1IIITIhei [. 051-~ Arme lean form of' I edl·ltati1onl yet.

111

Time malgalzilne

18 Mj nrutes to Great, r p. ace

8 inule 10 o· e Stress

8 'inutes to a Happier l~fe

'V' 'I. D III h

~. tctor .' aVIC'

author 0 Tile Best Guide To Meditat~'on

VI C···'· TO"" .'. R' D"A"·· V······ I C"'", H'

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8 Minute Meditation

QUIET YOUR MIND. CHANG,E YOUR LIFE.

I1II

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Copyright © 2004 by V ietor Di8.rv ich Author photo by R_ lB'C~I]lh,al1n Cover d~~,gna!DJdmt by Lisa Mays Text dies~gm by Julie Rogers

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C:ONTENTS

,Preface Beg,i,r:I,r:I,ings

vii

PART 1. MEDITATION 101

17

PART U. THE a WEEK MEDITATION PROGRAM

weEK ONE:~ .J ust On e Breath weEK TWO:: Naked Sound

WEEK TH ReE~ Noting Be dy Sensation s WEEK FOUR: This Magic Moment weEK FIV~ Gracious Declining

weEK SIX,: Private Sere en i ng

WEEK SEVEN:~ l.ovingki nd ness M edita tic n WEEK EIGHT:~ Combi natie n P b;te

61 65 '77 89

101 109 117 127 135

~RT 111. THE UPG'RADE

Beyond 8 Minutes

The Me:dimtion in Action Template l.ovingkindness; Going Further

149 154 159 166

,D .... ("".t'I;~,~'II"""'a(""· M'" Y' 0 .... II" ("',",If'II'" ,I A,' ,i k-f 1f\'~.I:nJ~,~ ~~~., ,,'" ._:', ,F'!G,n -.jUir,~yl,n .,' """,bn..)l!1r

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IF YOU ARE reading these words, there's something drawing :you to meditation.

Maybe you~ve heard that medltatlon can help you become more peaceful and feel safer in a. complex, uncertain, and often harsh world. Perhaps there's another reason. Maybe, you don't even know why.

But, you do know youjd like to learn to meditate. Only problem ls, meditation sounds really complicated and extremely tlme-consurnlng, If only' you could flnd a, simple wa,',/, to meditate that would suit your lifestyle yet provide the benefits you long 'for ...

wei$~ h'ereJs goad' news:You've found lit.! And' aU it takes' lis B ml"!1-

I '~1:l; 0:" ..-:II d· t"n/'

!!J...II·L,~~ y- .. ~l"'!i'

vm PRE FAC E

8 M,inute ,Medltationis the neva lutlonary neN program that will change you r life as eas ily as it fits 'j nto lt, In just a m 'j nutes a day-~the space between two televlslon ecmmerclals=-you can build a I'l'fetime meditation practice. Time magazine callsft "the most American fo rm of meditation yet.u

8 Minute Meditation

IF YO U HAVE ever thought, ,~' love to med~tate, but it's too hard' and' takes too $ang~ it. might be becouse the rneditction books and programs you've come across are overly compllcoted, confusing, and time-demending.

Until now.,

BM,inute ,Med'itation ls a, modern approach to mad ltatlon , bringing you Eastern tool s for Western res ults. Whether you have never tri' ed medltatlon before or tri edit an d stopped ~ a M lnute M,ed'itation will work for you.les design ed for who you are and the way you live today.

Not only does the 8 Mi'nute Meditation program work. it does something most other medltatron books don't: 11 makes meditation practlce enjoyable. pleasarrt-« even fun-e-tc learn. Not

:2 8 MINUTE MEDITATION

only wlll thls medltatlon program 'turn you into a, real medltator; but yau~11 enjoy smiles, chuckles, and maybe a few outright be I ty laughs along the way. This is anti relyln keeping with the spirit of medltatton, lt's also the best way to help you learn to mad ltate.

And don ~t wo rry~ I never sacrlflce su bstance fo r I aughs, I \/e got mare thantwenty-flve yen,rs of medltatlon experience and have already written a Book of the Month Club se lectlon on the subject, As such, I am a gratefu I examp Ie of haw the practice of meditation can transfo rm you r llfs, Every ward in this bookis in-, tended to help you do the same.

SOJ please" Join me on a journey that will quiet ycur rnlnd, change you r I'i'f~and JU st plain m aka you happ ler, I~ II be with you every step of the way. And youtll be glad yau came along,

We llve in an age 'in which we have less free time than even Any actlvlty we undertake" frorn reflnlshlng a, 'floor to learning rnedltatlon, must be:

,. Simp le to unde rstand

• 'Easy to do

,. Offer benefits wo rth the time lnvestm,ent

lt's no wonder that when it comes to meditation, we have little time (or patience) for confusing and complicated explanations of meditation 'Or inscrutable instructions such as "[ust do nothing," And we certain ty don't have up to an hou r a day to meditate.

