Don't Overcomplicate Your Practice

It’s incredibly easy to overcomplicate things.

This is especially true when dealing with traditions such as meditation, where we draw on thousands of years of history from dozens of major lineages.

The Pali Canon, widely considered the oldest surviving compendium of the Buddha’s teachings, is a whopping 2,708,706  words long!

No wonder we feel the need to complicate things.

This immense volume of information can be overwhelming when we first start on the path. Even after reading dozens of books, things can still seem confusing.

The good news is that beneath this seeming complexity, the fundamentals of practice are incredibly straightforward.

The backbone of all forms of meditation can be boiled down to one simple skill.

This simple skill is the ability to reconnect to this moment again and again.

While it may seem trivial, this is the pathway to ultimate liberation.

At its most basic, the entire path of liberation can be summarized in a few sentences:

• Notice each moment just as it is without resistance.

• Keep coming back to the moment, again and again, as many times as possible.

• Repeat until awakening.

These instructions might seem overly simplistic, but this is the path’s essence. All the other, more esoteric aspects stand on the foundation of this simple practice.

If you focus your intentions on mastering the simple process of noticing this moment, you will reap tremendous benefits.

The most powerful thing about reframing our practice this way is that it becomes something that can indeed be done at any time.

No matter where you are, waking up to this moment is possible.

Let’s try it right here and now.

Just pause reading for a few seconds and notice what shows up for you.

Can you feel your body, your breath? What is going on in the environment around you?

That simple moment was a tiny unit of practice.

The other secret here is that even when we undertake a more extended practice - such as a 30-minute meditation - that practice is ultimately just a collection of many smaller moments.

If you can commit to returning to this repeatedly throughout your day, that alone will transform the quality of your attention.

You’ll spend less time worrying about the future and less time ruminating on the past.

You’ll be able to appreciate what is truly happening right now. Even the simplest things take on a new depth when we genuinely pay attention to them.

This simple, repeated process will cause you to change your relationship to all aspects of your life.

Don’t let overcomplication cause you to miss out on the fundamental liberation of just being here for this moment. 

And this moment, too.

The moment of connection is the junction where it all comes together. 

If we can learn to be here as we are, without extra expectations, everything else can fall into place.

Please give it a try this week. See how many times you can remember to return and be here now.

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Follow the links below for opportunities to practice with me:

If you'd like to practice with me right now, check out one of the dozens of free classes on my YouTube.

For live classes, either in-person or online - see my latest class schedule here.

To make the most optimal progress in your practice, contact me to schedule a one-on-one session.

And if you haven't yet, subscribe to my newsletter for regular insights about practice and life - 

You Are Not Your Thoughts

In 1637, Rene Descartes made a fundamental statement that shaped the course of Western Philosophy:

"Cogito Ergo Sum."

"I think therefore I am."

This idea was one of the sparks that ignited the Enlightenment in Europe and revolutionized the worldview of the Western World.

It was an important distinction at the time because it separated man from his soul and dependence on a divine creator.

It prioritized logic and rationality as the most fundamental human trait.

But what if Descartes got it completely wrong?

What if this view stopped many generations from seeing something much bigger and more meaningful?

What if it was the cause of undue suffering and frustration?

Sorry my dude…

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2000 years earlier, and thousands of miles away, the Buddha and his disciples saw through this illusion. They realized that self and identity were something so much bigger than our mere, trivial thoughts.

As they saw it, thoughts were no different from any of our other senses.

We can experience our thoughts in much the same way as we experience sound, sight, or other senses.

They come and go, and we actually have much less agency over them than you might think.

Based on their direct observations of how the mind works, they came to a very different conclusion.

You are not your thoughts.

Your thoughts do not create your reality.

And so, they set out on a different path. One that I would like to discuss in today's blog.

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To see how this works in actual action, I invite you to try a straightforward practice:

• Right here where you are, relax and close your eyes.

• Tune into the sensations in the body, creating a connection with the physical sensations.

• Sit as long as you can with that connection without deliberately thinking.

