Our Visitors Seem Like This

                Visitors to these several blogsites seem much like this to me today.

                    

               They are ordinary people, but are not interested in hashing over the same old stuff.

                Many have some college. Some have post graduate degrees. Some have very little formal learning. They are more curious then most and are lifelong learners. They explore in their own way. They may even explore blogs.

                They may be interested  in facets of science and to have imaginations which tend to be realistic. Those imaginations are often wide ranging. A number of them are interested in kinds and sorts of history and sociology! A few have considered the nature of governance. They can also be interested in thoughts relate to world affairs. Others are happily married.

                Often they are interested in getting the backstory of  the news and other happenings and doings, but often don't tell me so.

                They believe that the quality of communication is important. They suspect that face to face communication is very important. They want to learn more, to understand more, to let more meaning in to their life.

                Health is an interest of theirs, both public health and personal health. They are also interested in personal development. Many love honesty, reality, and clear thinking. Some feel ready and willing to ask a question or make a comment.

                   Some are finding the interactivity of these sites and others have found some of the various search aids available. Many feel free to make some intuitive explorations on some of associated blogsites. If you are finding something of yourself in these descriptions, you may find some pleasure, profit, and satisfaction in further exploration of a couple of these several associated sites.

                You may even surprise yourself by being attracted to either the Governance site or the Dialogue site. You could find some interesting information in my kind of prehistory in the History blogsite. 

                

                I am always please to hear from you especially by way of the "comments" app available at many of the sites. I am also learning to accept help.

                Do let me hear from you whenever you feel like doing so.

                Here are some are some associate sites to take a peek at:

~ Mago Bill

~ Dialogue With RCS

~ History With RCS

~ Governance With RCS

                Thank you for reading!

                                                                                                                       rcs

            

                

Freedom Contemplation

                     Let in more open awareness at the moment of most adversion.

It may be said that:

~ One who sleeps is less conscious of emotions.

~ One is awake in so far as one is aware of being aware of feelings.

~ Awarness of feelings without grasping or adversion brings freedom.

                    Let there be a courageous, open, and spacious sense of self.

                    With awareness can come wholeness, well-being, freedom, and a natural flow of life.

A Meditation:

Sit an be aware ofthat which arises in mind and watch itas it moves on.

Where there are repeated patterns, let your awareness expand.

Sense what is asking for acceptance; it may be reality.

Repeating patterns often exist where you resist. Ask, "How am I receiving this?" "Is there a fear or difficulty?"

                    With awarness can come wholeness, well-being, freedom, and a natural flow of life. Still without awareness can come bliss.

                    Let a part of your meditation be an investigation and discovery. Let difficulty, conflict, and pain lead you to higher levels of freedom.

                    Meditation takes some time.

                    Thank you for taking the time to read this post.

                                                                                                    rcs

            

Zennish Thoughts

                             This will seem more esoteric than usual. It seems that way to me. You may find it curious. A few may find it valuable. You may get more value from these thoughts the more you stay relaxed and keep it simple. As I write, I believe.

                        You can see freshly and newly the doings of life and the happenings around you. 

                        Zen is much about posture, breathing, attitude, and understanding, I am told.

                        Noticing yourself is good for you and me.

                        We can teach ourselves and learn.

                        You can be willing to practice.

                        We can be aware of the dualisticness among us and go beyond.

                        We can be pleased by becoing more aware of the possibilities. You may be aware of doing so for the first time. Note their newness. Note them.

                        We are capable of letting more meaning into our lives. Meaning is limitless. 

                        It is said that your posture reflects your state of mind. A straight back is often a part of good posture. You can benefit by being more aware of a strong abdomen.

                        There is one and there is all. When you know that, you can better know the inbetween.

                        You can open your mind and so be ready, and it is easier than emptying your mind.

                        We can exist for ourselves and not be selfish. You can benefit be being more aware of yourself. You are right here and right now. You exist right here and right now.

                        You are a activity. You can be aware of a pleasant activity within, as you sit relaxed.

                        You can do. Your are willing to do. You can be ready to do that which you must. You probably don't have to do any doing.

