Formal sitting and walking practice are wonderful ways to get back in touch with
reality as it is. The following are steps I have found useful for formal practice:
1. Before sitting or walking, make an intention. Have a clear motivation for
what you are going to do on the cushion or in your walking practice. What are
you sitting for? What are you walking for? What has brought you to the
cushion, to touching the earth?
2. Get in touch with your environment, literally. See it, smell it, hear it,
taste it if you like. Get to know what you are sitting with. Meditation is not
about escaping, it's about going into, about freedom from the source.
3. Get in touch with your inner landscape. What is going on inside of you?
Take a moment to chill. Stay there if that's what your motivation has called
you to do.
4. Do your practice, whatever it is.
5. After your practice, open your senses wide and survey the room again. Take
time to adjust to being in full, waking consciousness. Take time to
re-integrate. This is a very crucial step. This is where the meditation enters
into your daily life. I have found this step very helpful, especially when
energies cultivated through practice are misguided into irritation and anger.
Again, meditation is not an escape, it is a going into, a discovery of life.
6. Dedicate the merit of your practice to all beings everywhere. May all beings
everywhere inherit the merit of this practice. May they be free from suffering,
may the cultivate joy and peace.
©2009 Brian Kimmel.
Join me and Las Vegas Mindfulness Group for practice the week of Dec. 15. I will be guiding the weeks Tuesday Night Mindfulness Group, offering a Friday Night Meditation/Concert/Talk, and a Sunday Day of Rest and Concentration. For details visit: briankimmel.com!