• As soon as you notice that you are having a thought, you can end the practice.

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What happened to you just now?

Almost certainly, after some very short time, a thought appeared in your mind despite your intention for it not to.

You likely didn't even intend for the specific subject or content of that thought. It just appeared on its own, as if from nothing.

In this way, we can observe that thoughts come and go on their own, even when we intend for them not to.

If thoughts can occur just like any other sense, then we can see they are something entirely different from the self.

This is where Descartes got it completely wrong.

If we can't truly control our thoughts, and they appear without much direct control, then our thoughts cannot be our identity.

However, I am not saying that thoughts are not necessary, nor that they are meaningless.

Thoughts drive our ability to imagine and create. They are the source of all great art and philosophy. I am even using this ability at this very moment to write this newsletter!

Thoughts also allow us to analyze and make sense of the world. In this way, the ability to think and rationalize is a vital part of what makes us human.

This is the part that Descartes got right.

However, it is crucial to understand the limitations and potential pitfalls of the thinking mind.

When we fixate on our thoughts or give them too much weight, suffering is bound to follow.

By contrast, suffering will automatically lessen when we can let go of our thoughts and rest in the present moment.

You may have noticed this in the brief practice that we just did.

What happened in the moment between sitting down and the first thought arising?

Did you notice the pause?

What remained during that time?

The answer is awareness.

Independent of the thinking mind is our awareness and connection with this moment. It is always there if we make space for it.

Thoughts happen all the time for most people, but there are MANY pauses if we really pay attention.

The problem with excessive identification with our thoughts is that they cause us to miss the simplicity of reality. 

Awareness becomes more dominant as we practice letting go of this identification and simply resting in this moment.

As we learn to rest in this connection more and more, we can cultivate a sense of identity beyond mere thoughts and ideas.

This is the secret sauce of meditation.

The ability to decouple from the thinking mind is one of the most liberating aspects of deep meditation practice.

We can start to see that our thoughts do not need to control us.

We can live a life where we can use our thoughts without getting trapped by them. When we are not busy obsessing or daydreaming, we can connect more deeply with the reality of this moment.

It is then we can see that our thoughts are a key source of our suffering.

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Stepping back from the thinking mind can be one of the most liberating practices to undertake.

By learning to see awareness itself, we can separate ourselves from the anxiety and confusion that our thoughts often create.

You are not losing your identity. You are allowing it to blossom into something more profound and deep.

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I'd like to end this post by spinning the classic quote on its head:

"I realize that I am not only my thoughts; therefore, I am free."

If you'd like to join me in practice, follow the links below:

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If you'd like to practice with me right now, check out one of the dozens of free classes on my YouTube.

For live classes, either in-person or online - see my latest class schedule here.

To make the most optimal progress in your practice, contact me to schedule a one-on-one session.

And if you haven't yet, subscribe to my newsletter for regular insights about practice and life - 

Why You Should Meditate Every Single Day - And How To Get Started RIGHT NOW

Even if you've already explored meditation in the past, there are many reasons why you should meditate every single day. In this video, I'll go over some of the science and research behind why this is the case. I'll give some pointers that will help you with your daily practice. And I'll even guide us through a short meditation so you can get started RIGHT NOW!

The top 5 MUST READ Books For NEW Meditators - The Best Books About Meditation

These are my five must-read books for new meditators,. They cover a wide range of topics from practice to philosophy. Some are funny, some are insightful. All are great to read. All of these books are perfect if you are ready to take your practice more seriously, even for more experienced mediators. Mindfulness in Plain English: http://ahandfulofleaves.org/documents/Mindfulness%20in%20Plain%20English_Gunaratana.pdf Our Pristine Mind: https://pristinemind.org/our-pristine-mind/ Zen Mind Beginners Mind: https://www.shambhala.com/zen-mind-beginner-s-mind-1796.html Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Who-Ordered-This-Truckload-of-Dung/Brahm/9780861712786 Why Buddhism Is True: http://whybuddhismistrue.net/?page_id=93

How Meditation Improves Your Yoga Practice | Free Your Mind, the Body Will Follow

Today we will learn how meditation improves your yoga practice. We'll begin with a discussion about the history of yoga, and why meditation was so important within that tradition. We'll talk about some of the benefits of meditation and how it can help to improve your yoga practice. I'll even tell the story of how I learned to truly realize how much of a compliment meditation could be to my physical asana practice. And finally, I'll give you some suggestions if you want to begin to incorporate your own meditation practice alongside your physical yoga practice.