                        You can be mischievious and be in control. You can practice some of that control by avoiding doing damage.

                        You can observe an experience or a thought. You can benefit by asking a question about your observation. Some ask, "How is this?" Other questions may be better for you. It may be best to let the happening and observation go. You can let it go as it goes.

                      It is possible to see doings and happenings as they are and to let them go as they go.

                        Let the observation into your mind and let it go out. Noting it is enough.

                       You do not have to continue to be bothered by anything. You can be ready, willing, and able to do something about the bother and it may be best to do it promptly. But you probably don't really have to bother at all.

                    Our understandings change our attitudes.

                    Taking some time to keep one's mind on one's breath can be a beneficialpractice, but nor always.

                    Accepting reality is accepting what is. Not doing so is often deleterious. Still, changing or mind can be the sane action. Often the change can be called beneficial growth.

                     You know there is more than either or.

                      We improve. We improve with practice and will. An effort to improve onesself is seldom wasted.

                        We each have more than one nature. It is good to express them. Express them with care and caution. It is good to express your best selves actively, simply, and directly.

                            May you be well.

                                                                                                            rcs

                        

Introductory Notes Related to Meditation Practice

     Ways and Kinds of Meditation:               

                  One may know that there are many ways to meditate and many kinds of meditation, but only a few sorts are regularly practiced. There are reasons for that. Most of us appreciate simplicity and effectiveness, so we choose a practice which we find effective and simple. Over time we may we may come to be grateful for the ways and varieties of meditation from which we may choose.

                Body position or movement can represent ways and varieties and may include variations of walking, sitting, and lying down. There are also a number of ways of guided meditation. There are solo meditations and group meditations. There are those that include yoga postures. Meditation is done for a variety of purposes which call for a variety of practices.

                A teacher can help one to sort out these ways, means, purposes and attitudes of meditation. I have been a student of meditation and have some experience and knowledge of the practice. I have learned that for me it is best to keep it simple, to aim for good effect, and to treat it as a sort of exploration.

Preparing to Meditate:                

For one contemplating practice, some preparation is helpful. Reading this little essay may count for som preparation as can looking over other posts on this blog. Finding a good instructor, teacher, guru, can be useful preparation.

                There are many ways to prepare. Some have to do with personal preferences. For example, I feel better when I have some sort of timer  which I can set to tell me when the time I have alloted for a session has been completed.  

                Just sitting in awareness or mindfulness is good preparation. I is also meditating! Still, such sitting calls for having an appropriate place to sit. That is, one has preparation to complete. 

                Starting to meditate may be the most important act to begin meditating! Just quietly is a real start when you know you are doing so.

                More good preparation can be to get a well qualified meditation coach. A qualified coach is one who keeps up to date with what you are doing and how you are doing, he, or she, is one who knows the state of your practice today.

                You are the one most responsible for your meditation. You are the only one who can do your meditation. You are well positioned to know what you are doing and how you are doing it. The thing is to do it and to find out more about what it is by way of your observation. As a meditator you are a learner. You may come to note that much learning includes practice and observation. 

Beginning to Practice:                

For me, practice often begins with me seated in a good chair and closing my eyes. Neither the sitting nor the eyeclosing is necessary, but they both have helped me to a good sort of meditation, and so are often part of my meditation. 

                A timer isn't necessary for good meditation either, butI have found it helpful. One thing it does is to tell me when the time I have chosen to meditate is concluded. I sometimes have divided a meditation in to parts and the timer can remind me of when to begin the next part. For more of what I chosen to do in meditation, you can search the posts of this blog. You may discover something unexpected.

                Sitting in a meditation group has been good for me, but I have often been pleased to meditate alone. I like a calm quiet place and  a comfortable chair, but not a chair so comfortable that sleep would tempt me. Actually sleep does not tempt me, but my thoughts of sleep certainly can. However, we can use our power over our thoughts, can't we? For me, meditating includes an awake, alive, alert, observing process. And it is so even when I stretch out on the grass or floor to meditate.

