Ugh, dreaded feeling. I often feel guilty after meditation if I didn't focus on the breath enough, didn't scan the body carefully, didn't keep the attention on the sensations, or was "taken over by the chatting mind" with no chance to coming to the present moment.
Sometimes I come out of meditation thinking it was a "bad meditation", which is ridiculous. I get mind attacks. Good thing lately I am realizing meditation is something really much, much simpler, with a lot less stress involved.
There are many ways to reach the state of yoga, and many teachers who teach them differently. But the truth is only one, and the practice that suits some may not suit everyone.
I am basing the article on two facts: one, that you like me, are a house-holder, someone who works, sweats, and lives among other people (as opposed to in a cave) and two, on the very skimpy teachings of someone who was in the state of yoga (Ramana Maharshi), and so had it very clear what was important and what was not (he spoke very little as he saw little need for that too!)
Here are five usually held beliefs that are NOT necessarily true when it comes to meditation, when it comes to putting in the effort (and letting it go eventually) of being present, of coming here and stopping the projections, of being in the "pristine state" -as Ramana Maharshi would say-:
1.- YOU MUST BE SITTING UP STRAIGHT
Some traditions even go as far as to suggest you need to be sited in the lotus position and for at least an hour or 5 hours, or 10 hours! Without moving. This might apply to certain monks in a secluded monastery but not for every day householders like you and me. I know I cannot sit in lotus for an hour. I just won't do it. The resistance is enormous, it won't happen.
Since the only reason behind this is that the back needs to be straight, then if you are laying down, you are also able to meditate.
Laying down is quite all right.
What if you fall asleep? You can either keep your knees bent, which will prevent it, OR... realize that maybe you need to rest. Maybe the pressures of every day are too much and the rest is necessary. It does not mean you are failing at meditation it means you are taking care of your body.
Eventually when feeling the benefits we might be able to stay up longer. We may even want to sit down. But to not do it on account on "it has to be done sitting down" is a trick of the mind robbing us of the stillness we know we want.
Of course in retreats, say in the Vipassana tradition or in any tradition where you get hundreds of students coming into a hall to meditate, guidelines may be established whereby for example everyone sits down. This is to avoid a dozing off domino effect and to give a certain atmosphere of respect to the duty at hand. But in every day life, it is perfectly fine to meditate while laying down.
2.- YOU NEED A MANTRA, OR TO FOCUS ON THE BREATH
Maybe in the beginning, maybe not. The goal of yoga -of which meditation is one of the last limbs (the 7th out of 8)- is to come into the present moment. To merge with the awareness or consciousness that we are, free of mind projections. It cannot exist in the future or in the past.
Therefore simply entering the stream of this moment is all that is needed. No mantra, no scanning, no nothing.
If a mantra helps quiet the mind that is great. If focusing on the breath helps limiting the fluctuations of the mind that is good too. But in the end meditation is about being fully aware, not thinking about a mantra, not focusing on the breath. It is all about coming into NOW.
Pointers From Ramana Maharshi (book) says:
Just giving up the thinking, just coming to now. No need for breath or mantra or mandalas, or images or anything. Unless they help, and only up until when necessary. No need to use the clutches once we can walk. No need to focus on the breath when we can more steadily begin to be present in this moment.
Of course some teachers advocate these techniques, and they have their place. The 6th limb of yoga deal with it (concentration on an object (6)) and it is taught in different ways...
But we must keep the goal in mind. Cessation of the fluctuations/projections/chatting of the mind is the goal, not being able to focus on a mantra, not focusing on the breathing or scanning the body. Coming into this moment, with full awareness, with no projections.
3.- IT WILL MAKE YOU PEACEFUL
Not necessarily. Just try it for a moment right now. Go ahead and stop your thinking (one good way to do this is to think: What will my next thought be? Then wait). You may then begin to notice what you are "feeling" in the body underneath the thinking.
The feelings we have underneath all that thinking tend NOT to be very pleasant. In fact, the first couple of minutes of any of my meditations are pretty horrendous.
We may learn to feel the body and to see how emotions arise and subside, but learning how to weather the storm without reacting blindly is not necessarily a peaceful practice. It is the stuff of warriors. The stuff of standing your ground. Come what may.