Vedena: Feeling Tone Meditation - 15 Minute Guided Vipassana Meditation

Today we will discuss how to practice meditation on feeling tone, or Vedena as it is often called. We will also practice a 15 Minute Guided Vipassana Meditation to put some of these principles into action. This practice involves tuning into the tone or feeling associated with what we are noticing moment by moment in our practice. We also learn how each feeling tone corresponds to one of the Five Hindrances. By learning to notice these particular resonances of the mind in our meditation, we can learn to be less affected by the feeling and better able to work with a wide variety of feeling tones within our practice.

Energetic Metta - 30 Minute Guided Energetic Lovingkindness Meditation

Metta is the name of traditional Buddhist Loving Kindness Meditation. This form of Purifying Meditation is one of the four Brahmaviharas, or Divine Abodes. By adapting our classic Loving Kindness practice into an Energetic Meditation, we can discover new depths to the purifying power of Metta.

An Introduction To The Six Sense Doors: 20 Minute Guided Mindfulness Meditation Practice

The Six Sense Doors form the backbone of Insight Meditation Practice (Vipassana). The Buddhist Theory of the senses says that in addition to our five traditional senses (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling, tasting) we can also observe what arises within our minds as a sense in it's own right. In the larger framework of Buddhist Philosophy, all sense objects are considered equal and worth observing closely.

By learning to observe our senses more clearly on a moment to moment basis, we can gain deep insight into the nature of reality. In doing so, we can unravel subconscious patterns of stress and resistance, and learn to live more clearly in the world. Join me for this 20 minute guided introduction to practicing with the six sense doors.

Open Spacious Awareness: 20 Minute Open Awareness Guided Mindfulness Meditation

When we cultivate an open spacious awareness the mind becomes more clear, our thoughts slow down, and we're able to see things more as they really are. Join me today for this 20-minute open awareness guided meditation where we'll cultivate this open state of mind. Even if you don't know how to meditate, this video will show you how. All you'll need is a comfortable place to sit for the next twenty minutes.

Quick Sit: Five Minute Guided Mindfulness Meditation For Any Time

If you want to feel more centered and relaxed, but don't have a lot of time, let me teach you how to meditate with this Five Minute Quick Sit. All you'll need is a comfortable place to sit for the next five minutes. This meditation is appropriate for beginners as well as experienced meditators.

15 Minute Guided Mindfulness Practice: Observe Your Breath - Meditation Monday

Join me for this 15 minute guided meditation, where we use awareness of the breath to deepen concentration.

Welcome to Meditation Mondays!

Hello Yoga Community, I’ve started a new project.

Every Monday I'll upload a new guided meditation to my YouTube channel, Soundcloud and Instagram TV. Check out the first installment below.

Be sure to like the video and subscribe to my channel while you're there too!

Dukkha, Stress, and Mindfulness in the time of Social Distancing.

How can we stay present during stressful times? How does the Buddhist concept of Dukkha help us to understand the challenges of Social Distancing? What are the Yin and Yang or mindfulness? All this and more in this chat with Rob Phillips and Darin Volwiler.

My top 4 recommended books for new meditators.

I recorded another edition of Dragon Tales for Dragon’s Breath Yoga. Here I discuss my four most recommended books for students who are new to meditation and/or mindfulness.

A Simple Grounding Meditation For Ungrounded Times

I recorded a simple 10 minute meditation practice, for my newly rejuvenated YouTube channel. Please be sure to like the video and subscribe for more content!

