The world is beautiful. Much more beautiful today than in the past because we can really see and experience it now. We can catch a plane and for a relatively small amount of money go to the Amazon or the Himalayas. We have the choice to spend an afternoon looking at the sky from a mountain top if we want to. There are no constrictions, no regime or other evil that forces us to be inside a concrete building 10 hours a day. I love to switch off my phone, and switch off my busy mind for one hour or two and watch the leaves on the trees. Little birds tweeting (erhm).
Mindfulness is the ultimate cool these days. When I chat to people about meditation, I can tell those who do it regularly, they look at you with wide eyes and I know they do indeed. Some who don’t like it because it’s “boring”. Maybe they think meditation means staying seated in some uncomfortable position doing nothing, and that sounds really boring.
What is me? Me is my thoughts, Cogito Ergo Sum, I think therefore I am. My personality, what people see, what I do, where I live, who I go out with. Me is different if I am talking to my uncle, when I am at work or with friends. Me is constantly changing, mutating and assuming different forms and shapes.
Well, according to Yoga, me is the opposite of Cogito Ergo Sum, it’s I don’t think therefore I am. The true me is not the thinking me, the moving, talking, working, living everyday life me. The real me, not relative to anything else, is perceived when the breath stops when the thinking mind stops, when the rush of activity stops and the awareness goes inside.
I don’t know if this is science or not. It doesn’t really matter because with all the great things scientists did for humanity, I still believe how my body and mind feel. And the feedback they give me is as good as any piece of research. Actually it is 100 times better. In the Western world, we are very concerned with what is scientifically proven and what is certified and approved etc. This is a good thing, to apply thorough methodologies to understand what is around and inside of us. But sometimes, if we sit in a quiet spot, we calm ourselves (see below for 3 suggestions on how to do it) we might find inspiration and truths that are beyond certification and official study. We can hear our internal voices whispering.
Once we are physically calm, we hear our heartbeat slowing, our breath is controlled, we can stop the constant internal chattering of the mind. At this point, I might start feeling tingling sensations in my abdomen and stomach, like a pleasurable wave of energy moving there. It sometimes corresponds to the void retention. After I exhale, I gently push my abdomen inside and this beautiful energy takes me. If I am lucky enough, it somehow doesn’t happen all the times and more often after 1 hour of yoga, I experience the opening of deep, sweet and warm parts of me. The mind stops looking outside and starts wandering inside, I feel content, grounded, lucky and optimistic, strong and connected with everyone in my life in a positive and precious way.
What is it eh? Is it my mind tricking me, placebo-like? Is it some sort of chemical reaction? The effect of hormones, neurotransmitters? Science can tell me whatever, it doesn’t matter! At that stage, I do not care if my pleasure and sense of purpose and perfect place in the universe is scientifically proven or not. I don’t care if someone rubber stamped a piece of paper telling me what I am experiencing is dream or reality, mind or illusion as it is so real to me, so deliciously real, so naturally and wholesomely ecstatic it doesn’t require any explanation. It might only last for a few minutes and yet the positive sensation will stay for the rest of the day. It’s great and healthy, I know it, I feel it. Do you want to try? These are my 3 tips for a great meditation:
1- My favourite meditation is done lying down. After one hour of very slow and gentle meditative yoga, lie down on the mat with your eyes closed, feel your body soft and heavy, being pulled into the mat by gravity. Without moving, visualise the toes of your left foot, the sole, the hill and your left foot is numbed and relaxed. You progress scanning your entire body and numbing each part, one by one. If you are lucky enough, at the end of this process you get into an amazing state of consciousness, in between asleep and awake where you passively observe your thoughts and let go of everything. Guess what? You’re meditating.
2- Sound meditation, one of my friend’s favourite. Sit or lie down comfortably, close your eyes and let your body relax, gently breathing through your nose. Now bring the focus to all the sounds around you. Start with the most distant one and keep moving to the nearest. Do not attach yourself to the source of any sound, just move from one sound to another accepting them as they are. Stay in the “as is” state for a minimum of 5 to 10 minutes and see what happens!
3- Sit still in a nice quiet place, with a little soft music or in silence. Concentrate on calming the mind, focusing on the centre of the heart or in between your eyebrows and on the breath. Start counting each breath, so when you inhale once and exhale once you mentally count 1, inhale and exhale and count 2, inhale and exhale 3… and so forth until you reach 7. Then start again from 1 counting to 14. Then again from 1 counting to 21 and so on in multiples of seven. After a while, the conscious mind shuts down and you might experience a warm feeling of void, the silent true you. Enjoy!