There is quite a bit of emotional stuff that needs to be purified before we can be fully in the now without projecting into the future to escape it or going into the past or into fantasy. Without having the need to "defend" the ego. The forest needs to be crossed, it is bound to be a voluptuous ride.
4.- YOU NEED TO DO IT TWICE A DAY FOR 20 MINUTES
Non-sense. You may, of course, dedicate this amount, or any amount of time to be quiet and seek silence and stillness, and away from all other activities if you choose to, yes, but the practice, if we mean it, happens 24/7.
There is no stop, no break. If we want to be of service to others to this planet, then there is no better way than to alchemize ourselves into the golden present, into being fully aware. That cannot happen until we are at it all the time.
Falling back into unconscious (and by that I mean reacting just because someone said we looked "funny" or when things don't go as you would hope they would, and going mad over a little incident like that) is very, VERY easy.
We need to bring awareness and presence into each and every little thing we do, it is the only way we can avoid the pitfalls of reacting in old ways. It is the only way we can awake.
The sitting in the cushion may serve as preparation, but the real practice happens when someone cuts you off in traffic, that is when we see if it is working or not. Those are the little opportunities to put into practice the stillness of the cushion, to strenhgten our awareness.
5.- MAGICAL/SUBTLE/OUTER-WORLDY EXPERIENCES
Oh please! Then again, maybe, maybe not. Most likely whoever is telling you about magical experiences is within a delusion.
It is enough work for us in the times we live to come to the present and accept it with a full YES, and because it is what IS. That is hard work, it takes resolve, it takes determination.
It is important to let go of illusions of magical things happening because such beliefs can provoke new projections, new expectations and derail us from the track.
Seeing ourselves disappearing, auras of lights, chakras and kundalinis. It all might have a place and time, we might find out, but for now we are interested in this moment, as it is, in the way your eyes browse the post as you read, the way the chair feels under you, the temperature perceived by the body, the light around, the way the breath helps us be the space for this moment.
This is the sacred moment, as it is, in all its simplicity.
Whenever we are able to take ANY situation without any resistance, then we might wanna think about magic, and even then we may not need to because we would see that everything is magic, everything is sacred in this moment.
---
So in general, let's not sweat it so much, let's be present for what is, at all times.
May we all be aware and present today, in every moment. May we honor the sacred space of each and every sacred now as it comes to manifest.
Sometimes I come out of meditation thinking it was a "bad meditation", which is ridiculous. I get mind attacks. Good thing lately I am realizing meditation is something really much, much simpler, with a lot less stress involved.
There are many ways to reach the state of yoga, and many teachers who teach them differently. But the truth is only one, and the practice that suits some may not suit everyone.
I am basing the article on two facts: one, that you like me, are a house-holder, someone who works, sweats, and lives among other people (as opposed to in a cave) and two, on the very skimpy teachings of someone who was in the state of yoga (Ramana Maharshi), and so had it very clear what was important and what was not (he spoke very little as he saw little need for that too!)
Here are five usually held beliefs that are NOT necessarily true when it comes to meditation, when it comes to putting in the effort (and letting it go eventually) of being present, of coming here and stopping the projections, of being in the "pristine state" -as Ramana Maharshi would say-:
1.- YOU MUST BE SITTING UP STRAIGHT
Some traditions even go as far as to suggest you need to be sited in the lotus position and for at least an hour or 5 hours, or 10 hours! Without moving. This might apply to certain monks in a secluded monastery but not for every day householders like you and me. I know I cannot sit in lotus for an hour. I just won't do it. The resistance is enormous, it won't happen.
Since the only reason behind this is that the back needs to be straight, then if you are laying down, you are also able to meditate.
 |
| Bending the knees will prevent falling asleep and give the benefits of creating a stronger and stronger presence and awareness of the present moment |
Laying down is quite all right.
What if you fall asleep? You can either keep your knees bent, which will prevent it, OR... realize that maybe you need to rest. Maybe the pressures of every day are too much and the rest is necessary. It does not mean you are failing at meditation it means you are taking care of your body.
Eventually when feeling the benefits we might be able to stay up longer. We may even want to sit down. But to not do it on account on "it has to be done sitting down" is a trick of the mind robbing us of the stillness we know we want.