Free Your Mind, The Body Will Follow - Why All Yogis NEED A Meditation Practice

Free Your Mind, The Body Will Follow

Physical Barriers
Spring 2009. In a humid room in downtown Boston I’m attempting to will my way through the intimidating Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga. Even though I’ve followed the practice for a few years, it’s not coming easily. While the other yogis around me seem to float and glide effortlessly through the poses, I’m left feeling frustrated. And then I hit my wall - Marichiasana C. The deep twist and bind are at the very limits of my flexibility. Fortunately, my teacher patiently comes over to assist me into the pose. I puff through the five deep Ujayi breaths and at the end I release a deep internal sigh of relief. The torture is over for today. Still, I know it won’t be long till the next challenging pose comes along to kick my ass.

Marichiasana C

Even though I was basically a novice at that point in my yoga career, I had a passion and dedication to progress. I was convinced that I just needed more willpower - more strong effort in the poses. Later that spring I was proved quite wrong in my assumptions. There was a huge component that would prove to be key for opening up my physical practice. 

The Great Escape

That May that I went on my first nine-day meditation retreat at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA. While I had been sitting regularly at home, this was my first experience in deep meditation over a long period. All of the attending yogis maintained silence throughout the nine days. The schedule was a relatively rigorous alternation of 45 minute sitting mediations and 45 minute walking mediations. This was broken up with three meals a day, and a dharma talk in the evening. 

Insight Meditation Society

Like any new yogi, I was initially a bit shell-shocked. My mind ran wild. I had a hard time sitting. I was filled with aches and pains, and honestly bored out of my mind. But I remembered something that my teacher Josh Summers had told me before I left: “Just follow the schedule to a T. Do the practice and try to stay as focused as possible.”

By the fifth day, something remarkable started to happen. My body began to relax completely. The 45 minute mediations went by with little physical discomfort, and while not easy, they were certainly accessible. By the end of the retreat I could essentially sit for as long as I wanted with almost no aches in the body.

Strangely, what I found most confusing was that throughout the retreat I had essentially put my yoga practice on hold. I wasn’t doing any regular asana, and was sitting still for about 6 hours a day. I wasn’t spending lots of time stretching, or even moving. How come I wasn't a bound up mess of knots??

It was on that retreat that I realized that there can never be a relaxed body with a restless mind. Similarly, a deeply relaxed mind is a surefire path to a deeply relaxed body. 

After several days of silence and no distractions my chatter had finally settled down. The calmer my mind got the more relaxed my body got. This is how monks and other experienced yogis can sit for hours and hours on the cushion without breaking their bodies. There is a profound link between the nervous system and physical tension, and it’s accessible if we truly commit to our practice. 

Return To The Lions Den

I returned nine days later feeling like a new person, and ready to return to my Ashtanga practice. As I breathed my way through the poses I reached the dreaded Marichiasana C pose and my teacher began to approach me to help. But by the time she had arrived at my mat something amazing had happened. I was already fully bound and breathing comfortably in a pose that just nine days prior had felt tortuous. I had never done this before, and honestly, even since then I can’t recall the pose feeling so effortless. She looked and me in the pose, let out a little laugh and said “Well isn’t THAT interesting??”

That day I learned something profoundly important about the connection of mind and body. We may have the most dedicated physical practice in the world, but if we are not doing work on the mind we’re missing perhaps the most important part of the picture. Since then I’ve even noticed that seated meditation is one of the most powerful tools to help my physical practice. Quiet body - quiet mind.

Don’t Have Nine Days?
Now even if you don’t have time for a nine day mediation retreat, you can still get most of the benefits of a quiet mind into your asana practice. It’s no coincidence that most yoga styles place so much emphasis on the breath. By staying focused on the breath throughout your practice you are essentially doing a short mediation in each pose. The chatter will quiet down, and the body will begin to relax. 