                It seems important to add that my meditation is often the practice of maintaining focus. It is way to develop my skill of maintaining attention on that which I have chosen to attend to. It reminds me of the hunter who has decided to come home with fresh venison. He chooses a position from which he expects to see a deer. He waits expectantly. He avoids thoughts or sights that so divert his attention so as to cause him to miss the coming of the deer.

                I expect that you are now clear that determining a time and place to meditate is useful preparation for meditation. As further preparation for meditating I, upon arriving at the time and place to meditate, would check to see that my timer and chair were ready. I would arrange my mind to make ready to observe and pay attention to my doings and intentions. Not difficult perhaps, but important. You have probably heard that concentration and focus are often important parts of meditation.

                Without my timer I have  found myself meditating far beyond my allotted time. Others learn to avoid that problem without a timer, but I have not. at another time I have opened my eyes ready to go on to other doings only to find that only ten minutes of my allotted time of 45 minutes had passed! 

                It seems to soon to cover much more in any detail. I have covered more in posts available here and will add more in future posts. And, you can use the the "comments" app just below to ask questions as well as to make comments. I try to respond to "comments" promptly in a useful way.

                I do have a bit more to write ab0ut before closing this post.

Details of Practice:

                For me, meditation practice ought to be about attention and attentiveness and most often it is just that. In each practice, I tend to focus on a limited, defined topic. The hunter had his deer. I have often chosen a word or short phrase on which to focus. The hunter perhaps chose a vision. I attend to all that comes up and may ask myself what it has to do with my chosen focus. Then I let it pass and resume my intended focus.

                I may decide that I shall focus on my breath and that process I shall count them. To begin I might count rounds of four. Counting entails words or symbols and that is fair. An inhalation and an exhalation may represent one complete breath and four such breaths complete round. I may think the word "in" as in inhale and "out" as I exhale. An 'in' and an "out" would count as on breath in my rounds of 4 breaths. As I continue the practice I may add attending to the difference of feeling air passing in through my nostrils to the air passing out.

Meditate Now:                

                  You can meditate right now if you wish. Sit with good posture. Take a few full breaths. Now as you continue to be aware of your breath try repeating "good posture, no pain" slowly and calmly. Breath normally or slightly deeper than usual. Intend to breathe smoothly, regularly, rhythmically. When you find yourself not repeating your phrases remind yourself to do so. When you find that you are not breathing as intended, remind yourself to return to doing so. Continue until you have completed the time you have allotted to the session. That's fairly big time meditation. You may now know enough to to develop your practice well for the next many months.

                When the above seems too complicated for comfort, set your timer for ten minutes and sit quietly for that time. That's good meditation. Just sit quietly without using the timer. That's meditation too.

                Congratulations! You have learned a lot about meditation. You may have moved from esoteric to exoteric. You may have meditated and also have learned a bit about yourself.

               Thank you for the visit. 

               Come back to explore and find out more. 

                                                                                                RCS

         

Here and Now

                             One who lives in the present, in the here and now, and is becoming more aware of our world as it is, may be called sane.

                        Today is the very life of life. In this brief span are all the truths and realities of one's life. The bliss of growth is today. The glory of action is today. The splendor is today.

                        It does seem worth a second thought.

                        Look over the rest of this little blog.

                                                                                              rcs

We Have a Capacity for Careful Thought

 Our Goodness:  

            Our practice of good reading, good conversation and our ongoing learning maintains our capacity for careful thought with no damage to our creativity. Among us there is continued resistance to deceit and delusion. We have stayed on the way of well founded thinking and the road of sane judgement and so, continue able to resist incredulity, indignation, fear, false shame, hypocracy, pride, and I have run out of breath.

            By avoiding too much pride and having abundant care for ourselves, we have succeeded in allowing ourselves to do that which is useful for others and pleasant for ourselves.

            We have remembered the meaningfulness of our work, and the value of the thinking and sweat we put into our work. We know that thinking and working up a sweat is sane and healthy. We are pleased with our awareness of the value of moderation.

            It is amazing and pleasing to know that we are capable of such goodness.

