Becoming the Breath

Scattered and buzzing. The thoughts that continually swirl through my head make me dizzy with their hectic pace. I desperately try to catch hold of them as they sashay past me. I feel like a small child in the middle of a full dance floor vainly trying to grasp the hems of the skirts that swish all around me, all just seconds behind the beat.

And soon, I am breathless. And exhausted. And frustrated.

It is around about this time that I remember what has been forgotten. My meditation practice.

It’s one of those little things that you add to your day and completely changes… everything. You’re focused. You’re calm, serene, even. You’re present.

I want to share my meditation practice with you. It’s not complicated and it doesn’t take huge swathes out of your day to complete. It’s really very simple, but it’s also really difficult. But when you’re successful, even when that success only lasts a few seconds as you rest between breaths, it feels like clarity and release all at the same time.

It feels delicious.

I find a comfy spot. This is the first rule of successful meditation. Well, it is in my book anyway. And I think that’s important to remember. There are as many ways to meditate as there are people in the world. But, yes, for me, a comfy spot is essential. I make a nest on my bed with large pillows to support my back, my neck and my head, and then I let my eyes close.

Because, let’s face it, our minds find distraction enough without enticing them with so much visual information. You know how it goes…

Oh, I never noticed how dusty that shelf was getting. Will need to do some dusting. Just after I finish my meditation. And isn’t that the book I was looking for earlier. The one with that quote in it that I saw pop up on twitter the other day there. Can’t quite remember what chapter it was in. Oh for heaven’s sake, you are supposed to be meditating! Wonder who tweeted it… Aargh!!

The monkey mind in full swing.

Now closing your eyes won’t cure you of monkey mind, but at least it’ll give you a fighting chance.

So, close your eyes and breathe deep. Not into your upper body. Those shoulders shouldn’t be rising in time with the filling of your lungs. This is deep breathing. The kind of breathing that takes the air in through your nose and down into your sacral chakra. Tummy rises instead of shoulders.

Now, you’re going to want to find a rhythm. A rhythm that works for you. What works for me is a 3:3:3:3 pattern. So breathe in for the count of 3 (no shoulder rises!), hold for the count of 3, breathe out for the count of 3 and then rest for the count of 3. Repeat.

And that’s really all there is to it.

Except it’s not. There’s a lot more. There’s trying to maintain an open mind that completely detaches from any thoughts that might pass through. There’s the extending of compassion and kindness to yourself when you find the monkey mind taking over. There’s the continual gentle reminding of yourself that this is not the time to be running through that to-do list. There’s the commitment to just allow it to be what it is without the need to reach for more.

And then, just for a few seconds, you may find yourself becoming the breath. That movement of air as it enters and leaves your body. And everything else falls away. Just for a little while. But it’s enough.

Now, when you rise from your practice, you’ll feel centred and strong. Grounded, awake, whole and aware. It’s such a little thing. And yet it makes all the difference to your day. To your life.