meditation
the notes and considerations that follow, as well as the techniques described in them, are the result of my own experience, they derive from everything I have been practicing and, by this way, discovering in myself, learning with others, reading and researching along years, they are not based on any particular book that i can suggest to you as a guide
I hope you find them useful and that you find some clues that will allow you to consistently install, if this is your intention, a regular practice of meditation, but they are not meant to become academical references to anyone, not affiliated to any specific tradition nor is there any intention of establishing an orthodox method or pointing out paths
my knowledge of these areas (as well as of yoga itself) is small, however much my posture in conveying them may suggest solidity and conviction
in fact, by option (and by incapacity) I do not risk big flights, pedagogical or in my own personal practice, and this allows me to feel calm and perceive a minimum of consistency in what I propose
I hope I'm not fooling myself by stating it! - in fact, there is not a day when I do not get astonished and wonder about the mystery of all this and the little we know (or, at least, the little that I understand) about these subjects
in this sense, and in coherence with what has been my own journey in these "sadhana", if any suggestion I allow myself to leave you is to pass what in the notes below is proposed by the filter of your own experience, exchange information, seek other references and, if you feel this impulse, to proceed on this path based on the sovereign impression, however fragile and fallible, of your own individuality
wish you a good journey!
meditation - general hints
if I could tell you what it meant there would be no point in dancing it
isadora duncan
fantasy, reason, time, local, position, frequency, disposition, length, continuity, transition, consecration, stripping
fantasy
beginning from the end to the beginning, in an ultimate sense, we are compelled to accept, first and foremost (and without being discouraged by this fact) that the idea or intention to meditate, as an activity, is pure fiction
in the true meaning of the word, meditation is not something that we can do or even reach in any way, but rather something that happens in us, by itself, as a reflection of our essential nature, an evidence to which we have access, or that is revealed to us, by abandonment - inadvertently, by the way, and much more often than we usually perceive
many schools, rather than the word meditate, prefer and use the term sitting, in the correct expression of what really depends on our action - as a trivial parallel, it would be the same as to say that we can lie down in bed, creating a propitious setting for sleep to come, but we can not "sleepate", trying to make it, indeed, we can only fall asleep
now, extending the parallel, and because we are such, so talked about, animals of habits: we are likely to sleep when we provide the conditions for such, but nothing can guarantee us that occasionally insomnia will occur
in the same way, the routine of meditation can predispose us, even from the organic / neurological point of view, to this state, without, however, ensuring its emergence precisely because it does not depend on our will
in occultism it is considered that the maximum that the human being can do, in the three-dimensional plane where he lives, is "to accomplish the chalice", the state of full receptivity
in the same sense, to speak of the practice of meditation is to speak only of availability and dedication to something that does not depend on our action, effort or capacity, an absolutely vertical and inclusive phenomenon which, at first sight, seems a horizontal process in time and in space - we could qualify it as subtractive, non-additive, from the point of view of individual action
in a simplistic analogy, the meditative state (an expression which is itself somewhat equivocal because it is not really a state in the spatio-temporal sense but rather a non-state) can be compared to a pure potentiality, a blank screen which welcomes and enables all states, traits or characters
the non-form from which all forms sprout, background silence upon which music and word acquire meaning
extending the same reasoning, the meditative, omnipresent non-state, and therefore integral to the very presence of the meditating subject and the hypothetical meditated object, engulfs them in the sense that there is only the space where they are born and die, the sound is lost in silence, and all forms, fulfilled their time, return to the emptiness from which they sprouted - form is emptiness, emptiness is form, as affirmed in buddhism
to meditate would then simply be what we witness when there is neither a somebody or something to see, a subtle and mysterious presence to the absence of ourselves, in the words of eric baret
reason
(but then ...) why meditate?
everything we do is futile but we must do it anyway
mahatma gandhi
being willing to practice meditation can be considered an exercise in humility: to accept being sufficiently unstable and chaotic inside to require a few moments for stillness to be sown and consolidated
this simple recognition, when authentic and meaningful, may be the great step towards the establishment of a regular practice, almost, safeguarded the differences, such as that which the alcoholic does when he accepts what he is and decides for recovery
in fact, since we have inadvertently received so many stimulations in the sense of dispersion and agitation, it makes sense, even though it seems artificial at first, that we allow a sort of trainingin the opposite
this does not mean that we do it mechanically or in a purely utilitarian and instrumental way
as someone said, it is about serving an art, not about using art for our own profit
even taking as a principle, on the one hand, that meditation is a spontaneous state, our fundamental nature, as so many traditions affirm, and on the other hand, that doing so allows us to have access to various beneficial effects, this discipline can be seen as pure celebration of the fact of being alive, exercise of joyful gratitude for the fullness of being
if you allow me the analogy, however sure we may feel about our love for a son, father, lover, friend, we do not fail to make ourselves available for special moments with them, which allow us to celebrate that feeling, without any other utility beyond the free act itself
we know that we do not love only from 18:00 to 20:00, when we commit to play with a child or to be with a friend and likewise, we don't meditate only when we sit down for that purpose, but we need moments (and the willingness to recognize that can, in itself, be overflowing and luminous) that allow us to confirm - by celebration - that love and deep listening are there, however much we take them for granted
joseph campbell, a world authority on the study of mythologies, stated that mythological narratives provide each member of each people / culture / civilization with the possibility of experiencing an authentic feeling of being alive
but perhaps more than ever before in human history, due to a general inflation of stimuli that are offered to our attention, nowadays we tend, in an extreme way, to search for the fullness and vitality of the experiences through the content of their objects, whichever they are, losing sight of the experiential / sensorial process that happens through them, in a kind of perceptive machiavellianism in which ends make us lose the means (when, in fact, it is in the latter that everything happens!)
