Dear Friends,
Some advice from Elisha Goldstein and Bob Stahl in their book MBSR Every Day:
… we have a portable and powerful resource that is with us at all times, inviting us to stop and just “be” with life instead of getting caught in the trap of ‘doing” so much.
This is our breath.
As we start to bring awareness to this fundamental process of being alive, we notice the mind’s tendency to jump around quite a bit. We also notice how such a simple–though not always easy–practice of mindful breathing can quickly bring us back into the present moment and all the richness within it.
… Learning how to become intimate with our breath can widen the space between stimulus and response, which allows us to break from routine, open up to freedom, and choose to pay attention to the wonders all around us.
Or, you can take advice from these kids… Just Breathe (~4 minutes)
https://youtu.be/RVA2N6tX2cg
(I love the analogy comparing the mind to a jar of glitter!)
A few pages later in MBSR Every Day, Goldstein and Stahl recommend a few things to consider when you’re going to set aside time to start a formal practice:
– Space – where you’re going to practice
– Time – when you’re going to practice
– Posture – in what position you will practice
With regards to posture, Jeanne has previously given advice on ways to sit, which, if you need a refresher, is reiterated by Mark Coleman in this recording (~15 minutes):
https://www.dharmaseed.org/teacher/115/talk/15558/
— There’s about 6 minutes instruction on getting properly positioned, and then he starts off a breath meditation, but note(!) this recording does not end with a bell, so you may want to have a timer running in the background so you know when to stop. 🙂
With best wishes,
Andrea G