Sitting Meditation

Sitting meditation is a way for us to return home and give full attention and care to ourselves. It is possible for each one of us to sit with peace, solidity and freedom. Sitting meditation is very pleasant; it is not hard work. It is possible to enjoy sitting, to feel, calm and solid as we sit.

Sitting just to sit First of all sitting meditation is a chance to sit down and do nothing. We just enjoy sitting there, and we enjoy breathing in and breathing out.

We are alive, and sitting meditation is a celebration of being alive. We celebrate with our breathing. We enjoy our lungs, our back, our heart, with every in-breath and out-breath. It’s important to allow your body to relax completely.

Ease We sit upright, our back straight but not rigid, with our shoulders relaxed. It is important to feel comfortable and at ease, as though you are watching television. We become aware of our body, our posture and we bring our attention to our breathing. We open our attention to what is going on within us. We let our mind become spacious and our heart soft and kind. If our legs or feet fall asleep or begin to hurt during the sitting, we can adjust our position gently, maintaining our concentration by following our breathing as we move.

Embracing what is The purpose of sitting is just to enjoy sitting. Don’t try to become a Buddha. No. Just enjoy sitting, and accept yourself, accept you as you are. Even if there is some tension in the body, some pain in the heart, you accept yourself like that. And with the energy of mindfulness of breathing, you embrace your body, you embrace your mind, and allow yourself to be in a relaxed position, and learn to enjoy your in-breath and out-breath.

Breathing in, I have arrived. I don’t want to run anymore. Breathing out, I am at home, in the here and in the now.

You feel that you are free. You are solid, and you are free.

Aware of feelings; calming feelings Sitting meditation can be very healing. We realize we can just be with whatever is within us, whether it is pain, anger, and irritation, or joy, love, and peace. We are with whatever is there without being carried away by it. Let it come, let it stay, then let it go. There is no need to put ourselves under pressure, to push our thoughts away or pretend they are not there. We recognize them, accept them, and let them pass, like clouds in a windy sky.

We should not struggle or fight as we sit. We sit in such a way that we really feel the joy of just sitting there. In order to succeed we need mindful breathing. Because mindful breathing brings our mind back to our body, and helps the body to release the tension. And as we release tension in the body, we can release tension in the feelings.

*You can find suggestions for guided meditations in Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, “The Blooming of a Lotus” . And you can go deeper into sitting meditation by following the Sixteen Exercises of Mindful Breathing, in the book "Breathe! You are Alive"