the collective obsession with productivity and success goes in the same direction: doing nothing became, for many people, the supreme sin, or a virtual impossibility, and stopping to see, for free, in meditation, turned into a serious challenge to this cruising speed - adding to it, the old saying that associates idleness with addictions gets proclaimed to validate the same idea! the systematic loss of time in sterile, idle and unrewarding activities, however, are the direct counterpoint (emergency exit for the desperate) of this propensity to the jamming of the days
in this sense, to meditate is to return to the primordial source of pleasure and fulfilment, to the pure self-sufficient act of perception, independent of any object, allowing for a truly free and overflowing experience of all objects and experiences, through the realisation of their ultimate uselessness
pure listening, integral sensoriality, in which the aphorism of wei wu wei acquires full meaning: what you are looking for is what is looking
time
allow for the experience of different times of the day to sit for a few minutes, preferably in the morning, before starting your activities, whatever they are, or at night, before sleeping; however, if your greatest availability is, for example, before lunch or dinner, do not hesitate, enjoy!
local
look for a space where you can remain protected from noise, interruptions or other disturbing factors, but avoid the requirement of extreme stillness and silence as essential conditions: this setting may sometimes be difficult to insure and if you become too demanding with the environment that may collide what you have commited yourself to (meditation on a regular basis ) - you can try instead, occasionally, to meditate on the bus or the train, for example, unwind!
position
choose a comfortable posture to sit! (it may even be in a chair, however little zenish you may find it)
the seated position, if properly adjusted, allows you to maintain a physical and mental state that is quietly awake: try to ensure the neutrality of the spine by the effortless preservation of its natural curvatures, using, whenever necessary, some height under the buttocks , and looking, if you feel tired or unstable, the support of a wall for the back
there are multiple forms of leg placement, with different objectives and energetic effects that are irrelevant to what concerns us here: simply choose one that makes you feel comfortable and allows you to forget about them (and your back) even when immobile for a few minutes - that might be the best symptom of a good body placement
you can try to lie down, if you prefer, but beware: the similarity with the position of sleep is easily conducive to a quality of inertia and numbness that detracts from concentration and listening
the placement of the eyes (open, closed, half-closed) varies greatly, and there are several arguments in favour of one or the other, according to different schools and traditions
regardless of the way you choose to put them, if you keep your eyes closed, hold to the idea of keeping your attention as present and awake (not scattered) as if they were open
conversely, if you choose to leave your eyes open or half-closed, try to preserve the qualities of stillness and interiorization that the recollection of the gaze would more easily allow you
make the experience of the two possibilities and decide from it - you can also alternate as you feel each day: if you are more tired or sleepy it may be good to try to leave your eyes half open to stay awake and present, if your mood is more agitated and dispersed perhaps the closed eyes will become more functional
as much as possible, in the techniques of static meditation, try to maintain immobility, resisting the neurological impulse to move as an instinctive survival reaction: our nervous system is programmed to ensure the integrity and very simple existence of the psycho-physical system through movement, which allows us, indirectly, to confirm that we are alive
by deliberate immobility (being aware of sitting in a way that does not harm us by keeping it for a certain amount of time) we allow ourselves to pass by a small death, becoming less hostage to basic biological impulses, as if there were an air bagof reaction time that gives us greater freedom of choice, gradually extendable to other domains (mental, emotional)
length
be flexible with the time you spend on this activity, especially when you start: do not set yourself a too ambitious goal ("I'll meditate for half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the evening") because you're probably going to cheat or give up quickly - these are often unconscious strategies of sabotage of the initial intention so you'd better start with very little time and progressively increase the duration
let meditation come to you, as a natural state, a background that is gradually being recognised and remembered instead of forcing it to abruptly enter your life
start by experimenting with periods of five minutes, possibly in the morning and at night, until you can realize which of the schedules will be more functional or harmonious for you, according to your routines, personality, biorhythm, etc.
then, little by little, start to increase, if it seems feasible, to ten minutes, fifteen ... if you stay for five minutes for weeks, months, years, do not despise them, cherish them!