            We have remembered the significance of work without putting too much thought or sweat into it. We attend to the value of balance. One marvels at that which we can do.

           

Still we sometimes neglect helping our children and youth to learn to:                      
~ be cautious in sex and to avoid promiscuity.

~ to be outwardly courteous to all, but inwardly remain free to never put to much trust in anyone or anything. This while remembering that with so little faith in the light switch that they fail to switch it to on, they may spend much time in the dark.

~ be with the work they love and to love the work they are with and to find the usefulness and pleasure in it and to find the joy in it as well as in the cash it brings.

~ be open to new ideas and new discoveries.

~ to let abundant consideration and reconsideration of doings, feelings, processes, emotions, and happenings into their lives.

~ help their day dreams to be realistic.

~ Remember that reality is a way to sanity. 

~ let their doings be pleasing to themselves and useful to others.

~ love their parents and to be aware that it is good to see them realistically,

            It can be good for us to remember that the lessons we offer our youth and children may be usefully applied to ourselves.

            As a gift to ourselves we can reconstitute and fortify our capacity for careful thought and its usefulness with the following doings:

            ~ Encourage our willingness to be more aware of our actual state of being.

            ~ Take time for quite contemplation of that which has recently(and perhaps for long)has seemed important to us. This in not a time for figuring things out.

            ~ Arrange opportunity for relaxed, thoughtful, conversation.

            Thank you for reading. I may read it again, again.

                                                                        rcs

       

  

Sacred Geometry

 Our Brains:             

              Most of us don't know much about sacred geometry and that certainly includes me. I'm curious and want to learn more about it . We certainly can't learn a lot about everything, but our brains are hungry and sacred geometry may be very nutritious.

                That which we have called sacred geometry has affected much of our culture and, of course has been much affected by it. It has been felt much in astronomy, astrology, art, architeture, mathamatics, religion, philosophy and more.

                I am just begining to look into it. I have seen that it is very ancient and has had a strong effect on humanity around the world. There seems to be that which is very worthwhile in it.

You May Want More:               

                 With a stream of  thought here I hope to peak your curiosity. The stream will relate to connections to sacred geometry. I will not explain terms and names this time. You might want to check out some their meanings and perhaps even report on your findings in the "comments" section. A logarithmic spiral is an example of geometric progression; polar slope; Jacob Bernoulli; self-similarity; Hindu Garanthos; Manasa, ancient Hindu writings on architecture and design; integrations and connections of culture, the world, nature, being, and building; physical structure and music.

A Long and Varied History               

                 Plato and the Greek mystery schools thought of the Sacred Geometry as important 2,500 years ago. Hindu thinkers thought it important long before that. Others think so today. We could try to find out why. I can't do it all, I have other fish to fry. 

                I will more about this if you wish. You may find that my spellcheck is working better.

                The "comments" app here is working well. Comments are a great encouragement for me. At my age I need plenty of encouragement to keep me going.

                Thank you for reading!

 

                                                                                            rcs

Search This Site

EsoExo: Blog search

           For readers who are not familiar with the many search options available to them here, I will begin t to review some of them.

            It seems that blogs are so out of fashion that few remember how they may be fashioned. For example this blog is of three columns. I have used the central column as the place up to 400 essays or posts.

                An important function of the columns to the left and right of the central column is to offer you apps to help you find the essays which interest you. They are largely made up of search apps. However, they also contain other helpful apps.

             Let me begin with the column to your left on the main view of the page. On all of my blogs the this left hand column begins with the app which allows you to select the language in which to choose to read the post you select.

                Other apps you will find in this column may have a different order on each of the associated blogs. For example the next app might be "Associated Blog Sites to visit." To be transported to the one which interests you and be transported to it. The next app may be "Popular Posts." There you can find the names of up to four posts others have been finding interesting. Each name will be follow by a few words about it. click on that name and that post will appear. Next you may come to a title that reads "Pages." Click on one of the listings there and be taken to another page where you can find posts much like this one or different.

