Nobody sits to meditate. It does not happen like that.
When we sit we usually think. Thoughts appear, we can't help it. The mind takes over (nothing wrong with that, it is our nature).
What we "do" is we try to train it, slowly, into coming back to the breath, or to a mantra, or to sensations in the body, whatever our object of concentration is.
Meditation is not something we "do". It is something that "happens".
When we are actually able to focus on one thing, no thoughts coming through, with full concentration on, say for example, the breath, then eventually that focus becomes solid. Focus becomes as oil being poured out of a tank, it is thick, goes in one direction only, it is steady.
It is then that we may be able to "fall into meditation". After some time concentrating with one-pointed attention.
This is the promise of yoga, it is in the upper limbs, after we do pranayama (train the breath to extend or limb number 4), we do prathyahara or limb 5 where we attempt to curtail the senses), then we attempt concentration (limb 6), and maybe by grace we fall into limb 7, or meditation.
The other day I found Paul Dallaghan, (great teacher from Yoga Thailand), going over this very specific point. Here is him talking from the paradise island of Ko Samui. You can see students walking about behind him coming in and out of the shala.
When we sit we usually think. Thoughts appear, we can't help it. The mind takes over (nothing wrong with that, it is our nature).
What we "do" is we try to train it, slowly, into coming back to the breath, or to a mantra, or to sensations in the body, whatever our object of concentration is.
Meditation is not something we "do". It is something that "happens".
When we are actually able to focus on one thing, no thoughts coming through, with full concentration on, say for example, the breath, then eventually that focus becomes solid. Focus becomes as oil being poured out of a tank, it is thick, goes in one direction only, it is steady.
It is then that we may be able to "fall into meditation". After some time concentrating with one-pointed attention.
This is the promise of yoga, it is in the upper limbs, after we do pranayama (train the breath to extend or limb number 4), we do prathyahara or limb 5 where we attempt to curtail the senses), then we attempt concentration (limb 6), and maybe by grace we fall into limb 7, or meditation.
The other day I found Paul Dallaghan, (great teacher from Yoga Thailand), going over this very specific point. Here is him talking from the paradise island of Ko Samui. You can see students walking about behind him coming in and out of the shala.
Summed Meditation Up in just the right amount of words. Resonated with the verabage when he pointed out that it is not separate from everyday life but integrated into mindset and lifestyle.
ReplyDelete