BEGINNINGS :1

B Minute Mediration changes a.11 this. M'editation may be a 3~OOa-year ... o Id tradltlon, but 8 ,Minute ,Meditation is a completely new and current approach to lt- ........ an a-,week program that's slrnple, easy" cleanand incredibly tlrne-effectrve,

W'ith B M,inute ,Med'ftation~ "'l0u~ II be m ed i tatl ng qu lck Iy an d easily~ starting from Day One. At the same time, you'll be building a steady meditatio n hab it that can I ast you a, llfetlrne, A II this in jUst 8 minutes-th,e s~pace between two 'TV commerOI]$ bre aks.

What's more, yau wlll begin to address=end resolve-the main issues and challenges that brought you to meditation in the f rst p lac e~ su c has:

U'I c: I ' 'I "/- " " d ,- ~ t.

I ~e rea Ii stresse out.

UM'" the hts a ,,- of ,-, ,- "Iu

- - .y ,t" oug 'ts are out 0: contra.

~ f.1 fee I as 'if I'm d r'ifting through llfs"

iU'11 flu' ff th h dl - I d c; "h/n

(SSP '11,/rlng orr me nan e at my co-woneers an 'Id,mll".

'~I can 't concenrrare,"

"Something's mlsslng, but I don't know what,"

UEverything seems OK,. but still. I wish ... u

a Minute Med.itation 'is simple, ea,S)' meditation for everyone,. regardless of age, sehoo nng~ or Incom e even if you think you can't sit still for 'One mlnate, mu eh less eight. Whethe r yau 're a new parent. a single morn, a high school student prepping for the SAT: or a young executive about to start your dream [ob, rest, ,1,S-'

8 MINUTE MEDITATION

sured-8 Minute ,Medrta'tion wHI work 'for you. In a. matter of rnlnutes from right now, you'll be able to begin your ftrst meditation period. No confu slon, No wasted time. No kldd ing.

Here's how msyi'esgolng to be far you to become a meditator:

I., You'll begin with a shortvtou r'~ of meditation that will give you the essentials without confusing 0 r bo r'ing you. You~ II learn what the word meditation means and see how easy 'it is to meditate. You ' II be brlefed on how this once-dally B Minute M'editation program works=end whylt works.

2. Next, you'll prepare and set up for you r first meditation perlodrou'!l learn a simple, effective meditation po stu re that reqa ires nothing me re than sitting an an 0 rdlnary chair: You t.11 also receive a unique set of Med ltatlon Operating lnstru c-' tlons that will assist you throughout the next B week~nd ho pefu Ily beyond,

3. Then. ¥'ou'li beg'in you r fi rst medttatlon pe rlod, gu lded by slrn pie; jargon-free; fal lu re .. p ro of med i tatlon lnstru cti ens, You~1I rnedltate for just 8 mlnutes a day-no more and no less. Part II of this book contains 8 sections-one fa reach week of the program, You'll spend a week with each techniqu e and then move on. Each section also includes material that will help you transltlon from one week to the next, as well as in-depth answers to 'frequently asked questions.

4. After you complete your 8 week medltatlon progra.m,,you' II have the opportunity to "upgrade" and deepen you r med ltatlon practice. Part. III contains everything y'ou 111 need to

BEGINNINGS :5

do thls.Includ ing a utrain:ing schedule" and a special M edltatlon in Action Template that will enable you to bring rnedltatlon into every aspect of you r dal If life. Part III cone lu des with a cream-of-the-crop selection of meditation books, tapes, and retreat cente rs,

W'ith 8 M,'inute M ed ltatlon, gett.ing the hang of meditation 'is slmp ler=-much simp lar-than you think. Of eou rse, you might 'find the 'first few days, maybe even the f rst weeks, somewhat challenglng, But hang in there with me. After two weeks, you wi II be meditating with 'tam iI iarrty. By the end of Week B~ you w ill be a" fu II .. , fledged medltatcr-e-ready to go even deeper into meditation practice. But what 'is mu ch mo re lmpo rtant, you t.11 reap benefits of meditation from the very beglrm ing. Benefits such as:

• A greater sense of peace and well-being

• Simp le, d rug ... free stress red uctlon

• Imp roved concentration and 'focus

Quite simpty~ meditation can change your llfe. l'rn not talklng about going to Permanent Bl'issland. What I am talking about 'is much, much better-the real deal: a way to live 'in this complex: world with clarity, well .. being, calm, and happiness.

W'ith all these great. things going for lt, lts a wonder everyone on the planet tsrrt meditating. So why aren't you? For the an~er--:and solution-read on.

,6, 8 M INU'TE MEDI TATI ON

WHY YOU CAN~/"f START 'TO ,ME:OI"TATE. W'HY YOU S'TARTE'D AN~D STOPPED.

WHY 8 ,MI'NIUTE ,ME:DITATI'O'NI CHAN'GE:S 'TH,AT.