Of course in retreats, say in the Vipassana tradition or in any tradition where you get hundreds of students coming into a hall to meditate, guidelines may be established whereby for example everyone sits down. This is to avoid a dozing off domino effect and to give a certain atmosphere of respect to the duty at hand. But in every day life, it is perfectly fine to meditate while laying down.
2.- YOU NEED A MANTRA, OR TO FOCUS ON THE BREATH
Maybe in the beginning, maybe not. The goal of yoga -of which meditation is one of the last limbs (the 7th out of 8)- is to come into the present moment. To merge with the awareness or consciousness that we are, free of mind projections. It cannot exist in the future or in the past.
Therefore simply entering the stream of this moment is all that is needed. No mantra, no scanning, no nothing.
If a mantra helps quiet the mind that is great. If focusing on the breath helps limiting the fluctuations of the mind that is good too. But in the end meditation is about being fully aware, not thinking about a mantra, not focusing on the breath. It is all about coming into NOW.
Pointers From Ramana Maharshi (book) says:
"Dhyana (meditation) really means concentrating the mind on the Object of the dhyana but meditation is our real nature; if we give up unnecessary thinking what remains is I."
Just giving up the thinking, just coming to now. No need for breath or mantra or mandalas, or images or anything. Unless they help, and only up until when necessary. No need to use the clutches once we can walk. No need to focus on the breath when we can more steadily begin to be present in this moment.
 |
| Giving up thinking is enough! |
But we must keep the goal in mind. Cessation of the fluctuations/projections/chatting of the mind is the goal, not being able to focus on a mantra, not focusing on the breathing or scanning the body. Coming into this moment, with full awareness, with no projections.
3.- IT WILL MAKE YOU PEACEFUL
Not necessarily. Just try it for a moment right now. Go ahead and stop your thinking (one good way to do this is to think: What will my next thought be? Then wait). You may then begin to notice what you are "feeling" in the body underneath the thinking.
The feelings we have underneath all that thinking tend NOT to be very pleasant. In fact, the first couple of minutes of any of my meditations are pretty horrendous.
 |
| Feeling what we are feeling with full acceptance tends to resemble a jungle rather than a peaceful lake |
There is quite a bit of emotional stuff that needs to be purified before we can be fully in the now without projecting into the future to escape it or going into the past or into fantasy. Without having the need to "defend" the ego. The forest needs to be crossed, it is bound to be a voluptuous ride.
4.- YOU NEED TO DO IT TWICE A DAY FOR 20 MINUTES
Non-sense. You may, of course, dedicate this amount, or any amount of time to be quiet and seek silence and stillness, and away from all other activities if you choose to, yes, but the practice, if we mean it, happens 24/7.
There is no stop, no break. If we want to be of service to others to this planet, then there is no better way than to alchemize ourselves into the golden present, into being fully aware. That cannot happen until we are at it all the time.
 |
| Time disappears in the present moment and the aim is to live in it Time-Free |
Falling back into unconscious (and by that I mean reacting just because someone said we looked "funny" or when things don't go as you would hope they would, and going mad over a little incident like that) is very, VERY easy.
We need to bring awareness and presence into each and every little thing we do, it is the only way we can avoid the pitfalls of reacting in old ways. It is the only way we can awake.
The sitting in the cushion may serve as preparation, but the real practice happens when someone cuts you off in traffic, that is when we see if it is working or not. Those are the little opportunities to put into practice the stillness of the cushion, to strenhgten our awareness.
5.- MAGICAL/SUBTLE/OUTER-WORLDY EXPERIENCES
Oh please! Then again, maybe, maybe not. Most likely whoever is telling you about magical experiences is within a delusion.
It is enough work for us in the times we live to come to the present and accept it with a full YES, and because it is what IS. That is hard work, it takes resolve, it takes determination.
It is important to let go of illusions of magical things happening because such beliefs can provoke new projections, new expectations and derail us from the track.
Seeing ourselves disappearing, auras of lights, chakras and kundalinis. It all might have a place and time, we might find out, but for now we are interested in this moment, as it is, in the way your eyes browse the post as you read, the way the chair feels under you, the temperature perceived by the body, the light around, the way the breath helps us be the space for this moment.
 |
| The present moment is sacred enough no need for fairy tales |
Whenever we are able to take ANY situation without any resistance, then we might wanna think about magic, and even then we may not need to because we would see that everything is magic, everything is sacred in this moment.