                The last listing in this column will usually be "Blog Archive." This can be a very useful app for you. Use it to become familiar with the essays and other posts available on this blog site. You will see a list of years and months. Click on one and you will taken to all of the posts published in that period. All are interesting and usually contain some hard to find YouTube videos which YouTube allows me to show.

                The right hand column usually begins with a search app, perhaps with the  title "Search This Site." There is a little window in which you may enter a word or phrase and then click on the word "Search." Try it and see what happens.

                I will leave this little post here for a few weeks and then move it to "Pages." You are now on the home page.

                This is a good place from which to comment.

                                                                                rcs

 

 

 

Exploring Mysty Roots of Irish Culture

Ireland and the Irish: Exploring ancient Irish history could lead us to a more realistic of our world and Earth.                           

 

                Remember the proper names in this video. They are threads to our past. The eastern Mediterranean connections have been firming. Early Geek connections are firming. Phoenician connections are firm to many.

                Remain open to verification and evidence to the contrary. My father who could claim two Irish surnames, claimed the he was the world's shortest giant. But then he claimed that the chick came from the yoke of the egg and not it's white.

                The believing game is good for we are surrounded by truth and the believing game may last the longest with the fewest losers. While cleaving to reality leads to sanity and a chance for wisdom.

                

                                                                        rcs

 

Choice

 EsoExo: We Don't Have to

 

We don't have to choose:

 

                ~ to be aware and informed.

 

                ~ to do the good that we can.

 

                ~ to understand and share.

 

                ~ the lovely and healthy.

 

                ~ to be more honest with ourselves and others.

 

But we can.

 

 

                                                                                rcs 

Golden Lid of Truth

EsoExo: Discovery, Purification, Awareness, and Reality

                 As a manner of speaking "the Golden Lid of Truth" might be a way a practitioner of the Janna Yoga of old would chose to approach this little essay.     

                I believe that in an English translation from the Rig Veda one may read something like this, "The truth is hidden by a golden lid; remove thou that lid." I also believe that a wise man once said "That which hides the truth is often the brilliance of the intellect." We can make up well reasoned stories, logical stories, probable stories. We might tell those stories to others, but mostly we tell them to ourselves. Those stories often put a lid on the truth; on reality. We are often not conscious, or completely conscious, of the workings of those stories. Sometimes a story comes from another. Sometimes it may hidden in a doing or happening of our culture and we are unconscious of learning from it.

                Stories are good. I like many of them very much. However, even the best of them may convey a distortion, a falsehood, a wrong, a lie. We interpret them as best we can. We benefit much by interpreting  them in the new light of our present knowledge.

                Reinterpretation may be a part of what I call a process of purification. The farther we work that process the closer we get to being able to lift the lid a bit more to see the wrongs for what they are and let in more honesty, reality, and truth into our lives. In the process we rid ourselves of  distortions and wrongs, better our mental health, and see more clearly. We can intend to embrace reality and to let more clarity of understanding into our lives.

                One comes to see more clearly and adopt the intention to embrace reality and to achieve more clarity and understanding. Still, I am reminded that I am on a good road and that it is a long one. We may find that distortions are woven into the wonders and beauties of our very culture. Our culture is the heart of our human society and the totality of its wonders and beauties remain.

                I am reminded that we are on a good road, but that it is along road. We may find that some distortions are woven into the wonders and beauties of our very culture. They are of our making. We can and do become aware of then. This discovery does not diminish those wonders and beauties. But it may help to remind us that the natural process of purification with which we seem to be choosing to co-operate is an ongoing process.

                We feel grateful when we become newly aware of a distortion or wrong in our thinking, and are pleased to proceed in our process of purification. We gradually rid ourselves of another wrong or falsehood. By small possibel steps we improve the quality of realityin our lives and find it good. As we proeed with our proess of purification, te closer we get to being able to lift the lid enough to see the wrongs for what they are and to letting more reality, truth, and honesty into our lives.

              Not every one of us has always chosen to call their process "purification" and there is no need for us to do so, but the word "purification" seems to me, to be appropriate. By our process we gradually (at times quickly) rid ourselves another wrong or falsehood. By small possible steps they improve the quality of reality in their lives and find it good. As they proceed with their process they become able to see wrongs for what they are, and and more able they are to lift the lid to let more honesty, reality, and truth into their lives.