frequency
it is consensually affirmed that the practice of meditation should be a daily routine, but if you feel suffocated (or, simply, bored!) by this idea, even if you have opted for short periods, establish a bi- or tri-weekly routine, for example, what seems feasible and pleasant, at least at an early stage
avoid an austere attitude with what should be a self-giving, gratifying and liberating gift: just imagine what it would be to get yourself involved with whatever you consider as the activity you enjoy the most (other than meditation) and, in a sense of painful obligation, turning it into a task to be promoted by force! ...
the perspective of suffering and / or punishment as supreme ways of perfectioning and purification is deeply rooted in our culture, even in those who, at first, do not define themselves as religious or mystic
averting this propensity, see if you are turning meditation into penance! - you will surely not become a better person (whatever that might be!) through mortifying yourself on a daily basis by submitting yourself with neither love nor true conviction to a discipline that is felt as unpleasant and absurd
hence the importance of dosing this activity (like any other ...) in a realistic way and allowing, especially at the beginning, to adjust rhythms and durations according to the internal resonance that you feel from the practice you are developing, until it finds its natural niche in your daily life
but try to comply strictly with what you set out to do, and at the same time be tolerant (not complacent) with yourself, quietly condescending about occasional failures, without using them to give up: would it ever occur to you quitting from bathing or brushing your teeth ever again just because you failed one day or another?!
mood
avoid using arguments for yourself to break the routine you proposed, such as: today I am very tired, too much turmoil in my head, today I am not inspired, today I need something else ... don't deceive yourself, it's almost always cheap excuses and idle talk, stop the bullshit and sit for five minutes!
allow yourself to enjoy the relaxation resulting from, at times, literally forgetting yourself and your moods, which are not being called here: let the act of listening be more important than the one who proceeds to it!
continuity
one does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light but by making darkness conscious
i'd rather be whole than good
c. g. jung
keep alert from the outset to the fact that the serenity, mental clarity, quietness, which generally derive from the regular practice of meditation or yoga can function as a double-edged sword: the awakening of sensibility can increase the spectrum of psychic consciousness (as in colours - red, for example) and if on the one hand it allows us to access nuances of pleasure and well-being that by perceptual dulling, we had difficulty on experiencing before (these might be symbolically, the ultraviolet) it can offer us simultaneously, because acuity is increased in both directions, unforeseen and inevitable tones of pain and discomfort (symbolic infra-red) as the polar condition of our maturation and growth
in a simplistic analogy (because these are processes of an obviously different nature) this is what also happens, at a certain point point, in psychotherapies (not to mention human relations in general ...) by the confrontation with contents, memories, feelings not expected when things start to "heat up"
extending the analogy, it is in these critical moments (which often come and go, reappear later, disappear again ...) that it is important to remain committed to an exercise of fidelity (to ourselves, first and foremost) through firmness and discipline - playfully and joyfully guessing what might come out from it!
transition
a dissociative attitude may appear in us turning the meditation period into a momentary oasis, at the end of which we return, somewhat "restored", to the confusion and survival posture of the day to day, unconsciously strengthening the latter when the intention was supposed to be the reverse, a gradual transformation of daily life - a bit in that folkloric logic of the devotee who lends himself to confession so as to be more fully able to return to sin soon after!
in a more integrative and unifying perspective, allow yourself some brief moments of transition at the end of the period that you've set out to remain seated
as far as possible, develop the first gestures and activities still in the previous wavelength, as if impregnated with a perfume that had remained in you: this may help to avoid a sharp cut between the psychic frequency of that small period and the rest of the day or night, favoring, instead, that the worldly hours get healthily contaminated by the qualities of alertness and stillness sown there
consecration
if it makes sense to you and helps you to promote an inner state of greater receptivity to this type of practice, you can consecrate it, not necessarily in a religious or mystical sense, dedicating it to someone specific, to the world, to whatever may give rise to this mixed impulse of gift and gratitude
in an ultimate sense, it is commonly stated that there is no contemplative subject or contemplated subject, only the perceptual act
in this simple offering of the practice of meditation to something directly and primarily perceived as external to us, we allow for the possibility of the dissolution of the meditator subject, allowing the supreme art of listening to express itself through us, rather than expressing ourselves through it, giving up any sort of becoming
stripping
one last note, especially for those who, by temperament, tend to take themselves too seriously in these or other practices, or if you realize that you started to derive (sometimes even fill-up or compensate) any sense of self identity from the fact of getting involved in them
we are not special people, better or worse than any other for doing so, nor do we distinguish ourselves, even in the best moments of our practice of this art, of those who , without ever having heard the term meditation, at various times of the day, get deeply involved with what they do - ex: being a waiter at a restaurant - in an involuntary expression of attention and presence that we could call love
in that sense, if you notice that you've begun to wear the pompous uniform of the meditator, yoga practitioner or other, you don't need to undress - simply realize that ... the emperor has no clothes!
the "scripts" of meditation that complement this section can be consulted at www.sadhanan.blogspot.pt / october 2010