I’d recommend developing a seated mediation practice for absolutely everybody, even if you never even step onto a yoga mat. Just 15 minutes a day will slowly chip away at the restlessness of the mind, and you’ll start to find that the benefit will bleed-over and help to calm the body as well. 

While of course there is a tremendous benefit to the asanas, bodywork, and the likes, I would encourage you to see how developing mindfulness and concentration can so tremendously help the physical practice. The two truly are both sides of the coin. If you practice diligently in both areas, I guarantee you will notice great rewards.

Have you noticed a connection between your yoga and meditation practices?? Let me know in the comments below.

Yin Is In - What Yin Yoga Is & Why You Should Practice It

Let’s get right down to brass tacks here - Yin Yoga is probably my favorite asana practice. Something about truly relaxing deeply into long-held poses and just slowing down is like crack to me. 

And yet, I’m often surprised at how little-known this practice tends to be. It’s relegated to a few weekly classes at some (but not all) studios. And I often have to give a detailed explanation of just what it is. That is just a damn shame as far as I’m concerned! This post will serve to demystify the practice, clarify any questions, and hopefully by the end you’ll be ready to sign up for your first Yin class yourself.

The Basics

If I had to give a basic summary of Yin Yoga, it would be something like this: 

In Yin Yoga we use passive holds of 3-5 minutes to access the deepest tissues of the body. There is no rushing physically or mentally, and the body is completely relaxed. You’re encouraged to pay attention to each moment, listen to the sensations in the body, and work gradually through each pose. Since the technical practice is quite simple, this also opens up an opportunity to learn the principles of mindfulness.

But really, that is just a basic synopsis that barely scratches the surface of what this practice can accomplish. There is much more to it than that.

There Is No ‘Perfect’ Pose

Yin Yoga is all about listening to your body and working with it rather than against it. Often our yoga practice becomes a battle against our own bodies in order to reach our deepest edge or do the strongest variation of the pose we have been offered. We see pictures on Instagram or Yoga Journal of super-yogis doing super-poses and we strive to recreate these results ourselves. 

But the reality is that one’s ability to do many of the most challenging Asanas may have more to do with their individual anatomy than simply with their amount of practice or dedication. The harsh truth is that for many of us, certain poses may never happen with any amount of practice - and that’s okay! This is also not meant to downplay stronger asanas nor the people who practices them. There is definitely a time and place for physically demanding asana, but it’s important to be realistic about one’s true limits. 

In Yin Yoga we embrace our own physical limitations rather than simply try to fight against them. We work with the body just as it is, and that in and of itself is an amazing thing. Each person will look quite different in each posture. There is no ‘perfect’ pose nor perfect alignment. In fact, even the same practitioner may approach each posture differently depending on how their body is feeling during any given practice.

I even imagine that some alignment-minded teachers might look at some of the shapes that I allow in my classes with a look of fear or disgust. I welcome their criticism, because I know that bodies are not meant to be forced into perfect geometric shapes! There are infinite variations to each person and each pose. And what’s far more important than how we look is how we feel within each pose.

As long as we are in a safe level of sensation, and we work cautiously and gradually, there is no ideal way to do any yoga asana. My pigeon will look completely different from yours, and that’s the way it should be.

Time Is Your Best Friend

By working carefully with the body and relaxing our muscles, we are able to hold poses for far far longer than we can in a more active yoga class. Whereas five minute in downward dog is a testament of strength that would almost never be taught to a regular class, a five minute butterfly pose is an everyday occurrence in Yin practice.

The difference is in the approach. Just like braces slowly work with teeth, Yin Yoga works slowly and passively with the denser layers of the body. The order of magnitude is different - braces may take months or years, whereas Yin postures typically last a few minutes, but the principle is the same. By working slowly and gently we can have a powerful effect on even the most sensitive tissues in the body.

By relaxing the muscles, we go deeper. A vitally important, yet often-ignored part of our muscular-skeletal system is the network of connective tissue that holds it all together. This includes all of the fascia, tendons, ligaments, collagen, and other dense tissues that make a literal web throughout our bodies. Yin is one of the few practices that can safely focus on thesetissues with little risk of injury. Yes, other styles of practice can have this affect too, but Yin allows a far deeper level of attention to the connective web. 