                It is not easy. It's sometimes a joy. It can feel painful, but I have heard of no one dying from the process. Still we have stories we love and may resist any change in them. However, when we become aware of a flaw in one of  our stories, we can be aware that by a little change in perspective we can make that story more realistic, perhaps even true. We may find that we have been unconsciously struggling to keep a loved story intact. With that finding the struggle the struggle becomes conscious and so, more fair.    When we become aware that we are using a lot of energy to keep a story, we may find that we are trying to hold back a truth. We may come to consider a struggle to let the truth out more worth while. 

                Sometimes a mistaken idea caueses problems for years before we take note. In a way it seems like it is trying to be found, but that we don't want to see it. Struggles to hold back the truth may keep coming up for a time before we note them. It seems they are trying to be set right. We can get better at noting them. Sometimes a wrong in a story comes up so suddenly and forcefully that we cannot deny it. We come to welcome these new revelations, though it may still take some time to digest them. We do become more apt at accommodating them realistically. We find that approaching truth often frees us, makes us more able, and a bit stronger.

                The process is a kind of cleaning out of the mind and ought to be done often. There are lots of falsehoods coming toward us and a few manage to get in. We can become very willing to clean them out. We clean them out. Sometimes the process becomes less a throwing out and more a better arranging and filing, a straightening out and putting in better order. As we proceed we have less distortion and more useful reality. We become more honest with ourselves and with others. We often feel happier and healthier for doing so.

                Now all we have to do is consider the nature of our process and practice it. Being willing is a very good starting place because there are things to do. Awareness is an important part of the process. You are on the road when you are willing to be aware. As I write Ibecome more aware that I have a lot to remember and plenty toremember. Being willing is willing is an important early step. Being willing to notice "the lid" is helpful for some. You have the ability and most of the tools already; you can get ready to use them. There are lots of doings you have already done. They may include: being willing and able to detect a falsehood, note a lie, remembering a happening or doing, and much more. Being willing to let go of a wrong, the false, or the dishonest is good. Being willing to correct the distortion is good.      You might, for example, consider how they effected you personally. Becoming aware of letting go of a wrong, the false, the dishonest can be interesting. Being willing to correct a distortion is good. Being willing to co-operate with process of purification and realization is good.

 

                You can be aware of an inner or personal wrong and of a process of righting it. You can be willing to co-operate with your awareness and discovery. You can right a discovered wrong. You can straighten out a discovered distortion. You can be honest with yourself. You can tell yourself the the truth as best you can right now. You can right a wrong. You can be grateful for your process of awareness, discovery, and righting.

                Thanks for reading of the Golden Lid. Beneath the lid is the hidden. Lifting that lid leads to relavation. Your process can make that relavation golden.

                                                                                                rcs

This Web Site

 EsoExo: Use All the Search Apps You Want.

 

This web site does not yet have many posts or essays, but our associated sites may have over 400. This may be a good place to practice using our search apps to explore and find what you want and that which interests you.

                You may have noticed that this site has a three column configuration. All of our associated sites have a similar configuration. You are now on a middle/central column. The columns to the left and right of this column and mostly dedicated to search applications. However, there are also other kinds of apps. For example near, or at, the top of this site and all associated sites is a translation app. There you can find a language in which you prefer to read, click on it, and the post which you are on will be translated to your language before your eyes.

                I suggest that you take some time to explore the apps available to you. When you take a look at the translation application you might find it interesting to scroll to the bottom of the same column. There you will find a list of years and months. Click on a month of a year which interests you and the posts published at that time will be presented to you.

                If you have a difficulty with an app you may go to the "comments" app just below the bottom of this post. Click on it and space will appear where you can tell me about your difficulties, ask questions, make suggestions, or just make a comment. 

                Happy explorations and pleasant reading.

 

 

                                                                            RCS 

 

 

Meditation Chat (and Timer Dependency?)

