The Down And Dirty Of Meditation Practice

A consistent mediocre meditator is better than an inconsistent perfection striver. This is a 15-minute practice anyone can do and is especially useful for those looking to take the first step in establishing a mindfulness meditation practice. For the next fifteen minutes, you have NOTHING to do.

Transcript

Hey all of you out there who say you can't possibly sit still for 15 or 20 or 10 minutes, I'm going to give you the down and dirty of meditation practice. Hi my name is Lori Wald and for the next 15 minutes, Come on, You have nothing to do. So I'll be honest about this, I've been meditating for close to 10 years and there is not a single time that I sit down where I don't immediately remember something that I was supposed to already have done. I sit down and oh my god, It flies right into my head. You forgot to do this errand, You forgot to call this person, You were supposed to send this email 3 days ago and how did it fly out of your mind and not arise until right now when you sat down to practice. And here's what I do when that happens, I sit. I sit anyways. I notice you're reliable every time. Somehow when I sit down to clear my mind, I remember something important. And then I promise myself that I really am going to get to this later. To be honest with you, Something just entered my mind that I have to remember to do later. I'm going to get back to it, I promise. I promise myself, I'm going to keep my promise. So this is not a practice of perfect, I know you've heard that before. It's not a practice of perfect. None of us, No one, I don't care if you're the Dalai Lama, He's a human being as well. None of us are able to entirely clear our minds of thoughts. They just happen. They're like little kids, Are you ever around little toddlers where you're trying to get something done? Maybe you're just trying to do something really simple, Set the table, Scramble some eggs, Something very simple. And the toddler is saying, Hey look at me, Look at me, Come on pay attention to me. And you have to say, Okay honey, I'll be with you in a few minutes, I just have to finish one task. And then I'm going to sit down and play with you. That's how we have to treat our thoughts. Okay, I know you're all there, I know you're going to wait for me. Just wait and I'll be with you. I need to focus on something else right now. The idea of being a perfect meditator is something that is unachievable. A consistent, Mediocre meditator, Like me or maybe like you, Is much better than an inconsistent perfection seeker. So find yourself in a comfortable yet dignified position, Sitting on a chair, Lying down, Standing upright. Notice which way is more comfortable to have your eyes open or closed and choose what's more comfortable. Now notice your breath. Notice there, Your breath is always, Always there. Just notice, Notice what's prominent for you right now. What's alive for you? Are you bursting with ideas? Are you exhausted? Are you worried? Relieved? Anxious, Nervous, Happy, Content, A little of everything. And notice your body as well. Any pain that's calling out to you. That feels especially relaxed. You can notice the rise and fall of your belly, The way your chest expands and contracts with each breath. Remember the gentle inflow and outflow of air that comes in your nostrils cool, Goes out warm. You might notice some noises around you. Don't get attached to the story of the noise. Notice the stories in your head when they arise and just try not to engage. Try not to give more energy to the story. Uh, Yesterday he said that to me and I should have said this to him and then he would have said that and then I would have said, You know that loop, Loop de loop of the past. Notice that it's what we do. We're humans. We are imperfect creatures. Who are you in the future? How am I going to get all those things done tomorrow? It will be impossible. Never get up when my alarm goes off and then I'll be rushed and how will I go get the coffee before I get to the. . . Don't engage. Just notice the worry. We're not trying to accomplish anything right now. We're not trying to accomplish serenity. We're just noticing. We're being mindful. Mindfulness is an awareness of your present situation as you are, Not as you would prefer it to be. With curiosity. With compassion. And with courage. You can do this. I believe in you. Just try again. We don't have to do it perfectly. We don't even have to do it well. We just have to do this. We have to practice being aware of the present moment. Your life is complicated, But meditation is simple. Just notice your breath. Let's Connor awake. And start again What do you notice? Are you restless? Are you tired? Are you tranquil? Are you happy? Are you hungry? What does it feel like to be hungry? Or happy? Where do you feel it in your body? Just be curious No need to criticize here Just encourage Try again Plenty of time for criticism later So simple, Just start again So simple if you're not trying to be good at this Sitting still is the hardest thing that many of us ever do Not doing Not fixing, Just noticing Still hadn't hooks yet Now for the last minute, Just stop trying. Okay. I'm Lori Wild. Thanks for meditating with me.