I like to think of it as a completing our method of exercise. We use dynamic movements to build muscle mass, strength, and burn calories. We use slow, gentle holds to lengthen and strengthen the connective tissues of the body. Even experienced Yogis might be surprised at how much more complete one’s practice feels once they add in a regular Yin component. 

Meditate In Your Postures

But for me, the real power of a Yin practice comes from how it helps to train the mind. Since we hold each pose for 3-5 minutes, each pose essentially becomes a very short meditation. For these few minutes we become still and we pay attention. The entire body becomes the meditation object. 

As we pay attention, we realize that there is a whole other level of experience that we are normally disconnected from. We may notice tiny sensations in the body. We feel pleasant aspects, unpleasant aspects. We notice the larger patterns of both the body and the mind. 

Sooner or later, (more often sooner) we will come up against a mental edge. We will feel challenged by the sensations of a posture, or maybe we’ll just get restless and want to fidget. It is in these moments where we can powerfully train ourselves to react differently. In daily life we usually avoid the unpleasant - we try to tailor our experience to be exactly as we would like it. In Yin, we confront what already is. The irony of course is that as we let go of our reactions, even otherwise challenging postures can take on a pleasant quality all their own. 

Yin Yoga can also supercharge the body to be prepared for traditional seated meditation. When the muscles and connective tissues are deeply relaxed it becomes much much easier to sit still for long periods of time. I notice that when I am neglecting my Yin practice I become very uncomfortable when I try to do seated meditation for any real length of time. When I am being consistent with my Yin practice, even long sits up to and hour or more become accessible. It all comes down to the lengthening of the deeper tissues of the body. This will have a noticeable effect when it comes time to sit still.

Putting It All Together

Even this longer exploration of Yin Yoga is really just the proverbial Finger Pointing at the Moon,  only offering you a glimpse of what the practice is really about. Of course the best way to see for yourself would be to take a Yin Yoga class with me or another experienced instructor. I’d also suggest these resources if you’d like to learn more:

YinYoga.com
Paul Grilley

So are you ready to give Yin Yoga a shot?? Let me know what you think in the comments below. 

How to Start Meditating- It's An Easier Habit Than Flossing

‘I Can’t Meditate’

You’ve tried it before… You sit on the cushion, and you say that you’re gonna meditate. A few minutes pass and nothing really happens. You’re still awash in your thoughts. You feel no bliss or calm. You’ve determined this whole meditation game is a scam. Maybe monks in Tibet can meditate, but not ME.

Does all of this sound at all familiar? Well fret not faithful yogis, mediation doesn’t have to feel like banging your head into the wall or sitting in endless lines of traffic. Meditation happens to be easy to learn, and works can work wonders for both Buddhist monks and busy-minded folk alike!

Why Your Meditation Feels Like Pulling Teeth

After almost a decade of practice and working with students, I’ve come to the conclusion that 99% of meditation frustrations come down to one thing - The modern mind is deeply conditioned towards perpetually completing tasks and digesting information. Think about it. All day we are going from one thing to the next. At work we complete endless lists of to-dos. And when we finally finish we scroll through an endless array of articles on Facebook or binge watch TV shows. It’s total sensory bombardment during all of our waking hours.

So with that in mind, it’s easy to see how removing any stimulus and being told to ‘just simply sit’ is tantamount to death. We fear death, we fear the void, we fear silence; and thus the frustration pervades.

Knowing this, the solution to ‘hacking’ our meditation practice is actually quite obvious - Give the mind something to do!! While there are a few techniques that work well for this, today I will focus on this simplest and most common one: Mindfulness of the Breath. 

The Gatekeeper

Venerable Ajahn Brahm

This is a metaphor I learned from the great teacher Ajahn Brahm in his meditation manual Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond. I’ve found it extremely useful for learning the foundations of meditation. 

