MPOW #21 - Waterfall of Light

This mindfulness practice of the week is one about nourishment and healing. In MPOW #15 - Authentic Self, I wrote about an authentic waterfall that's nurturing and welcoming enough for you to meet your authentic self. This same waterfall can be used to heal your emotional self. We all have blockages, places in our body where we are tight or sore, places were we cannot stretch, places where we store the stresses of our lives.

These places can represent emotional blockages, too. For example, a too-rigid spine, one that cannot physically stretch, may represent how we are inflexible mentally. Both need to release at once. Allowing our vertebrae to have more space goes hand in hand with allowing our minds to be more curious and our hearts to be more open and accepting. Conversely, by releasing what blocks our curiousity and keeps us entrenched in narrow patterns (maybe fear, loss, a limited sense of identity), we also break through new ground in our bodies, feel more comfortable and at home there.

Gently limber up--physically, emotionally, and mentally. This will allow you to free yourself from pains and blockages and give yourself a more living and flexible definition of self.

The Practice
Find a comfortable position, seated or lying. I prefer to keep my head up and facing forward with my spine erect, though you may choose something else. Hold your hands palms up in front of your body. Allow yourself to calm down and relax from your busy life.

You have a simple task for your mind to focus on. Imagine a healing, warm, loving, light-filled waterfall cascading over your body. If you are sitting, it massages the crown of your head and the tops of your shoulders, it soothes your neck and flows down your chest and back, it falls upon your legs and lap, and it makes you feel warm and cared for all over. If you are lying face up, it massages the tight muscles of your face and jaw, your throat, chest, and adbomen, your feet and legs and arms and hands. Or on your back in soothes your neck and back muscles, loosens your buttocks, and relaxes your hamstrings, calves and feet.

Allow your mind to concentrate on creating the universe of this waterfall and all of its sensations. Scan the body as it is touched by this waterfall to identitfy blockages and allow the loving light and warmth of the water to soothe and release them.

This is your own private spa, one that you can come back to any time to show yourself soothing love and healing relaxation.

MPOW #20 - Focus on Your Nostrils

This mindfulness practice of the week is another foundational practice. It is simply paying attention to your breath. Yogini Saiko introduced this to me in yin yoga class on Sunday and I find it a great way to get into a relaxed meditative state, even when I'm in monkey mind.

The Practice

Sit or kneel in a relaxed meditative position with your spine erect. Place your hands in any configuration that works for you if you have a favorite. I suggest hands roughly palms up on the knees. When keeping your spine erect, imagine a string tied to the crown of your head, gently though firmly pulling you toward the sky. During the posture, allow your spine to relax if you feel too tense or extend a little more rigidly if you are losing focus or dosing off. The erectness of the spine is a useful and important element of posture to control in this and many meditations.

Allow yourself to settle your breathing naturally, without adhering to any particular pattern. When you are relaxed, you are ready to begin.

Bring your gentle attention to the front tips of your nostrils. Focus on this part of the body. As you pay attention to the inside of your nostrils, you may notice that your thoughts keep coming in. That's ok, recognize them as thoughts, gently label them as "thinking," and bring your attention back to your nostrils. Your thoughts will continue to come, but as you practice this, you will find more and more space between the thoughts. You are taking this time for yourself as a treat. So reward yourself by not judging your thinking. Use this time to be gentle with yourself and keep returning your attention to the tips of your nostrils.

MPOW #19 - Exploring Your Edge

“If I never explore my limits, my bodymind will gradually tighten and become unconscious. If I regularly explore my limits in a caring and adventuresome fashion, I will expand and grow in a vital fashion. But if I try to push myself past where I am honestly able to go, I will no longer be practicing ‘yoga’ but instead will be practicing ‘greed,’ and I will probably be met by pain and disease. Stated simply, it is the difference between ignoring your self, making love to yourself, and raping yourself.” –Ken Dychtwald, Bodymind

To my great happiness, my yin yoga instructor Saiko has returned from her travels and is teaching yoga in Seattle again. She read the above quotation during a several minute (around five minutes, relaxing into poses distinguishes yin yoga from other types) hold of downward-facing pigeon pose (Adho Mukha Kapotasana). I was stretching into my right hip, trying to maintain the exact right spot and hold there, and this quotation brought me to mindfulness about my relationship to my limits, my edge.

In my physical yoga (asana) practice, I tend to find that I err on the side of pushing the edge to a spot that is aggressive against my muscles. In other aspects, I tend to err on the side of ignoring the edge. Dychtwald's wisdom need not be true for physical yoga alone, as the sanskrit word yoga means "discipline" or "alignment with divinity". So, substitute in any word for an activity or virtue with "yoga" and see where you fall in your explorations. The sanskrit word yoga is often translated to mean "action".

"If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space." - The slogan on one of my favorite teenage tees.

