Let's examine what it means when someone says,
Get comfortable at the beginning of a guided meditation.
It's not the most detailed of instructions.
That could be a good or a bad thing depending on what you're looking for.
The issue with the word comfortable is that sometimes things that are quote bad for us can feel very comfortable.
For example,
An alcoholic is comfortable necking a triple shot of vodka on waking.
For our purposes,
The thing to look out for is anything that might be described as slouching or slumping.
These kinds of configurations of the body might feel comfortable.
But I have it on good authority that these kinds of configurations actually require effort to maintain.
Now why should making an effort with the body be an issue for us in meditation?
Well,
In order to make an effort with the body,
We must make an effort with the mind.
Relaxation is a positive value in meditation.
What we want to do is relax the mind.
And in so doing,
Relax the body.
This may look like a slump or a slouch.
But as we practice,
We can investigate the body.
We can investigate the mind.
And as we do this honestly,
Then over time,
We may begin to see where we're putting in effort.
Seeing this extraneous effort as effort,
We can drop it.
The way that many of us hold tension could be described as habitual.
But all a habit is,
Is a mental process with which we have become so well practiced,
So familiar,
That it seems as if it's doing itself this behavior.
But if it were doing itself,
Then we would have absolutely no say in the matter.
For example,
No matter how much you attempt to will your heart to stop beating,
It won't happen.
That's automatic.
Habitual behaviors can be stopped.
But there's a danger here.
If I say I want to stop slouching when I meditate,
It's all too easy for me to apply a second effort in the other direction,
So that I have the effort of slouching,
Compressing the front of the body,
And then the effort of straightening up.
And these two activities combined are a good example of what we call tension.
Tension is just two opposing movements caused by their respective mental processes.
The ideal way to sit is using as little effort as possible.
So let's all look honestly at what we're doing with the body,
And at the mental processes that cause these movements in the body.
Let's be patient.
And as we see,
Let's be ready to let go,
To allow the body to settle into its natural condition,
Free of our interference.
Let's be wary of the trap of perfectionism here.
There is no perfect sitting posture.
We just enjoy an ever deepening relaxation.
And whatever tension is left,
We can practice gratitude towards,
In that it's giving us opportunity to practice,
Opportunity to understand the mind,
Opportunity to relax.
