Meditation

During meditation, you simply sit and pay attention to your breath. Notice your breath where you feel it the most. Once you’ve identified where you feel your breath the most, perhaps as the air enters your nostrils, in the rise and fall of your chest or belly, or perhaps you feel the entire breath – from the feel of the breath entering the nostrils, as the air hits the back of your throat, as it travels down into your lungs, during the short period when there is a pause, and then as the air exits the lungs, moves back through the throat, and travels out through the nose…perhaps even feeling the tiny hairs in your nostrils move or the warm air as it exits your nostrils and is felt on the skin below your nose. As you breathe, keeping your focus on the physical sensations of each breath. If your attention wanes, noticing that it has wandered and bringing your attention back to the physical sensations of your breathing.

As you practice this for 3 minutes, 5 minutes, then 10, and perhaps moving to 30 minutes or more…life improves. You begin to notice when you have thoughts, memories, emotions that are unresolved and you sit with them. You look at them. You see whatever it is for only as long as you can bear it or as long as you choose to be with it…and whatever it is, it begins to heal. You don’t have to worry about it, cling to it, or force yourself to think about it in between your meditation times. If it remains unresolved, it will arise during another meditation and you will sit with it again. Gently, each item that is unsettling, each criticism you have of yourself, every unanswered question is answered. You come to know and accept yourself. You know exactly who you are and where your boundaries are. You feel the love and kindness of who you were when you were first born and it changes you…back to the wonderful, loving person you have always been.

May you be well. May you attend to your breath wisely. May you know all you need to know, and may it be enough.

Valerie