Mindfulness Practice of the Week - Explore Your Edge
If you have yoga experience, I recommend trying this from pigeon pose. This is a challenging pose and can lead to knee damage if done incorrectly and you push yourself. So if you have never done it before with the help of a yoga instructor, try something simpler like Balasana child pose (toes together, knees on the ground shoulder width apart, butt on your heels with your arms stretched forward.

Tips from the WikiHealth site: (pigeon pose)

• Make sure to stay focused on the breathing as this pose can be intense. If you can, imagine that the breath is opening up space in the hip and releasing the tightness.
• It is not unusual to experience a full range of sensations and emotions, from naseau to sadness and anger. Allow whatever your body is experiencing to move through you and stay connected to your breath.
• It is estimated that the hips store physical and emotional build up/memory. Thus, it is common to experience a strong physical/emotional reaction when we are in the process of opening them.

From the pose, say the quote aloud in your mind and contemplate the ways in your life in which you are on the edge, avoiding the edge, and pushing past the edge. Don't berate yourself for missing the edge, just note it and calmly see if you can bring yourself back to the edge. Remember this as an exercise of loving yourself. Be tender, be gentle, be thorough.

My Experience
As Saiko spoke these words and I focused on finding the edge, I noticed a shift in my hip muscles releasing and allowing me to sink much more deeply into the pose. I have known people to hold a lot of emotion in their hips and cry through and after pigeon pose. I never experienced that myself, though in this session, learning to love myself through yoga allowed me to physically open along with the opening of my symbolic heart.

A meditation this weekend helped me realize that I had gone astray from the path of loving myself. Realizing this was all it took to get back on that path. I have again been able to turn off the mind and find some good rest. It reminds me of How I Learned to Take a Break from Analyzing and Start Loving Myself.

MPOW #17 - Open Heart Meditation

"Most of us may feel like we are not up to the task of living with our hearts open, and we might begin to close down, little by little, so that we can get through our days without having to feel too much. One thing that can help us turn this situation around is an awareness of the power of empathy. To open our hearts to another person’s suffering is a revolutionary act that has energetic implications." - From Daily Om's Heart Meditation

The heart is powerful on at least three channels of our experience: data/functional, emotional, and symbolic. In this Mindfulness Practice of the Week, explore all of the channels of the fourth major chakra.

At the data/functional channel, the heart is one of our body's marathon runners, a muscle that when healthy pumps 1900 gallons (or 7200 L) of blood throughout our body, supplying every cell with oxygen and nutrients. It has messengers that reach every part of our body over and over again. Imagine how much your heart must know. Marvel how much your heart does.

Along the emotional channel, your heart beat reflects your feelings. When you are scared and excited, it beats faster; when you are calm, it beats more slowly. Your heart becomes an outward physical sign of your inner state. Contemplate how amazing it is to find so much about yourself reflected outwardly.

The symbolic channel is an especially potent one. Countless songs across many cultures link passion, compassion, kindness, resolve, bravery, etc. to the heart. It is a symbol of many virtues and love. Ponder your heart's symbolism.

The heart inspires in many ways. This week, follow a practice that I have adapted from reiki.

The mindfulness practice of the week
Sit or lie in a comfortable position, holding your hands four to six inches apart (or imagine something similar). See if you can feel the space between your hands. Concentrate on this with a loose focus. Play with it. Pull your hands a little apart. Push them a little together. See if you can notice a connection between them even when they're not touching. When you really tune into the feeling, you may feel an elasticity between your hands. Put your intention fully between them and imagine a ball of energy growing between your palms, warming and glowing. Draw this energy from the earth, the sky, and the living world around you. You may need to move your hands to let it expand and feel potent. When you are ready, bring your hands closer together to tighten the ball into a marble of light. Then, fold your hands over your heart, inserting the ball of energy into the center of your being.

Feel the warmth of that energy in your heart. Imagine it filling you with an invincible, purifying light. In time, allow the light to radiate out from your heart. Leaving your hands softly over your heart, use your intention to gather things into your heart. Gather your loved ones there. Gather your loving feelings. Feel how they shine and strengthen. Also, and very deliberately, invite the objects of your struggles. Maybe your hamstrings are sore, invite them in, thanking them for working so hard for you. Maybe a colleague irritates you, maybe there's a family tiff, maybe you are ill, maybe there's political strife. Whatever it is, welcome that object of struggling into your heart. Let it know that you can still love it, too. More importantly, let yourself know that you can love it. Let your heart fill it with warmth and compassion, so that it can flow and turn into light itself.

Give yourself permission to linger here. Invite in the positive, the neutral, and the negative, showing it all equal love. Let the power of your heart bring wise virtue to everything. It is a powerful experience to bring the intention of your heart to all that you encounter outside of you. It nourishes and enriches you from the inside.

"And what happened then? Well, in Whoville they say
That the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day!"
-Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas

This post is dedicated to my loving mother. Mom has the hugest heart I have every known.