Imagine your awareness as the gates to a city. Normally the gates are wide open and absolutely anything - thoughts, sounds, aches, etc. - gets let in with no filter. There is nobody standing watch, so we are bombarded by an endless array of sensations - sights, sounds, thoughts. Since anything and everything comes in we are left with the archetypal ‘monkey mind.’ With so many things to choose from, we end up bouncing from one thing to the next, like a monkey swinging through the trees. 

When we practice mindfulness we hire a guard for our gate; we decide to take charge of what we allow into our mind. In this case, we will make it our mission to let in only one thing: awareness of the breath. Like a diligent gatekeeper we keep watch over our mental gate. Thoughts will come, sounds will come - of course all of our normal sensory experience doesn’t just stop. But rather than allowing ourselves to be swept away by this flood of sensation, instead we notice when this is happens and we let it go. We immediately return our mind back to the breath. We may be drawn away 1000 times in a single sitting, but like the patient guard at the city gates we turn away any intruders and only allow in the breath.

Step By Step Guide

• Find any comfortable posture and close the eyes. There is no ideal sitting position. Use a chair, cushion, or any other props that help the body to feel relaxed.
• Take a few moments to set your intention. Recall the image of the Gatekeeper. For the duration of your sit we are attempting to only notice the breath.
• As you settle in, begin to observe the breath at the tip of the nostrils. This is not just a mindless anchor, actually notice all of the subtle sensations. It can also help to turn the gaze down the tip of the nose (with eyes still closed).
• If thoughts arise, notice them, let them go, and return to the breath. If other sensations arise, notice them, let them go, and return to the breath. No matter what happens, keep returning to the breath again and again and again. Remember the gatekeeper!
• If the mind is very active, it can be helpful to count the breaths. A good method is to count up to 5 and then back down again. If at any point the mind wanders off, go back to 1 and start over again. (Brian McKnight would be proud…) Be careful not to turn the mind off and just idly count. We are trying to keep the mind focused and sharp!
• As your concentration builds, you will become even more absorbed with the breath. Notice how each breath is completely unique. Notice the pleasant quality of simply breathing. Maintain a laser-like focus just at the tip of the nostrils.
• Continue to relax and calm the mind. Over time, the intention is to completely release the analytical mind and become deeply still. This practice is all about letting go and basking in the pleasantness of concentration.

We All Have Obstacles Sometimes

Of course we won’t be perfect, especially in the beginning. Sometimes our gatekeeper will get distracted, sometimes things will get through despite out best intentions. This is okay! While this method is relatively simple, it certainly isn’t easy to master. It’s real power comes from the factor of momentum. Each time we return to the breath we strengthen that connection. The next time we return to the breath it will be that much easier. Over time this will become second nature, and you may even find yourself anchoring with the breath during your daily life!

Training Your Gatekeeper

Like anything else in the world, perfecting your meditation takes practice. If we are intermittent in our meditation, progress will be slow and we won’t truly receive all of the benefits that it can offer. That is why if you take only one thing away from this whole article it would be: 

Practice each and every day, even if only for a few minutes! 

Gettin' my sit on at Tenryū-ji Zen shrine in Kyoto!

This all comes back to the factor of momentum. Even if you are able to do a longer sit - say 45 minutes - but you only do it once a week, that means that six out of seven days during that week your are not training your mind at all. It would be far more beneficial to take that same 45 minutes and split it up to every day of the week (only about 7 minutes a day). Of course, there are some benefits to longer sitting times, but let’s save that for another post…

My Challenge To You

And so I’d like to leave you with a challenge. Can you get started sitting each and every day for at least five minutes? I know it doesn’t seem like much, but over the course of a week that adds up to 35 minutes, or 150 minutes per month. But what’s more important is that you’ll be developing the habit of consistent daily practice! And that is the stepping stone towards truly integrating meditation into you life.

Be sure to post how the challenge goes for you in the comments down below.

Want to learn even more about mindfulness and meditation? Check out one of my Yin Yoga classes or take one of my Workshops.