On Mindfulness

Word “meditation” is sometimes replaced by “sitting”. A posture one takes to meditate is really not so important, but obviously the easiest and most comfortable one is sitting. So instead of saying I meditate one can say I sit.  

When I meet my friends for a chat I usually meet them at a cup of coffee or a lunch and we are sitting having a talk.

Meditation is a meeting with my-self and it can as well be done in a sitting position. So if there is something I want to attend to, pay special attention to, something that bothers me or need special consideration I sit with it, paying attention and listening as if I was listening to an important, close friend. There is a difference though; I have a conversation with a friend using a verbal language, a language we both understand and my intelligent, thinking mind is in command of it. I cannot do it meditating because in that case the verbal language is an obstacle. I need to use and communicate in non-verbal way being present with what is in the here and now.  When I sit in meditation I am with my being and the being talks in sensations and feelings which appear in the body. I start by scanning the body; witnessing its state and functions (like breathing for example). I listen to motions and sensations occurring in the body and I discern them. This is non-verbal language used by my nervous system. I have been learning it for some time now and it is fascinating. I can sit with anxiety and listen to it; I can sit with worry, fear, doubt and irritation and listen to it. Listening in that case is heeding the energy in my body, feeling whatever is being communicated with an attitude of allowing and accepting. I allow it to express itself without judgement, to tell the whole, uncensored truth. And I do absolutely nothing about it. That’s meditation.