MPOW #15 - Authentic Self

"The luxury I advocate has nothing to do with money. It cannot be bought. It is the reward of those who have no fear of discomfort." - Jean Cocteau

"To thine own self be true." - Shakespeare Hamlet

The very best, most pure, more authentic version of yourself is inside you at all times, ready to guide you. Whenever you need a bit of guidance, you can turn to authentic self for actions to take. Your authentic self will help you be bold and decisive. He or she will help you be true and noble. Best of all, this is you. You can manifest your most authentic self at any time.

There are times when we all feel "outside". When we know we are not our bravest, most fearless selves--the selves that we are accustomed to being--we may see the world in a haze. I'm optimistic that there's a way through this. We can cut through our lethargy and get to positive action. "Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action." (Benjamin Disraeli)

I have found a wonderful journey that helped me meet my authentic self. Now that I have met Authentic Ed, I can bring my intention inward and channel him. Every now and then, I renew my relationship with him. For this Mindfulness Practice of the Week (MPOW), I hope that you can also meet this most precious of Our Guides and Guards for yourself

Meeting Authentic You
The first time, start by preparing an environment for the journey. It's a simple preparation. Put on some relaxing instrumental music. Pour a glass of water. Establish a comfortable place to sit. Free yourself of distractions: phone off, alarms off, no beeping computers, cat shut somewhere quiet. It is nice to choose an environment and music that is easy to recall or return to, because it can be used as a quick portal later.

Sit in your comfortable place, have a drink of the water, and hold your spine erect by imagining a string is pulling you up from the top of your head. Perform a quick body inventory, letting your muscles relax in your face, your shoulders, your chest, your lower back, your hips (you likely know or soon will know your personal culprits - if you have not tried it, I recommend that you Connect With Your Body's Wisdom (MPOW #8)), then back to your face and shoulders again. Sink into the music and allow yourself to explore it subtly.

Then let your journey begin. Imagine that rich, thick rays of sunlight are pouring down on my head and shoulders, a waterfall of pure light. It is so rich and warm and nourishing. It is viscous and clean. It purifies you as it massages your crown and shoulders and pours down over your body. You are sitting on a rock in a lagoon under this waterfall of light. The warm light of the sun showers down around you and into the lagoon.

Ahead of you, notice that someone is approaching. It is you, as your most authentic self. Introduce yourself. Get to know this most authentic version of you. He or she is desperately interested in knowing who you are and helping you in the most effective way possible. Your most authentic self loves you.

You have now established a connection that you can come back to at any time. Your most authentic self is always available to help you, to guide you on what you're going through.

Getting Back in Touch with the Authentic Self
You can always embark on the full journey again at any time to establish a deep connection. Though, now, I find it possible to sit anywhere, whether on the bus, in conference room during a meeting, in the cafeteria, or on an airplane, close my eyes, and bring myself to this place. I imagine the waterfall of light or use the music as an anchor. When my most authentic self approaches me, I know that I can Start Whole with his guidance.

I dedicate this post to Mariana Oskey's most authentic, fearless, super-creative, 360-degree self!

MPOW #14 - Be the Sun

"The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might.
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright.
This was odd because it was
The middle of the night."
- Lewis Carroll The Walrus and the Carpenter

Living in Seattle, it is possibly to go a whole month in the winter without seeing the sun peek through the clouds. Though, I know, when I pay it mind, that the sun is always still shining, whether cloudy or not, day or night. Even when I cannot see it, it still shines. In this mindfulness practice of the week, let us contemplate the sun and how we are like it.

There are a few traits that we can share with the sun:
1. The sun always shines, even if layers of clouds or a rotation of the planet hides this. As such, we always shine underneath, even when circumstances make it difficult for us to shine outwardly.

2. The sun does not boast of its shining. The sun is a massively powerful body, a giant ball of burning gas that sustains all of the life on Earth. Yet, this is what the sun is, and what it does. Likewise, we are what we are, and our abilities, though many and wisely born and often earned are what we are. We can take our cues from the sun and not boast of them either.

3. The sun makes no excuse for shining. The opposite of boasting, sometimes we are embarrassed by our abilities and seek to downplay them or cover them up. Just like the sun, these abilities make up who we are, and we can confidently put them to use for wise growth and kind, generous action.

4. The sun always generously shares its energy with others. It doesn't ask for anything in return, nor mind when it is taken for granted. It continues to nurture the whole planet.

5. The sun does not discriminate. It offers its energy for any and all.

There are many other traits of the sun that you may bring forth in your meditations.

Mindfulness Practice: Be the Sun
If the sun is shining directly, place yourself by basking in it. If it is not seen, recall the sun, know that it is there shining, and be in that knowledge of its shining. Begin in a basic meditation to clear your mind, calm your emotions, and relax your physical body. Form your arms into a curve, as if you are holding the sun within them. I recommend holding them aloft, but you can also rest them if you require.

Focus on the space between your arms and will you attention between them. In this attention, bring your intention to bring the sun in. As you focus your intention, allow this to be your manifestation. The sun will manifest in your arms. This may be frustrating or silly at first, but allow yourself to indulge in this notion. As you hold your arms, feel the warmth of the sun on them. You may need to shift their arc to accommodate the sun. Relax your belly, what the Chinese call the dantien, the Japanese the tanden, many call the second chakra--it has many other names in other languages. As it relaxes, you might feel that this is a battery storing the energy of the sun.

