state.

Dive into the sensation between the eyebrows, the pulses like waves of the ocean, rippling outward through the body. Feel each breath slowly amplify the quiet quiet hissing and buzzing. Listen, and listen again. Feel every sound like an echo on the forehead. Let the mind be completely absorbed.

This practice is rejuvenating yet calming. The thoughts and body have fallen away, a new layer of the self shines out. Meditation is a space in which we listen to all the millions of subtle sensations going on inside our skins, and give energy to our inner workings. Thirty minutes before bed each night is excellent; we often waste that much time just “getting to” sleep. Try it as your homework for the next month.

When I first started meditating, it was not what you’d call meditation. I’d sit down, close my eyes, try to focus, and promptly have a panic attack about all the things I should be doing besides SITTING ON THE FLOOR DOING NOTHING.

Gradually, I learned that there is some actual technique to this hobby. Yes, it’s incredibly simple, but in the same way that running is simple — you can still trip on a rock or run into a tree.

Lesson number one: Sitting on the floor is a posture, just like Triangle or Down Dog. There are alignment tips that will make it way more comfortable. Alignment is even MORE important in a meditative pose, since you’ll be holding it for ten, twenty, sixty minutes. I used to get so mad at myself for fidgeting, until I realized IT’S ANOTHER ASANA and set up properly. Now, I usually spend the first couple minutes of my meditation adjusting my pose; I guess that’s actually the pre-med. :)

• Sit against a wall to start. We all know that the spine should be straight when meditating, but we might not realize we’re not actually sitting straight. Hard-core meditators might say this impedes the flow of energy or something, but I became WAY more relaxed and upright when I learned where vertical actually was. Plus, the pressure of the wall against my shoulder blades let my breath actually expand my lungs.
• Elevate the hips, so that blood can flow easily to the knees and the hip flexors can completely relax. Even if you’re in Full Lotus, sit on a blanket or a block.
• Cross the legs comfortably. You’ll have to experiment with this one — what’s comfortable for thirty seconds is not necessarily comfortable for thirty minutes. When you find that whoops, you’ve chosen an excruciating position, just make a note of that for next time, adjust your legs slightly, and begin your meditation again. (Note: any movement restarts your meditation, so you’ll probably have several short meditations in your early sessions, not one long one.) Don’t worry about getting to Lotus — the only thing you feel there is “wow, my back is straight!” Worry about your feet, ankles, knees, hips, and back, and what they’re telling you.
• Rest the hands easily on your thighs or lap. Palms face down is slightly more calming, palms face up is more open, and one palm in the other (non-dominant hand on top, thumbs touching) is more focusing.
• Release the shoulders. I have to roll them forward, up, and back a few times to get them to relax and hang straight. When they’re relaxed, you’ll be able to feel your sternum rising and falling with the breath.
• Elongate the neck. This is a tricky one. Your neck curves slightly forward, so you want to straighten the curve just a little by moving the chin an inch backwards, as if you’re pressing the back of your head into someone’s raised hand. You just want the muscles at the back of the neck to relax, so you have to make sure your big bowling ball of a head is not hanging forward. If you’re a yoga practitioner, you can stop doing ujayi now ;)
• Relax the face, including the eyes, ears, and tongue. It’s amazing how much tension we hold in the face. How many people have you seen on the street with a furrowed brow ’cause they’re thinking so hard? I used to feel like I should say something to them… until my mom said I do the same thing! The hardest part about releasing your habits is actually noticing them. A lot of times someone else has to tell us; that’s why we go to yoga class. (If you tend to stress, cup the hands and touch the center of the forehead. Draw the fingertips away from each other, across the forehead, to release stress. Repeat at the hairline, the crown of the head, and down the back of the head.) Let the eyes relax like bean bags in the eye sockets. Pointing them towards the tip of the nose (not up towards the Third Eye) will help.

OK, now you’re comfortable. You can have a nice meditation just slowly scanning through these points, finding the millions of subtle sensations inside the skin. If you train yourself to actually admit your knees are hurting a bit, or your stomach is aching, you will prevent injury and answer your own questions about diet and lifestyle. If you find any points of pain, spend a little extra time focusing there. Just notice what thoughts flow through your head as you focus on each part of the body. And relax.

Tomorrow I’ll cover some the mental pieces.

I was looking up Ayurvedic body type tests for my sister, and I found a great idea by New Age master (marketer) Deepak Chopra:

Ayurvedic Daily Routine for All Doshas:

Morning
•    Rise early, ideally by six o’clock.
•    Empty the bladder and bowels.
•    Clean teeth.
•    Massage with an ayurvedic oil.
•    Take a warm bath or shower.
•    Mediate for 20 minutes.
•    Exercise for your body type.
•    Eat a light breakfast.

Mid-day
•    Make a lunch the day’s major meal.
•    Sit quietly for 5 minutes after eating.
•    To aid digestion, walk for 15 minutes.

Evening
•    Meditate for 20 minutes in the late afternoon or before dinner.
•    Eat a light dinner.
•    Sit quietly for 5 minutes after eating.
•    Take a 15-minute walk to aid digestion.
•    Relax with light recreational activities.
•    Go to bed early, ideally by 10 pm.

It’s a simple variation on the early-to-bed routine that is kind of impossible for social New Yorkers, but what I did find to be genius was the idea of meditating before dinner! I sometimes meditate in the morning (if it’s a rare anxiety-free awakening; otherwise, a walk does me better), but I’ve been more fixated on fitting it into my evening routine (along with vitamins, reading, moisturizing, day-planning, bathing, and/or attaining enlightenment). But I frequently end up with a late dinner or glass of wine, and feel sad and guilty cause you can’t meditate for at least three hours after either of those. So, voila! Preprandial meditation! Mornings and before bed are so frequently lauded as the prime meditation times that it never occurred to me that they’re not workable for everyone e.g. me. The only difficulty here will be stopping all-important work to meditate… and I’ll probably need 30 minutes of asanas first, to clear my mind.

