Insight Meditation (Vipassana)
You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day unless you’re too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.” Or “If you have time to breathe, you have time to meditate.” These are great quotes to ponder but regardless, meditation is an active practice that will not happen if I (we) do not make it happen.
I think many people confuse religion with philosophy. My understanding of religion is that it is a belief system based upon faith or what cannot be seen. Whereas philosophy is generally a rational investigation of truths. With this being said, I don’t think I would even enter into the conversation of how meditation is not religion, but rather a tool that could enhance one’s religious beliefs or other aspects of their life, unless they had an openness to begin with. I have found that trying to convince someone of something usually doesn’t achieve the desired results.
Insight meditation is also known as Vipassana and is known to be the oldest of Buddhist meditation practices coming directly from the Satipatthana Sutta which is the “Discourse on the Establishing of Awareness” attributed to the Buddha himself. Vipassana meditation is a direct but gradual training of self-awareness or mindfulness usually over a period of years. During practice, a student’s attention is focused inward towards an intense contemplation of particular aspects of one’s existence. The meditator trains to be more and more self-aware of their own flowing life experience.
Put aside time on your schedule to practice Vipassana meditation. Find a quiet room or space within or near your home. Sit upright but comfortably and relaxed in a sturdy chair. Relax and clsoe your eyes. Make your breathing deeper and longer with a 4-second pause between each inhale an exhale. Move your attention away from your breathing and onto other observations of your thoughts. Relax your neck and shoulders and work your way down your torso using just enough muscular tension to hold your body upright. Experience going through a progression from physical awareness to mental awareness and then to an emotional release to become present in the moment. Once you are comfortable with the physical awareness of your body, move on to becoming aware of your senses and what is occurring in your immediate environment inside and out. Listen closely to maybe hear the A/C or heater turning off, bringing your focus maybe to the refrigerator now humming away in the background of your awareness. Each time a distraction presents itself, acknowledge it and then become aware of the next sound. If there is no sound, move onto feeling the touch of your body in the chair or your feet on the floor. Then another thought will appear, like how long have I been sitting here, the room is warm, or what time of day is it? All trivial thoughts within your inner dialogue that you can continue to acknowledge and then let fade away. Slowly open your eyes to the room appearing slightly brighter and sharper. You will feel refreshed and calm thereafter.
References:
Monaghan, Patricia; Viereck, Eleanor G. (1999) Meditation: The Complete Guide (p. 93). New World Library. Kindle Edition.
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I write often about topics that affect our health and well-being. Additionally, I teach and offer lecture about qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, and yoga.
For more info, contact Jim Moltzan at info@mindandbodyexercises.com, 407-234-0119 or through my site at http://www.mindandbodyexercises.com
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