Notice the ways that you are like the sun. You may even become the sun or realize that you have been the sun all along. You may realize that like the sun, you are both part of the same universe. You may instead or additionally notice other things. For instance, you might saturate with optimism, or recognize the properties that you and the sun share in common.

My wish for you is that the sun inspires you to be more like it.

This post is dedicated to Grandmaster Chen Xiao Wang, who once wordlessly taught me how to embrace the universe in a single moment.

MPOW #11 - 108 Mantra Recitations

So many people told me that they enjoyed last week's introduction to mantras, so for this Mindfulness Practice of the Week (MPOW), we will focus on another aspect on mantras. Maintaining the count. In traditional Buddhist and Hindu practices, a mala or garland of prayer beads is often used to help keep count. This week I encourage you to practice without the aid of a Mala. This allows you to combine the useful mindfulness practice of counting with that of reciting mantras.

The magic number for the recitation is 108. Why 108 you ask? (Yes, everyone asks.) Destination Om has an excellent post on many answers to Why 108? from many different traditions. Among the reasons:

Swami Muktananda explains it perfectly, clearly and precise when describing the heart as the source of the infinite and our connection with the divine and God. From the heart there are 108 MAIN nadis (veins) that go from the heart to all the [extremities] and after reciting a mantra 108 times you have purified your body. In this way a meditator can see the importance in reciting mantra.

Another interesting one: "8 extra beads: In doing a practice of counting the number of repetitions of the mala, 100 are counted as completed. The remaining are said to cover errors or omissions. The 8 are also said to be an offering to God and Guru."

One interpretation that I really like is described in the Wikipedia article on Buddhist Prayer Beads. For this one, each recitation is for a particular purpose. You may choose to dedicate a mantra recitation to each of the 108 permutations in turn.

In traditional Buddhist thought, people are said to have 108 afflictions or klesas. There are six senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and consciousness) multiplied by three reactions (positive, negative, or indifference) making 18 "feelings." Each of these feelings can be either "attached to pleasure or detached from pleasure" making 36 "passions", each of which may be manifested in the past, present, or future. All the combinations of all these things makes a total of 108....

The Mindfulness Practice of the Week
Enter your meditative position, and as you relax, allow your breath to come to a natural pace, where you're not intentionally elongating it nor tightening it. Allow it to free itself of any stresses or obligations. Choose your mantra--if you're new to mantras, I encourage you to read last week's introduction to mantras. Begin reciting, maintaining a count in your head (without help of beads or another counting system). You may practice whether it makes sense for you to count before, during, or after the mantra.

Continue the count until 108. At this point, you may choose to stop meditating, continue in a different meditation, or continue for another 108, for an indefinite period of time, or whatever works for you. I tend to find that after 108 practices of the mantra, that I am very relaxed and have managed to shut off my brain. I then just enjoy that state of meditation (or samadhi) for a while, until I naturally decide to exit. Though I know, continuing to 108 is not always easy, but don't worry about that.

You may lose count several times. It is very natural to do so. If you're feeling very dedicated, when you catch yourself losing count, start over. It is also fine to choose to continue where you think that you left off. An important part of the mindfulness practice is to contemplate why you lost track and how you decided to course correct. What does it say about where you are right now? Starting over might mean that you are very dedicated, or a purist, or a perfectionist, or a masochist, or any number of other things. Not starting over might mean that you are very practical, or on a time crunch, or lazy, or just going through the motions. Debating these things in your mind might be an imbalance of the intellect or ego trying to run the show. I have seen all of these things and more within myself.

This post is dedicated to the folks at Samadhi Yoga studio in Seattle's Capital Hill. This studio focuses on all aspects of yoga, balancing, physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual practices. This studio is where I learn new mantras, including this counting practice today.

MPOW #10 - Mantras 101: "Om mani padme hum"

It is a commonly held belief in some scientific, philosphical, religious, and spiritual domains that the universe began with a single word, a hum, vibrations throughout all of existence. From Sanskrit, the word "Om" elongated is the sound of the creation of the universe that has expanded throughout all of time and place. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1). Many powerful mantras begin with the word Om. Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama gave a lecture on "Om mani padme hum" one of the most common mantras of Buddhism. Due to its power and rich history, this makes for a great introduction to mantras.

It is very soothing and beneficial to recite this mantra. In reciting it, you add your voice to the millions and millions of chanters who have come before you chanting this many trillions of times, and the millions and milliions who will come after.

The Practice - Reciting "Om mani padme hum"
From your meditative position, relax, clear your mind. When you are ready, recite the mantra "Om many padme hum." You can say it or sing it; you can do it within your head or aloud. Play with all of these and see what works best for you. Recite it over and over again in a relaxed timing. You may think of it as waves crashing on the shore, a planet revolving, a marquee scrolling. Lather, rinse, and repeat.