---
The ultimate truth is extraordinarily simple: it is nothing more than being in the pristine state. It is a mystery that to teach this simple truth there should come into being so many religions, creeds, methods and disputes among them....- From the book: Pointers from Ramana Maharshi: Read and Reflect.
So in general, let's not sweat it so much, let's be present for what is, at all times.
May we all be aware and present today, in every moment. May we honor the sacred space of each and every sacred now as it comes to manifest.
Hi Claudia,
ReplyDeleteI have to respectfully disagree on point one. You have nailed it on all other points. Bhagavad Gita, the foremost authority on yoga, chapter 6 verses 11, 12 and 13 are very clear on how to position oneself for meditation: 11.Select a clean spot, neither too high nor too low, and seat yourself firmly on a cloth, deerskin and kusha grass. 12. Then, once seated, strive to still your thoughts. Make your mind one-pointed in meditation, and your heart will be purified. 13. Hold your body, head and neck firmly in a straight line, and keep your eyes from wandering.
Those who can't sit on the floor could sit on a chair. But I have never seen lying down meditation in any tradition.
Translation Quoted from :The Bhagavad Gita, Ekanath Easwaran
Satya
I don't know Claudia, it strikes me as very Zen, being in the present wherever you are, whatever your doing but those monks will still engage in hours and hours of daily formal practice and then seek to take that training into their daily routines. I think both the formal (learning your craft) and the informal meditation are important and when an approach survives for thousands of years there's a good chance it has something going for it.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post Claudia. From my own experience i would agree with Satya that it is quite difficult (or more difficult) to meditate while lying down. I find i get sleepy quickly and my mind is defintely more busy. I personally sit in the Burmese position which is quite comfortable for me. I couldn't sit very long in lotus! I don't think it's that important what position you take - especially when you are first starting - as long as you are comfortable.
ReplyDeleteThough back to lying down...it seems like it is something we should practice regardless as there may very well come a time that this is the only posture possible for us (dying in a hospital bed for instance).
Grimmly I see your point, and I agree that both have their place.
ReplyDeleteMy point here is that it does NOT need to be so complicated, so formal (as in creating a halo if impossibility for someone just coming into it, in the west), and I am very much noticing that Ramanah Maharshi's suggestion of just "jumping" into the gaol of yoga instead of creating so many steps may be onto something.
It does not need to be so difficult.
The flip side is, lets say you fall asleep in meditation. Is that so bad? Then you maybe meditate while asleep. Or maybe when you wake up. Or the next day. Perhaps the "correct posture" was in the Gita because too many students sleeping as a way to goof off. But my guess is it doesn't matter for someone whose intent is to stop the "fluctuations of the mind" as yoga sutras 1.2 suggests.
ReplyDeleteScott yes, regardless, that is the whole point. Once we get the formality of it all, we must transition into understanding this is a life time practice, it does not end in the cushion.
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned to Satya, I think it is important that we all access this "now" this moment, which is the only way to stop the projections, regardless of posture, Westerns are vevry tired people, if they cannot sit, I say let's lay down, whatever helps... and by the way, the knees bent stop the dozing off.... they do, I've tried it
Yes, that is exactly my point, and especially in the West, that is why the post says if you fall asleep it does not mean you failed but rather you are giving your body some rest.... You yourself used to meditate hiding from your parents in bed before sleeping right? and you did not fall aslee? it can happen...
ReplyDeleteAnd it totally does not matter if the goal is to get to the goal of yoga, the least the formalities the better, the only thing that matter is what works.
Ah, sweet coincidence, I love it! I check your blog every couple of weeks and I'm amazed at how often your writings parallel or compliment what I'm experiencing in my practice Claudia. Thank you for writing! I literally just got back to Miami a couple of hours ago from a 3 day "old student" Vipassana course in GA (nice center, Dhamma Patapa) and thought, I'll see what earthyogi has posted lately, and bam! Here you are speaking directly to my Memorial Day weekend experience.
ReplyDeleteI spent much of my first day there feeling "taken over by the chatting mind", and very often, not equanimous as a result. Why on earth, when I sporadically (at best) sit at home, would I expect after two years (my first and only 10 day was 2 years ago) that I would just fall back into hours of presence with no struggle? Dunno, but, part of me did, and part of me was beating myself up about it. "I haven't sat enough; Might as well just go ahead and quit this hour, I'm getting nowhere; I'm not going to get that much out of this short course because I can't seem to stay present; I've taken a 10 day, why can't I do this? Inhale, exhale, inhale….argh!" etc. Oh brother!
