When I first learned to meditate I was taught to sit upright, holding onto my thoughts as the pattern of breath finally emerged. I recall the formality of the process, how the energy of the room seemed so unnatural and forboding. As if the slightest mistep would somehow void the value of the experience. Is there any wonder why so many of us failed?

If only the instructions had been a bit more forgiving, many of the students (myself included) may have stayed – encouraged to stay the course along an unfamiliar road. Instead, we crafted excuses from the pitch of our overwhelmedness as fear imposed its hefty barrier.

It wasn’t until many years later that I discovered that there was, indeed, another way. One that invited the engagement of all our senses, enlisted their help in this process of discovery.

‘Just sit for a while and listen to your breath.  Try not to let the thoughts intrude.’ My instructor was a portly old gentleman with smiling eyes and a sense of wonderment that could fill a room. Even in the midst of the most unfavorable of circumstances, he seemed so very centered and unaffected. He knew these moments to be passing, at best. That we must welcome their presence with thoughtful courage.

In The Miracle of Mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh explores the aperture of meditative awareness – inviting us to explore its depths. I’d like to share his teachings here:

‘Someone might well ask: is relaxation then the only goal of meditation? In fact the goal of meditation goes much deeper than that. While relaxation is the necessary point of departure, once one has realized relaxation, it is possible to realize a tranquil heart and clear mind. To realize a tranquil heart and clear mind is to have gone far along the path of meditation.

There is a temptation to look upon them, or at least some of them, as an enemy force which is trying to disturb the concentration and understanding of your mind. But, in fact, when we are angry, we ourselves are anger. When we are happy, we ourselves are happiness. When we have certain thoughts, we are those thoughts. We are both the guard and the visitor at the same time. We are both the mind and the observer of the mind. Therefore, chasing away or dwelling on any thought isn’t the important thing. The important thing is to be aware of the thought. ‘

In this short passage, he not only simplifies – he redefines the interelationship between ‘life as we know it’ and ‘life at its fullest’. When we are happy, we are happiness; and, when we are peaceful – we, ourselves, are peace. In this way, our awareness is continuously revealed.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❣