"It is very good to recite the mantra Om mani padme hum, but while you are doing it, you should be thinking on its meaning, for the meaning of the six syllables is great and vast." (Dalai Lama)

This is just an intro to mantras, and I won't be too prescriptive with this one. Just get in there and feel it out. Play with it. Have fun. Over future MPOWs, I will explore different ways to use this mantra, different mantras to use, and explore different mindsets that you can be in with mantras. For now, I recommend starting on the basics, just reciting the mantra over and over again, feel the repetition soothe over you, feel the meaning sink within.

My Experience with this Mantra
I first saw mantras on the TV show Curb Your Enthusiasm. I felt as awkward about the idea as Larry David does in just about every situation on the show. I wanted to try it, and I had wanted to try it for a while, but did not know where to start. A few years later, I finally put it into practice.

When I began, I thought that the mantra might be a crutch for not being able to free my mind directly. I wanted to learn the real way, the hard way. I found the sanskrit words goofily foreign. When I began with the mantra, I also felt this was the case, but that it was worth a shot. I sat in half-lotus (kind of painful in the hips) on my couch (which made it less painful). From that position, I started to practice saying the words internally. Ugh, it felt awkward. I was not sure that I was internally pronouncing them right. I was not sure if I should sing them or say them. I am not confident in my singing voice. I noticed all of these things. Overcoming them was an early and important step for me.

I then shifted to trying to say them aloud, even sing them aloud. I did it tentatively at first. What if someone in the adjacent units could hear me? How embarrassing that would be. I explored that for a while as I continued. As I heard my own voice, evenutally my timidity subsided. My voice became strong and rhythmic. I liked the sound of it. It was quite pleasing. I was pleased with myself for trying it and for doing it. This, I realized, was my ego. "I just witnessed my ego! That's how this is supposed to work!," my ego said to me. At that moment, my voice cracked. I realized the trap. The ego had me again. I was proud of my observing skillz, then I was embarrassed all over again. Ego, ego. I watched it fade out. Eventually, I began reciting in a soothing pattern, I continued and continued. I lost track of time. The thinking part of me thought about stopping, but the conscious presence in me just witnessed the thinker and didn't pay him any mind. I was just rolling with it, so comfortably, so naturally, I didn't want to stop. Sure, the words are profound, but they did not mean anything to me at the time. Just saying the words, the rhythm, the power of those 6 syllables, extended from somewhere free of their meaning. Both sound and meaning in the same words, both so important. How efficient! I just kept going and going... give me shades, pink floppy ears, and a big drum. Throughout the day, I would continue the chant while driving, while parking. It saturated me and soothed me.

I dedicate this post to Jo Ann Ong, who has introduced me to many important things in my life, including meditation, Buddhism, and the Dalai Lama.

Request for Comments, please share your experiences

MPOW #8 - Word: "Faith"

Throughout our lives, many words have become laden with meaning and emotion. Our past experiences prime us in how we see and interpret words. Words Are Powerful in many ways, and it is valuable for us to use their powers and explore the latent meanings that we have ascribed to them for self-discovery. How are these words loaded with meaning? What does this tell us about our pasts and how can we learn about who we are now?

Jean Smith has written an excellent book called Now!: The Art of Being Truly Present (Amazon) that has collected a number of particularly laden words and provided some context to work through them. I love this book. I find it very powerful. The first word in the book is Faith. I had no idea how I felt about this -- carrying so many emotions and prejudices -- until I meditated on it.

In the section on how to use the book, Smith recommends that "... you take time to really answer for yourself two questions: What does this have to do with me? and How can I make use of this? Use this to shape the practice.

The practice - Meditate on the word: "Faith"
Take some time for yourself. Sit in your meditative posture, and bring yourself to a calm and reflective place. When you are there and peaceful, invite the word "faith" in. Give this plenty of space for exploration. Explore yourself. See what thoughts you associate with the word and the notion. See what images come to mind. Do you ascribe a color to it? A sound? Does a person or quotation come to mind?

See what emotions you feel. Does your body change at all? Perhaps a faster or slower heart rate, a sense of peace, happiness, sweaty palms. Any of these or other physical signs may be noticeable.

Are there any mantras that you tell yourself about the word? Do you view it positively? Negatively? Distastefully? Neutrally? How do you use the word?

When you are ready, answer the following question: "What does this have to do with me?" Explore the answer to your satisfaction.

When satisfied, then answer "How can I make use of this?" Maybe you can fit the word into your life, giving it a new context and a new meaning for yourself.

In closing, offer yourself a prayer. Here's an example from Now! that I use, though you may choose another that you prefer..

May I be graced
with the power of a faith
that dispels doubt,
so that I can open to life's
mysteries and joys
with confidence.

... I recommend not reading on until you have tried this at least once for yourself, otherwise my learnings may be another prime ...