#1 If someone is going to not practice because they are dreading the pain they'll experience due to a position, I think, sure, experiment, find what works. I often slide my little blanket palate against a wall and just ease back against it after a while. Had I not been in a room with nearly 40 others, I would have succumbed to sleep at a couple of sessions, no doubt.
#2 You make a good point here. It is a lovely feeling to notice being present, without "doing" something to get you there. I love those moments; noticing thousands and thousands of stars in the darkest sky I've seen in years at 4:30 a.m. left me full of grateful awe.
#3 I totally agree! I admit, the way I felt when I left my first 10 day is a large part of why I wanted to go back; I flat out craved the peaceful feeling I had upon completing it--again, not equanimous of me I know. 11 hours a day for 10 days was anything but peaceful, but the result was for me more peace (at least temporarily), and even after a difficult 3 day, I do have a similar sense of calm today. I'm hoping this will inspire a more regular practice.
#4 Excellent point--I behaved well on my 7+ hour drive back to all but 1 driver who I called a jerk (or maybe something slightly more offensive ;) ), but I have lifetimes of work to do for a 24/7 success rate.
#5 Yes! I did break out into a heated sweat and felt like I was going to cry, not magical at all, but later I felt lighter, happier.
Thank you, thank you!
Susan
Hi Claudia,
ReplyDeleteAnother point I wanted to make was that in meditation practice also it is important to follow a tradition/lineage and stick to it. For e.g., in the tradition that I'm following, it is recommended that you get up before sun rise and do meditation for an hour before other daily routines and preferably at the same designated location (if you can afford to have one). No particular posture is recommended and you can sit on the floor cross legged with a meditation seat or on a chair. We also have an evening routine and a Sunday group meditation.
Speaking about falling asleep, until 5 years ago, the Sunday group mediation used to be at 9AM. However, it was changed to 7:30 AM apparently because many folks used to doze off probably from the effects of a heavy breakfast :)
I agree it doesn't have to be complicated or off putting, I'm all for that as you know but then I guess I think it is pretty simple, just sit and watch the breath or chant a simple mantra, gaze at a pebble or something and then when the mind wanders, which it will, gently bring the attention back with kindness (like a wayward puppy as jack Kornfield puts it).
ReplyDeleteThe 'straight' spine, is there to help but we don't tend to worry about alignment in our first few weeks of sun salutations, we can worry about the finer points later. The set time and place etc, again, just setting up a routine to help get you on the cushion same as with our asana practice. Actually, I see one of the main benefits of asana practice as developing the self discipline to help you with your pranayama and meditation practice.
Isn't there a bunch of reclining buddha statues, that big one in Sri Lanka for instance.
Susan, we have had a similar experience I also had my 10 day Vipassana, well, almost 3 years ago and a 3 day a year and a half ago... I hear what you say, it is easy to give in to sleep, and that room sure helps! I am glad you like the blog, thanks for saying. I am now tempted for another Vipassana.
ReplyDeleteDon't know about Sri Lanka, maybe yes now that I think about it, I remember seeing pictures...
ReplyDeleteI agree with the routine creation too, that is why I practice especially the way I do... in the style I do, I hear you, it does create discipline, and it does help go deeper. Then again, it is all preparation for life, for when we are not on the mat or cushion, I believe it is important, once the foundation is ready, or even from the start to blur the lines between practice and not practice.
I feel at least for me, it makes it more real, it is practiced at all times.
I agree that having a routine is important as I was saying to Grimmly above, yes. I suppose my point here is more that meditation, the real purpose is for all times, and perhaps especially outside of the formal practice.
ReplyDeleteAs per following a lineage, I am beginning to agree to a point. I think a teacher like Ramana Maharshi has a lot to offer on chapter one of the yoga sutras, without even talking about it. It makes it so simple, so attainable, just "be", ask "who am I", which is then further translated by teachers of our times and our crazy environments into "being present", I feel it makes so much sense when it comes to stopping the projection of the mind.
And heavy breakfast... I hear you. It was in one of the Vipassanas that I understood in the body, in a very real way what food does to the body!