…Or To Meditate?
To meditate or not to meditate? Or should I be mindful? What does it mean?
With the turmoil of an unquiet world of late, I wished to share why meditation continues to sit at the heart of my being, and how the supporting practices continue to support and sustain me, even on days when sitting to meditate is not fully within my reach.
What Is Meditation?
The path of yoga is a path of liberation, the practices of yoga are designed to support meditation, and ultimately, enlightenment. Put simply, in yoga, we practice Patanjali’s ashtanga, the 8 limbs of yoga, in service of liberation through a meditative path.
We follow the preparatory practices of restraint (yamas), follow guidelines and observances (niyamas), practice postures (asana), and learn to breathe well (pranayama) to prepare ourselves to meditate effortlessly.
The yogic approach to meditation is:
- Pratyahara, sense withdrawal, to have a quiet, inwardly focused non-wandering mind
- Dharana, concentration, to be able to fully focus the mind and our being on the act of practice, with compassion
- Dhyana, contemplation and meditation, a refined meditative practice that allows a quiet mind and body that allows focus and intention to be drawn inward to the centre of the being, and we are in touch with the Self, with grace
- Samadhi, absorption, to be fully immersed in the practice that one may experience spiritual enlightenment when the mind, self and object of meditation are synchronised as one
All this is delightfully confusing. Even more so when one considers that meditative practices often comprise all 8 limbs of yoga at once, whilst some focus more on pratyahara, the withdrawal of the senses, and others more on dharana, concentration to achieve the famed one-pointed focus of mind, and where we often hear of the wildness of the monkey mind. Practices that touch on dhyana and samadhi are not often generally taught, as they require a degree of refined approach and familiarity with the meditative experience.
What Is Mindfulness?
Zen Buddhists are renown for their mindfulness practices. The Dhyana sutras include the five methods for stilling the mind, and support the development of the stages of dhyana:
- Anapanasmrti meditation – mindfulness of breathing
- Patikulamanasikara meditation – mindfulness of the body
- Maitri meditation – loving kindness meditation
- Pratityasamutapada – contemplation of the 12 links, including avidya, ignorance and action, samskara
- Contemplation on the Buddha
The Buddha’s most detailed teaching on mindfulness is found in the Satipatthana Sutta, The Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness:
- Contemplation of the body, including breathing
- Contemplation of feeling, moving from observation to non-judgement and non-attachment
- Contemplation of mind, observing the states of mind
- Contemplation of dhammas, the obstacles to realisation, the senses, the facts of enlightenment, and the four noble truths – the truths of suffering, its origin and cessation, and the path.
Modern Mindfulness Practices
As life has become more complex, more distilled methods of teaching mindfulness have become more known. Mindfulness has become synonymous with living in the present moment, to be more awake and aware of being, with a beginner’s mind that suspends judgement and embraces patience and surrender.
Practices may include breathing, concentration, body awareness and body scans, releasing tension and walking meditation.
So, Should I Meditate Or Be Mindful?
Honestly, it doesn’t matter. Seek out a practice that resonates and works for you. I spent many years trying to get my mind to be still, and believed I was horrible at meditation…and then I fell in love with a breath-aligned body centred practice that felt like a revelation.
How To Practice?
It begins with the breath. When the breath is calm, so is the mind. And when the breath is not calm, it is time to home in on other practices to support meditation, whether they be dhyana or dharana focused, rather than meditation itself, as a stressed mind is not conducive to an effortless meditation practice.
Simple 5 Minute Awareness Practice
- Find a comfortable seated posture, with the spine a straight arrow to the sky. Dining chairs are often a good place to start to help us keep good posture
- Defocus and soften your gaze, or close your eyes if that feels comfortable
- Notice the breath: become aware of the breath and notice how it feels
- Begin to inhale and exhale through the nose if this is available to you
- As you exhale, soften into your breath
- Notice where your body holds tension, and breathe your awareness into those spots
- Move and adjust your head, neck, shoulders and body to make any adjustments for ease of being
- Notice your breath travelling from the nostrils to the navel. The belly rises with each inhale, and softens with each exhale
- Remain in stillness for as long as it feels comfortable
- When you are ready, wiggle your fingers and toes and move around a little, and come back to your body
- Congratulations on meditating with awareness of your breath and body!
I wish you joy of your practice.
Main – Photo by Shashiprakash Saini