Slowly progressing towards a routine I can stick to…

In other news, the book is going well. Just the yoga section will be 200 pages, so it’s seeming like Everest right now, but I do like to hike…

The phrase “to meditate” is too active — even “to be in meditation” requires being. Verbs are not appropriate for the communication of this state. We practice the habits supporting meditation: balanced posture for structural support / functionality; full rhythmic breathing; sensory desensitization to external stimuli; neutral observation of any internal monologue… and then we fall into meditation, like sleep.

I feel really centered, and for the first time I have an understanding of what that phrase is trying to express. I just returned from a 10-day yoga retreat, and it’s as if my scattered self has been swept into a much neater pile.

I went to the Sivananda Retreat in the Bahamas. It’s a quick, direct flight from NYC, so I’ve been there 3 times in the last 2 years. The daily schedule is meditation, kirtan, lectures, and yoga practice twice a day, with the middle of the day free for the beach or optional lectures. I love this schedule and have adapted it for my freelance life now that I’m back — albeit with much smaller doses. I’m trying to stick with 30–120 minutes of meditation/pranayama/yoga in the morning, 3–6 hours of work midday, and a couple hours of housework, socializing or reading at night.

The theme of the last weekend was “Deepening Meditation.” I am trying to maintain a regular meditation practice, and there were some helpful ideas in the meditation lectures:

• It doesn’t matter what you choose to meditate on. The most important thing is that you like the object you’ve chosen; your fascination will help to bring the mind back from its distractions.
• That said, you will eventually gain deep understanding of this object, so don’t pick something trite.
• Sivananda once said “I pity the fool who attaches to non-representational ideas of the infinite. Images, whether abstract or personified, are the door through which you will gain understanding.”

Here is a nice series of short meditations from Onkar S. that bring the senses under control (aka pratayahara). We did this series in a small group, and each person had a different favorite. The whole series takes about 20 minutes, but it felt like 5 minutes. These exercises are good for everyone to do occasionally; they will strengthen your silent meditation as well.

1. Choose a picture or a beautiful object. Focus the eyes near its center. Notice all the ideas, associations, and questions that come up. Notice the feelings and emotions that come up. (In yoga the mind is also considered a sense.)
2. Light a candle and place it at eye level. Focus the eyes on the flame. When your eyes tire, take short breaks to close the eyes and visualize the flame between the eyebrows.
3. Light a stick of incense. Close the eyes and focus the nose on the smell.
4. Close the eyes and repeat the word OM. (This sound vibrates your whole head: throat, soft palette, and lips.) Focus the ears on the vibration between the eyebrows.
5. Use the thumbs to close the ear flaps. The index fingers gently close the eyes, the middle fingers rest outside the nostrils, the ring fingers and pinkies close the lips. The symbolism, not the position/pressure of the fingers is most important. This is yoni mudra. Focus on the sound inside the right ear (for reasons unknown).

Onkar also spoke briefly on pain while sitting. (He teaches “Yoga for Pain” courses.) He said that the biggest point is to accept the body, and not fight it. Most often, we are angry at the injured part of the body, which only makes it contract further. Each part of the body has something like a mind, like a child, and we have to start a dialog with it. “Hello, foot, how are you doing? Is it ok if I put you like that? Oh, you hurt a little? You need a little massage? I’d hurt too if people were stepping on me all day!” When we fight the body — “I want you to be flexible! Go!” — we start a war. When we accept the body, the pain softens.

Here’s a basic overview of silent meditation:

• Find a comfortable seated position, with the hips higher than the knees. Even if you can do Lotus, sit on a pillow to help the knees.
• Gently straighten the spine by lifting the crown of the head. I often practice sitting against a wall, so that I know I am straight and I learn the correct sensation. The abdominal muscles can then relax. The chin relaxes slightly towards the chest.
• Let the eyelids relax, so that only a slit of light is seen at the bottom. Let the eye muscles relax so the eyes are hanging downward.
• Focus the attention (not the eye muscles) on the point between your eyebrows, or the right side of your heart; whichever is your natural tendency. You can imagine the breath moving in and out of this spot like a dolphin.
• Repeat the mantra OM OM OM OM OM and feel the vibration. (This can be done out loud at first, to get the attention of the mind, but the memory of the sound works just as well.)
• If thoughts enter the mind, let them flow straight out the other ear without attaching or judging or responding to them. Listen to the space between the thoughts instead, and return to your fascination with the forehead or heart.
• If you notice your mind has wandered off for a while, just estimate how long it was gone and then return to your focus.
• Let yourself fall into peace. You cannot force meditation, it is a state like sleep. You can only practice the habits that lead to meditation.

It took me 2 years before I could even sit at all. Before that my mind would jump with thoughts of “Why am I doing this? Nothing’s happening! I need to… I’m so bad at this! This is stupid!” until I gave myself a panic attack and jumped up. It was more helpful for me to do yoga poses, or play the drums, at that point in my life. But whatever minutes you spend practicing concentration are slowly adding up, and eventually meditation becomes more attractive. You start to get a physical buzz, and a clear mind, and you start to feel this way in your daily life as well. I went to a 45-minute silent meditation a few months ago, and it relaxed my jaw, which I hadn’t been able to close for 2–3 weeks. So you might persuade yourself to practice by knowing that there will at least be physical benefits, even if you aren’t feeling anything.

Confucius called it the great learning:

1. Awareness
2. Stopping
3. Stillness
4. Quietness
5. Vitality
6. Wisdom
7. Achievement

This sequence is explained really well in a “How to Meditate” PDF based on many types of meditation.