Beginners Sequence
Most people enjoy the experience of being guided in meditation and find that the results are, at the least, satisfactory. Replicating the relaxation and clarity that may result in a group or classroom situation, however, is not always so easy.
Meditation, like all things worth doing, takes practice. And practice of course, can be either highly effective or just a means of reinforcing bad habits. Those of you who have completed a course with me recently will be familiar with half a dozen simple 'spot' meditations that you can string together to help structure and replicate the 'deeper' meditative experiences of a class environment more successfully.
Of course, each technique can also be used as a spot meditation in its own right — so they provide a very useful means of getting the most out of meditation. You can learn all about them here.
The following six mini meditations can be done in any sequence. Find what works best for you. They all have logical structures which are easy to remember and follow.
1. Posture
We often allow our bodies to slump or twist. We sit with our legs and arms crossed, our spine twisted and our neck bent. Notice the difference — the sense of comfort, stability, ease and openness that results when you make these few minor adjustments.
Start with your feet — ensure that they are both flat on the floor.
Keep the knees wide apart so that the belly can hang out and so that a supportive tripod is made for the body via the buttocks and each knee.
Slide back in your chair as far as possible so the back is supported and the spine upright.
Let your arms hang loosely from your shoulders, your hands resting either lightly in your lap or comfortably upon your thighs.
Tilt the head slightly forward (tuck the chin in), so that the back of the neck feels broad and open, and soften your gaze.
Allow your tongue to rest softly at the bottom of your mouth and take a few moments to feel the stability and comfort of this posture. Notice how sustainable it feels.
Photo: An example of perfect posture. You can sit like this if you like, but I don't recommend it. It's difficult to get up in a hurry if the boss comes in.
2. Rocking
Gently allow your torso to sway from side to side. Just a small movement will do. In fact, you could even imagine the movement.Then, slowly, allow the movement to become smaller and smaller, until, of its own accord, the torso comes to a point of balance. Then, do the same with the head. Notice any resultant sense of balance, stability, stillness or centredness.
3. Blue Light
Imagine a line running through the central axis of your body — from the base of your spine to the top of your head. Then visualise or feel the breath flowing up and down this line. From the coccyx up to the crown as you breathe in — and back down as you breathe out. To aid with this visualisation you could picture each breath as a blue light, gently rising or falling. Alternatively, you could just get a feel for the breath floating up and down the spine.
Continue for a minute or two (or longer if you like), then take a few moments to notice how centred or stable the body feels.
4. Points of Contact
Attend to the following parts of the body in this order: left foot, right foot, left thigh, right thigh, buttocks, lower back.
At each body part spend a few moments noticing the contact it makes with the floor or chair, then allow that part of the body to sink into the floor or chair. Let go of any tension in the surrounding muscles and enjoy a sense of softening and relaxation.
5. Sounds
Some people prefer to do this one earlier in the sequence, after rocking, for example.
The instructions are simple. Just listen.
To keep your mind open, receptive and curious you may ask yourself questions like:
- what is the most / least obvious sound I can hear?
- can I hear the sound of my own breath?
- what else can I hear from within my body?
- what sound has the highest / lowest pitch?
- where does this sound resonate in my body?
- does this sound vary over time?
- are there subtleties and layers to sounds that I am missing?
Use your imagination, but spend most of the time simply enjoying the soundscape, rather than inventing new questions.
6. Bodywash
If you follow all the instructions above, by this point you may feel as though you are flying through the stratosphere at 30,000 feet in the middle of the night. The flight attendant wakes you up and hands you one of those steaming warm wash cloths. Dab it on your forehead, feeling the warmth and softening of the brow.
Continue down through the entire body, noticing whatever sensations come to light, and imagining the warmth of that wash cloth as it soothes each part of the body it contacts.
Good areas to focus on as you scan downward include:
- scalp, forehead, temples and brow
- bridge of the nose, eyes and muscles around and behind the eyes
- cheeks, mouth and jaw
- neck and shoulders, arms and hands
- rise and fall of the chest
- expansion and contraction of the lungs, in all directions
- lower back and the contact it makes with the chair
- abdomen and the organs of the torso
- groin, hip flexors and muscles of the hips and pelvis
- contact of the thighs with the chair or floor
- legs, particularly the soles of the feet and toes
Finish by flooding your entire body with attention, and take your time to emerge from the meditation, perhaps drawing in a few deeper breaths, revisiting the soundscape or opening your eyes and allowing them to slowly scan the room.