Arriving In The Room

For the first thirty seconds of any practice that’s off to a bad start, and for anyone who was told to close their eyes and follow the breath and found that it made things worse. Eyes stay open the whole time. You let them wander and find three things that are pleasant, or merely neutral, to look at. You notice the edges of the room and where the door is. You listen for the farthest sound and the nearest one, and feel one place where the chair is holding you up. That’s the whole practice. Any kitchen chair will do, and if looking around is enough for today, stop there and count it as a good sit. One bell at the close; no music. This is education and practice, not treatment. Stop whenever you like.

Transcript

Hello, This is Malcolm. This is a short practice for arriving in the room you're in. That's all we're doing. Your eyes stay open the whole time and there's nothing to do with your breath. A couple of choices before we start. You might let your head turn as you look around. Or keep your head still and move only your eyes. Either is fine. And if looking isn't useful to you today, You can do all of this by listening instead. You can stop at any point. Stopping, Shifting in your seat, Getting up for a glass of water, All of that counts as the practice. Start by letting your eyes go where they want to go. No need to steer them. They might land on the window. Corner of the ceiling, A coffee cup. Let them wander for about 10 seconds. Now see if you can find three things that are pleasant to look at. If pleasant feels like a bit of a stretch today, Neutral will do. Anything, A doorknob is fine. Take your time with each one. You might notice its color. Its edges, Where the light lands on it. I'll be quiet for about 20 seconds while you find your three. Next, Take in the edges of the room, Where the walls meet the ceiling, Where the floors meet the walls. How far away the farthest wall is. Now notice the ways out. Door. Window. Hallway. It's good sense to know where the door is. You don't have to do anything about it. You can just know. Now, Sound. Listen for the farthest sound you can pick up. Maybe it's traffic, Or a neighbor, Or the building settling. 10 seconds. And the nearest sound might be my voice, Might be your own clothing. 10 seconds. So it's time for a quick check-in. If you've been turning your head, You might try eyes only for a while. Been only using your eyes, You might let your head join in. Or change nothing. Another option, As you look, You can name what you see, Out loud or silently. Lamp, Fan, Shelf. Some people find that naming studies things. Some find it one job too many. You will know which one you are. And if you'd rather stop here, This is a complete practice. Last, Find one thing where you're touching something. The chair under you? Floor. One of your hands resting on the other. One place is enough. Whatever it is that's holding you up, It does not need your help. Be quiet for about 20 seconds. Keep your eyes open and stay with that one piece of contact or go back to looking around your pick. Let's finish the way we started. Look around the room once more, Slowly. Name a few things that are here. Three or four, Maybe. It'll take about 10 seconds. It's time to move something. You could roll a shoulder, Wiggle your fingers, Stretch if you feel like it. This is the room you're in, And you've had a good look at it. That's the whole practice. It's very portable, A waiting room, A parked car, The first 30 seconds of a meditation that starts going a little sideways. Thank you for practicing with me.