Some of the things that I learned
In my initial meditation on "faith", I discovered much about myself. First, I have a lot of disdain for the word "faith". I see faith as a crutch. I think of faith healers, and I view them as snake oil peddlers, evangelical con men. I think of "blind faith". I think of religion laced with that modern bad word "dogma", something passed down without one's own choosing. This was powerful for me, and knowledge of it allowed me to address it. After spending this time in contemplation, I began to see other ways to look at faith. I can have faith in others, a trust of their good intentions. I can have faith in positive outcomes, seeing it as a kind of optimism. I can be and have faithful friends, true companions on life's journey. There are several ways to redefine and reclaim the word in a positive light. Closing with the prayer really heartens me.

This post is dedicated to my Goddaughter Sara Gilbert, whose birthday was this past week. May she experience the powers of well-placed faith, avoid the cynicism of misplaced faith, and feel out situations curiously with her heart and soul so as to avoid the pitfalls of blind faith and make her own choice's from a deep source of wisdom.

Request for Comments - please share your learnings from your contemplations on "faith".

MPOW #6 - Counting

One of the most basic meditation techniques in Zen philosophy (as related in Katsuki Sekida's Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy) is to slowly count your natural breaths. Sometimes I do this as subvocalization, sometimes I imagine seeing floating versions of the numerals. Either way, this is an important skill that teaches us both how to concentrate and how to listen patiently.

Professional career coach Marshall Goldsmith describes listening as The Skill That Separates the great from the nearly great. He poses a counting practice like the following in his writing.

Mindfulness Practice of the Week
Enter your meditation position, clear your mind, and when you're ready being this simple exercise. Count slowly to 50 without letting another thought enter your mind. If another thought enters your mind, or if you lose track of the count, begin again from 1. Repeat this through your allotted meditation time. Zen practice recommends timing this with the natural pace of your breath. Increment on each inhale and each exhale like so:

inhale... 1, exhale... 2, inhale... 3, exhale... 4, ... , inhale... 49, exhale... 50.

Notes on the MPOW
2 more advanced counting patterns are 2) count only your exhalations, letting the inhalations pass without counting them, and 3) count only your inhalations. There are other, more advanced counting techniques that I may explore in later MPOW installments.

Goldsmith sees this as an incredible practice for developing the ability to listen: "... if you can't listen to yourself (someone you presumably
like) as you count to 50, how will you ever be able to listen to
another person?

This post is dedicated to Damian Isla, my good friend and patient listener.

Comments Requested - share with me and others!

• If you're new to meditation, please let me know how it goes.
• If you're experienced at meditation, what works and what doesn't work?
• For everyone, please share your experiences with this meditation. If a group of people are doing it and sharing, that will help others ride the wave.

MPOW #3 - Listening Meditation

Welcome back for the third Mindfulness Practice of the Week. One of my very favorite awakening practices is to simply sit and pay attention to sounds, to let everything quiet down and gently focus on what I hear. My mind can focus on the sounds in the building, outside of the building, the vibrations of my head, and the voice talking within my head. There is so much to listen to and just notice for what it is.

Note: I suspect that this works equally as well for the deaf or poor of hearing. Rather than focusing on sounds without, focus on vibration or sounds within. Please pardon my ignorance, because I am not certain if that is viable or not. If not, I apologize for my assumptions, and would appreciate being informed if it works or does not.

Scientists have a theory to support this. If you are really concentrating on your ears and sounds, listening behind, up and down, in front, all around, then the sequential processing part of your brain (L-directed thinking, L=left) needs to shut off (less activation) to allow the more creative, pattern matching side of your brain to just witness what is going on (R-directed thinking, R=right) and process the patterns. When you tap into the creative, pattern-matching side of your brain, you are able to be more present. Studies indicate that happiness/joy/flow/spirituality and right-hemisphere activity are correlated.

This is an amazing practice for dealing with noise pollution, such as on an airplane. Listen to the chorus of sounds around you. Celebrate in the music of the engine. You make notice the changes in pitch or how your breathing relates to it, perhaps harmoniously, perhaps not. You would be amazed at how serene you can become on a long flight once you allow your mind to calm down enough to enjoy this. (William Wittman shares his experience.)

Similar exercises work equally as well for buses, car rides (if you're not driving -- the obvious mindfulness practice is to pay attention to the road there), terminals, or waiting for a ride at a stop.

Inspirational Story
There's a zen buddhist story of a monk and his master walking through the woods on a long hike. They both stop to rest and enjoy the serenity of the forest.

The young monk beseeches, "Master, how do I enter zen?"

The master closes his eyes and travels to a deeply calm, connected place, in moments he opens his eyes and mouth to guide his disciple, "Do you hear the brook gurgling in the distance?"

His follower calms himself and enters his ears, studying the sounds of the forest. After some time, he does hear the brook and says so.

The master replies with a slight smile, "Enter zen through that."

This clicks for the young monk who immediately enters a state of tranquil understanding. Some time passes and the young monk asks the master, "What would you have said if I did not hear the water gurgling?"

