The "M" word.....

The Art and Practice of Sitting

I am an insomniac. I have no trouble falling asleep. It's that annoying wake up at the wee hours before the sun rises, those random, ungodly hours, 2a.m., 3a.m., 1:30a.m. sometimes as early as 12:30 a.m., and the inability to go back to sleep. Sometimes I can read myself back to sleep, sometimes I lay there in the dark staring at shadows on the ceiling and walls with thoughts hovering inside my brain. One morning I got a nudge, I think from some angel spirit (thanks Mom), to get up and do some yoga. Perhaps that would send me back to restful sleep. So I got out of bed, rolled out my mat and began (all this was by the light of moon beams coming through the window.) It all began with my seat. Just by sitting on my mat and simply bringing my awareness to my breath.

Besides the stretching and asanas (the physical positions and poses in the practice of yoga) one of the components that are baked into the yogic practice is breathing. The breath connects the body and mind to the pose helping to put your focus on that breath rather than the pose. I had once read a little book by the renowned Vietnamese Buddhist Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, titled, "How To Sit." It was a tiny little book packed with spiritual wisdom, some of which I will share with you here.

The first step, the very first thing is to stop whatever it is you're doing, find a comfortable, quiet spot and close your eyes. Then, your next step is learning to breathe in such a way that is going to promote peace within. "Notice your breathing. As you breathe in, be aware that you are breathing in. As you breathe out, notice that you are breathing out." That's it! It is so simple and effortless, yet has the most profound effects on your body and mind. You're sitting in a comfortable place, wherever that is for you, you're relaxed, you breathe in and NOTICE that you are breathing in, then out, noticing you are breathing out. What that does is take your mind away from whatever 3D thoughts are running rampant through your brain and puts your focus on conscious breathing. Repeat. And repeat and repeat....

You can start with 5 minutes, you can start with 3 minutes. Whatever feels good for you. The more you practice "sitting" the better you get at it and then a miracle happens. As soon as you begin to pay attention to your breath, the body and mind join in. Your awareness brings these 3 elements together and you become fully present right there, right at that moment. You are then taking care of your body, you are taking care of your breathe, you are taking care of your mind. You're meditating!

The art of breathing is called Pranayama. By definition, it is an ancient practice from the yogic tradition of controlling the breath. That breath is used to manage the life force within us which is called "prana". There are many different pranayama techniques all aimed at connecting the body and mind which promotes mental focus and purification. This then helps to achieve that meditative state. The more you do it, the easier it becomes and the more your body and mind will crave it. After some time you may find that you don't have to sit. You can engage in a walking meditation, you can begin this meditative breath while you are washing dishes or cleaning the house or laying on the grass looking up at the stars. Meditation is simply the practice of stopping and looking deeply within, wherever that is for you.

As you learn and adopt this practice you can add mantras. Breathe in "I am present", breathe out, "I trust myself", breathe in "I am calm", breathe out "I release all tension".

My insomnia hasn't ended. But engaging in the practice of mediation with my breath to guide me is the remedy, the only medicine I needed to remove that restlessness, bring me back to myself, calm the anxiety and bring me to mindfulness. Miracles do happen when you learn this beautiful practice. I bring this to you from personal experience. You might not have insomnia but the practice of meditation can be applied whenever you need to stop and come back to yourself so that you can continue to move through your beautiful, incredible life.