 EsoExo: Its about meditating and mostly for those somewhat new to meditation

 

                 These sentences are intended for those who may begin to meditate and for those who may have thoughts of renewing their practice.

                Many of those who have meditated agree that both breath and alertness is important. There are those who believe both are important to life. Awareness of breath and and of breathing is useful to those who practice meditation. Remember to breath for a while. The quality of your breathing is worth consideration.

                Focus and the Improvement of focus has been the aim of many who practice meditation and is an aim of mine. It seems up to each to decide what is worthy of their focus. Many have said that breath counting be a useful practice and a way to improve one's ability to concentrate. Your ability to keep to the subject, to keep to the topic, and to stick to the issue may improve with your practice of meditation. Some have made breath following or breath counting an major part of their long term practice.

                I am narrowing the breadth of our view of meditation here with the aim of making our view both more comprehensible and more productive. Evens so, we can remember that meditation has, and has had, a broad range of differing goals, means, aims, and ways. Let me add here that I am not a teacher of meditation nor even an active practitioner of meditation. I have practiced meditation, found it useful, studied it a bit. It still has a place in my life.

 

On with my introductory words: 

                If I were to renew my practice right now, I might think "in" as I breath in and "out" as I breathe out. However, I could consider making some little decisions and moves first. I could make a time and place in which to meditate which pleases me. Some long time meditater might say that one may learn to meditate usefully and with satisfaction at any time and in any place. I believe that meditater is pointing toward a reality.

                However, I suspect that a good beginning for many beginners and for me, is probably best to aim to practice regularly in a place which feels comfortable and is fairly free of distraction. I am helped to good practice by knowing when and where I will do it. I have found that I could practice well on a quiet beach where the waves wetted my feet. But remembering that here in my home high in the Andes. I might better remember to practice if I determined to practice right after my morning physical exercise. When I am regular with my excise, meditating right after it could work well for me. As I like my meditation time to be quite and free from interruption, practicing just before going to bed could work well.

                Getting ready, willing, and able to practice may become a good practice in its self. I would like to sit up-right in, or on, a comfortable chair where I can maintain a good posture. Can that be difficult to arrange.I would aim to be awake, and alert in that chair. I would aim to attend to that which I am doing. I would like to feel mentally energetic as I avoid force and strain. I want to begin by paying attention to what I do and think. Maybe I should try letting this be a bit more simple.

                I would like to have a timer. O prefer to meditate with my eyes closed. I use a timer so that I do not meditate too long or do break off my practice too soon.

                These details are not rules and are not for every one or for every case. There are those who can meditate for two hours and then stop their practice at their predetermined time without outside help. They may not have been able to do that as beginners.

                Without the use of a timer I may stop a practice thinking I have meditated for an hour, to discover that I have only practice for ten minutes. At another time I may stop a practice to check a clock believing that I had meditated for half an hour, to find that I had meditate for an hour and a half! So, when I could, I have set a timer to sound at a time I had predetermined.

                If I were to begin a practice session right now, I would probably set a timer for about ten minutes. I feel I could meditate for that amount of time Without peeking to check the timer. When one has not meditated for some time, 20 minutes can see a long time. I seem to remember having completed 20 minutes of practice, judging that during that time had maintained close focus for only 3 or 4 continuous minutes and that I had done very well to have done so. I may have come to realize that now practice is bad when intentions are good. Practice itself can be the purpose. Sometimes I don't get my head all the way around that, but I do know  that the words come close to the reality.

                I have meditated walking, sitting on a rock, and while lying on my back in the floor, but find that sitting on a chair and maintaining good posture is usually best for me. Buddhist often call their contemplation or meditation time, sitting. They often do their sitting in a group. We can do ours as we will.

                I am remembering some very pleasant walking meditation. Walking practice can be rewarding and pleasant, but may seem very different from sitting. Sitting is not completely free from possible distraction, walking can be quite distracting. (Still attending to the distractions can be the focus of the practice.) The quiet of the beach including the sounds of the water can be a positive factor while walking with bare feet washed by wavelets of an early evening. The flat damp sand can be a help, but just putting on foot in front of another can be distracting, but can also become an important part of a practice. I think that I began by counting my steps as I attended to it 1,22,3,4 and 1,2,3,4 and 1. 2. 3. 4.