"Then I would have said, 'Enter zen through that.'"

One Such Experience I Have Had
Once, while sitting in a house situated in a beautiful natural environment, I joined a close friend of mine in meditation.

I began with a focus on the sounds around me: the air running through the ventilation system, a
patrolling cat, the flutter and songs of birds. Eventually, the sounds inside of my head quiesced enough to stop drowning these out; I could hear more and more detail.

As these nuances emerged, the labels on them disappeared, it was the music of the systems, but without the recognition of what the systems were. In time, I migrated to hearing the sounds of vibration in my head. I paid attention to the tone and location of these sounds. I allowed my curious mind to question where they came from, what they meant. They may have been the beating of my heart, the sound of my calm breath, the blood pumping through my skull. Without labeling, I attended to each of these sounds in turn and together in symphony. I marveled at the ability to hear so much loudly and clearly within myself.

I vowed to return to this state often and share what I learned with others.

The Meditation: Listen
Sit in a comfortable meditative position of your choosing, but be certain that you are able to stay alert and not fall asleep in it. If you regularly fall asleep during meditation, you are training yourself to sleep, rather than to rise to a level of serene alertness above sleep.

In the meditative position, close your eyes or allow them to remain partially open and unfocused or softly focused. Shift your attention to the sounds that dominate your hearing. If you yourself labeling these sounds or determining their origins, recognize the label as a sounds within your head. Don't try to stop the labeling, just notice it as another sound, and bring your attention gently back to the sounds that you were hearing. Allow the sounds to take you on a journey wherever that may be. Your journey may be similar to the one I share above, or it may be completely different.

Comments Requested
Please share how your journey proceeds.
What have you learned about yourself? About this meditation?
Any other ideas or stories to share?

MPOW #2 - Connect With Your Body's Wisdom

"Body awareness not only anchors you in the present moment, it is a doorway out of the prison that is the ego. It also strengthens the immune system and the body's ability to heal itself." - Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth

"You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you.” Corinthians 6:19-20

I hope that you enjoyed the foundational concentration meditation from MPOW #1. This week, I'm moving on to one of my favorite relaxation techniques--scanning the body to learn more about who you are. This one is ideal for first thing in the morning, last thing at night, when restless in bed, or instead of (or as a precursor to) a mid-day nap, because it is best performed lying flat on your back.

Benefits
Our bodies are filled with so much wisdom. Being in touch with our bodies is a way to tap into that wisdom. My tai chi and qi gong instructors at Embrace the Moon often talk about the wisdom of the body. The hecticness of modern (yang) lifestyles has led to most of us being disconnected from our bodies. We try to push through illness, fight fatigue with stimulants like caffeine, and otherwise resist what our bodies are telling us. "Suppressing natural body urges cuts off the natural flow of prana [or qi or energy], which causes imbalance and disease" (Exploring Chakras by Susan G. Sumsky). Crying, vomiting, sleeping, panting after exertion are examples of these body urges; I bet that you can recall a whole bunch of times when you have repressed these urges. For at least this week, take the time to listen to your body and allow any of the urges to manifest. Meditating on the body can help us tap into this wisdom.

In The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain, John E. Sarno, M.D., tells us about how feelings in the body are often manifestations of tension from unresolved emotions--such as guilt, need, or rage--in the unconscious mind. "... the physical manifestation of tension is to deceive. Our brains have decided that feeling tense, which is the appropriate response to being tense, is too unpleasant to bear and is not as socially acceptable as having something "physically" wrong. And so the brain makes a few adjustments in circuitry and instead of looking and acting like a nervous wreck, presto--a bellyache or a backache." Taking the time to explore the parts of the body that are feeling issues may help you to identify the causes in your unconscious and solve your pain.

Testimonials

I have personally had some amazing experiences with the meditation that I mention here. It has helped me to relieve both physical and emotional pains. I have long had very tight calf muscles, causing me much pain and sleep difficulty. One afternoon, I spent time meditating on this pain and realized that I had been storing emotional resentment toward a past romantic partner of mine.

By spending time meditating on the pain in my legs, I was able to both forgive her (and myself) and release the muscles. Now I have become close to her as a friend, harbor less anger, and can easily relax my calves. Win, win, win.

Another anecdote is about a friend of mine. During regular yin yoga classes, we often hold hip stretches (such as pigeon pose) for 7 minutes (yeah, that's a long time... you need to transcend the pain to survive). In at least some circles, it is commonly thought that people hold lots of emotions as tension in their hips. It certainly seems like this is the case for my friend who often opens up into tears over repressed emotions after these long hip stretches. It may seem scary to dig into this, but it certainly helps to get this out in the open and deal with it head on.

Buddhists such as Pema Chodron advise us to "lean into the sharp spots" to bravely overcome our discomfort. This is the way of the warrior of the heart (the bodhisattva). It will not always be so profound, but it will often be relaxing. Let's get to it!

