If you think that peace and happiness are somewhere else and you run after them, you will never arrive. It is only whne you realize that peace and happiness are availalbe here in the present moment that you will be able to relax. In daily life, there is so much to do and so little time. You may feel pressued to run all the time. Just stop! Touch the ground of the present moment deeply, and you will touch real peace and joy.
-Tich Nhat Hanh
stop
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good stuff there. thanks.
i read a couple of his books back in the day. great teacher.
it's just here and now huh? for me, the 'present moment' brings back the color of life but anxiety follows. haven't gotten past that yet. probably should get back on the cushion.
if you don't mind me asking, how do you practice? do you meditate?
again, excellent quote.
i read a couple of his books back in the day. great teacher.
it's just here and now huh? for me, the 'present moment' brings back the color of life but anxiety follows. haven't gotten past that yet. probably should get back on the cushion.
if you don't mind me asking, how do you practice? do you meditate?
again, excellent quote.
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Dana Sheets
- Posts: 2715
- Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2002 6:01 am
I do.
I've been spending time each morning doing standing and moving meditations.
walking and breathing - inhale over three steps, exhale for three steps, trying to keep my attention focused simply on breathing and walking.
8 brocades - this is a series of stuff you do with and do your body, a qigong series.
Other times I'll use my Uechi stances for standing meditation. For example, I'll hold the double upper rising block posture from a sanchin or a neutral stance with the arms at their highest point - and just stand there for 10 or 15 minutes.
Sometimes I sit and light a short incense stick and focus on breathing.
Sometimes I'll do the loving kindness meditation:
May I be filled with loving kindness
May I be peaceful and at ease
May I be happy
And then you use that as a outward meditation by filling in someone's name or the world for yourself.
I mix it up quite a bit. What I try to do is get in some form of meditation or qigong every day.
Here's something I think you might find relevant.
I've been spending time each morning doing standing and moving meditations.
walking and breathing - inhale over three steps, exhale for three steps, trying to keep my attention focused simply on breathing and walking.
8 brocades - this is a series of stuff you do with and do your body, a qigong series.
Other times I'll use my Uechi stances for standing meditation. For example, I'll hold the double upper rising block posture from a sanchin or a neutral stance with the arms at their highest point - and just stand there for 10 or 15 minutes.
Sometimes I sit and light a short incense stick and focus on breathing.
Sometimes I'll do the loving kindness meditation:
May I be filled with loving kindness
May I be peaceful and at ease
May I be happy
And then you use that as a outward meditation by filling in someone's name or the world for yourself.
I mix it up quite a bit. What I try to do is get in some form of meditation or qigong every day.
Here's something I think you might find relevant.
Walking Meditation
Thich Nhat Hanh & Nguyen Anh-Huong
"In meditation, the practice of calming, resting, and dwelling happily in the present moment can be difficult at first because our minds are always racing. The more you try to stop your racing mind, the more it resists. Mindfulness is not meant to supress or get rid of the racing mind, but simply recognize its presence.
...
If anxiety, sorrow, confusion, or fear happen to arise while you sit, greet them with a gentle smile; and if you are a visual person, invtie them to rest in your lap or next to you as you sit. Return to the practice of conscious breathing.
...
...start with a short period of time, five or ten breaths. If you think you have to practice medidtation for too long a period of time, there is no way you will maintain daily practice. Instead, throughout the day you can use the ringing of the telephone, or the sound of your watch or any other cue to stop all doing and thinking for a moment. Just enjoy your breathing."
Did you show compassion today?