                I may be distracting us a bit now. Let me focus on you. I will suggest a little homework for you You won't get into trouble if you fail to complete it. If you do complete it you will probably do so before I complete mine.

Ready to Practice:

                Sit where you are less likely to be disturbed. Have a way to time your practice. Have a clock on the wall or on a table where you can see it, or a watch on your wrist is fine. You can open your eyes to see if you have meditated an hour too long. Aim for a ten minute practice and determine to complete it. Each moment of your practice is important.  Attend to them. Sit where you can check the time without getting up.

                You are about to practice meditation with determination.

                Do this; sit well. Close your eyes and take a few comfortably deep breaths. Note breathing in. Note breathing out.  Let yourself begin some more regular breathing. Slow and a bit deeper than usual is OK. Notice breathing in and breathing out. Attend to your inhalations and exhalations. Now, breath in and out, that's one. Breathe in and breathe out, that's two. Breathe in then out, that's 3, Now, breathe in and out; that's 4, and completes this round. Continue completing rounds of four until this practice until ten minutes have past and this practice is complete. You could have counted rounds of four to see how many of them there are in a ten minute practice. You have attended to what you were doing and maybe to how you were feeling. No need to watch yourself attending.

                Hey, if you really completed the above, congratulations! You have practiced meditation. 

                Did you sit with a straight spine? Did you have pain to avoid? Did you move around a bit to avoid discomfort? If pain becomes truly disturbing you can start repeating rounds of "Good Posture; no pain."

                Check the clock. You may not have completed what you set out to do. This is not just a bit of bad humor. An important part of most practice is to faithfully complete that which you have set out to do.

                Do try not to stop too soon. It's not a crime to check a time piece to see how you are doing. You are the boss, commander, and beneficiary of your practice. When you have completed a practice, take some time to consider how you feel. You deserve congratulations for each and every practice you complete. Congratulate yourself.

                When you feel bad,truly bad after a session, it may have been a practice truly bad for you. I may be best not to repeat that same practice again soon. Take some time to consider it; you may note parts to keep, change, or not to visit again before a couple of years pass. It's good to have a congenial practice or three around to take the place of one dropped or just for a good change. When you do begin a new practice it is good to decide/determine how long you will try it before considering another change. You may find it best to stick with a new practice for around six or seven sessions before making a change.

                As you counted your rounds in your original practice experience, when was your breath warm and when cool? How did it feel? How did the air feel moving through your nose. Weird? Good? Did you breathe out by way of nose or mouth? How did the air feel moving into your lungs? Did you keep counting? Did you finish your ten minutes?

                Review your experience, think about it. If you felt good enough about it, you could determine to keep at it for, say, three times a week for three weeks. Then you could decide where to go from there. It is good to explore a variety of practices. It may be best to stick with each for a number of weeks before deciding what to do next and perhaps how to do it. When experiences feel great, you can stick with them for awhile and perhaps return to them year after year.

                Congratulations for beginning to explore meditation! Why not congratulate yourself for that which you have begun to learn about yourself and your meditation. You might find that you can rake a sort of mental picture of your experience, so that you can compare it to other doings. 

            You can learn more about meditation and the practice of it online, in books, in a group, with a coach, and in other meditation posts on this blog. You can learn a great deal from observing your own practice.

                I believe that completing that which you intend to do is a valuable part of your practice. Do not intend too much, but to complete that which you in tend to.

                When all or part feels bad for you it may very well be bad for you, It is probably bad for you at the time. At some other it may not be so bad for you, or maybe become just right. When feels good for you it probably is good for you just now.

                Search this blog for other posts on meditation practice. You can also find another meditation blog which is good for you. It may be good for us too, please tell us about it. Check out the "comments" section just below. Start by clicking on "comments" or on "no comments."

                Thank you for the visit. Please stay for a while and come back soon.

 

 

                                                                    rcs