The Meditation: Body Scan

Lie flat on your back in a comfortable position (other comfortable positions such as seated are possible). When you are comfortable, begin by putting your attention at the top of your head. Imagine that your body is filling with light--a warm, loving, and beautiful light. Let the light slowly pouring in through the top of your head, filling you. As it comes through, pay close attention to the feelings in your head, then in your forehead, temples, eyes, ears, nose...

Whenever you find a feeling or a pain, linger there at that spot. Breath in and out of it. Explore
the feeling with your curious mind. Where did it come from? What does it feel like? What color is it? What does it sound like? Where will it go? What purpose does it serve? What is it looking for? Etc. Be curious about it, and see where it moves to or if it melts away.

When you are ready, move slowly down through your shoulders, arms, heart, chest, abdomen,
solar plexus, and on and on down to your feet. Take plenty of time with the entire scan. If you complete it while still enjoying your meditation, start again, this time seeing if you can be even more sensitive to the feelings in your body, going deeper and slower. If your muscles are tight, tell them that you love them, that you appreciate their hard work, and grant them permission to relax, to tell you everything that they have to offer.

Alternatives

There some several alternatives to play around with. See what works for you in which situation.

• It doesn't have to be light that fills you. It can be water, or air, or a vacuum, or a scan line, or simply your intention.
  
• Start at the feet, wait for each part of the body to feel heavy before sliding to the next part of the body.
• Breath
  in and out slowly. Imagine a band of light scanning your body from
  head to toe with each inhale and toe to head with each exhale (or vice
  versa). See what you notice as your breath elongates, as your breath
  shortens. Try to time it so that the body scan aligns with the breath.

These are just a few of the many possible ways of understanding the body. As you develop your practice in bodily awareness, feel free to play with these alternatives and let me know what works and doesn't work for you.

Comments Requested - share with me and others!
If you're new to meditation, please let me know how it goes.
If you're experienced at meditation, what works and what doesn't work?
For everyone, please share your experiences with this meditation. If a group of people are doing it and sharing, that will help others ride the wave.

MPOW #1 - Developing Attention

In my post 100 Shiny Red Stars I announced that I am Introducing the Meditation of the Week:

Over the past year I have included meditation into my life in some form every day - sometimes through taijiquan, qigong, artwork, reiki, yoga, zazen, or simply mindful walking, driving, or breathing. I have been felt amazing developments through it. Going forward, I am starting a series on my blog the Mindfulness Practice Of the Week--MPoW. Each week I will write up a post on a meditation type or focus for myself and my readers to follow throughout the week. The comments are wide open for people to ask questions and share their experiences with the meditation. At the end of each week, I will summarize experiences that were shared with me, then start off each week with a fresh new contemplative focus.

Mindfulness Practice of the Week, Week 1
For this first installment, I've spent a lot of time contemplating what to use, whether it should be a traditional meditation from a spiritual tradition or whether it should be simply putting more attention into an everyday detail. Maybe an artistic endeavor, maybe something completely mundane. In the end, I chose a very foundational meditation, something quite traditional and very straight-forward. If you were to only learn one meditation, this would be it.

I take this "Developing Attention" exercise from the end of Chapter 3 in Happiness by Matthieu Ricard:

Sit quietly in your meditation posture and focus all your attention upon a chosen object. It can be an object in your room, your breath, or your own mind. Inevitably as you do this, your mind will wander. Each time it does, gently bring it back to the object of concentration, like a butterfly that returns again and again to the flower it feeds on. As you persevere, your concentration will become more clear and stable. If you feel sleepy, assume a straighter posture and life your gaze slightly upward to revive your awareness. Conversely, if your mind becomes agitated, relax your posture, direct your gaze slightly downward, and let any inner tension dissolve.

Cultivating attention and mindfulness in this way is a precious tool for all other kinds of meditation.

New to Meditation?
Posture - If you don't yet have "your meditation posture," chose something simple and comfortable to start out. I recommend either sitting cross-legged with a cushion under your butt if this is comfortable, or just sit in a chair with your feet planted squarely on the floor (legs not crossed) - shoes on or off. Either way, keep your spine erect to keep from dozing off and to align your vertebrae. Your eyelids should be gently open, eyes in a soft focus.

Duration - At the beginning calming your mind may be very difficult. You may choose to other spend 5 minutes a day on this at first, working your way up to a duration that is enjoyable and natural. Over time, you will be able to extend this for longer and longer. If you are new, it is unlikely that you will even get into the described meditation in 5 minutes. If this is the case, don't force yourself through discomfort, instead either try to relax into comfort with it, or take a pause and try again later in the day or tomorrow.

When - You may find this easiest to do first thing in the morning when your mind is fresh. It can help clear your mind for the day, and it will not so easily devolve into sleep - which is pretty far from meditation.

Comments Requested - share with me and others!
If you're new to meditation, please let me know how it goes.
If you're experienced at meditation, what works and what doesn't work?
For everyone, please share your experiences with this meditation. If a group of people are doing it and sharing, that will help others ride the wave.