Whenever people learn that l'rn a meditator or have written a rned ltatlon book" they 'invariably-feel compelled to tell me one of two things: "l wou Id love to learn to medltate, But I just can't," or ~~I tried to meditate but stopped,"

:My response to these statements ls always and exactly the same: 'iWhat do you thlnk is in the w(J'I?~tHere are sam e of their respo nses, ,D 0 any strl ke yo u as 'tam II i a r?

W'H'Y I CAN'T' LEA,RN TO MEDITATE

1- t - "I· t d

t s too camp icatec,

It takes too much time.

I'm not. srn art enough.

I'm too old.

I, , , ,-

m too young.

I'm not. special enough.

'I don't have the time.

BEGINNINGS .,

WHY I STARTED MEDITATION AND STOPPED

I couldn't stop thinking"

It took too 10 ng.

I went on vacation and couldn't start when I, returned.

1,.- '. c .•.. ~- ..... h· ".- I " .... ectad t wasn t w at , expecte .

I didn't get enlightened.

I wasn't splrltual enough.

I wasn't special e no ugh.

I must have bad karma.

Although these lists 100 k long, the 'truth is that all these ra ... ' tlonales 'for not meditating come down to two basic mlsbellefs:

'- M'edltation 'is obscure, contusing and hard.

'- Meditation takes too much time to learn and actually do.

Lees see how the B Min ute M edltatlon program addresses-aa nd €I rad lcares=-both these 'iss ues,

Meditation Is Too Nebulous, Confusing, and Hard

W'ith more than 4;;500+ medltatlon books on the market, lt's easy to see why meditation has an undeserved reputation 'for be i ng a myste rlo us, arcane 51ste m reserved 'fa r a b rllllant se lect 'few.

18 8 MINUTE MEDITATION

But the truth ls exactly the o.f?pOs,fte: Anyone can easl ty learn to practice m edltatlon, no matter what those convo luted books 'filled with Sanskrit say~lhis 'is the primary goal of 8 M,intfte ,Medi-, tation~ to demystify meditation and make it effortless 'for you to both learn and do,

'The 8 week program is divided into three sections:

• Part I provides you with the foundations of meditation and p rep ares you to 'imm'ediat.ely start you r f rst rnedltatlon pe rlo d.

• Part II is the hea rt of the matte r: the specially des lgned, step-by-step, 9-m lnute-a .. ,day~ a-,week rnedltatlon program.

• Part. III 'is the "u pgrade t~ sectl on, offe ring yo u ways to m ake you r meditation p ractlce deeper and apply it to everyday life.

Sound simple! Sure it does. Because 'it 'is.

Meditation Takes Too Much Time-to Le Tn and Practice

Be honest when you answer this question:

Is your llfe so super-busy that you don't have a minutes a, day,. when you get up. or just before bed. that you can call your own~

Sure, everyonets life is jam-packed and hectic. But to say that you don't have 8 minutes a day to do something you want to do sounds a tad 'flimsl~ doesn'tlti Do you have time to watch B minutes of TV~ up to the f rst comrnerc la I break o'fTh e Siffi'psans? Well,. okay,then.YbuVe got. time to meditate the 8 Minute M'edita.tion w,(J'!j.

But; you say~ l'rn a single mom.I'm a traveling dad. I just had a

BEGINNINGS '9

baby~ I'm busy, busy, busy. How 'in the world can I find time to rnedltatei ~ The answe rls; The time is there. Just. relax. and allow you rself to see where it ls,

Single morn! How about meditating after the kids go to sleep? Or before 'they' wake up? Traveling dad'? Next tlrne you're on that two-hou rtl ight to San Antonia, close you r golf magazine and spend 8 pleasant minutes in alrborne medltatlcn, NeN par-, end Give baby her 5 A.M. feed ing~ then meditate for 8 minutes whi le she dozes off.

And by' the way~ 'if you think those short, 8 minute periods won't amount to anything., think again: No lesser Ught than Albert Einstein said that the most amazing phenomenon in the universe is compound Interest Each B mlnute medlratlon period 'is a deposit 'into you r account at The Fi rst National Bank of Meditation~ ¥/here it earns a hefty int.erest rate, 'I n tlme, those srn a, II deposits aggregate and compound into a huge payoff the abillcy to !'ive life in peace and calm.

Where else can '){OU get a greater retu m on so small an in-, vestment?

'THIIE' ElIF'rl'''F'H 0','" ".'Ii:: 'THI'S" B.,O· "'·"0'.' ·'·K,·· W,""H"Y',",'" 0 M,I IN"'-U"TE'S-'

i- ~: 0 Irrtll:- ··':: ... ~·'r' : I .. :~·-.: ~' .. ' .. ': .. __ .'.".'.I.:._:.' < .. : "'.'_'.".'_': .-.' a L ... ~', i·:··!, .. ' ...... I I :,'~.'~.:~

AN::"- D'· ·W"'·:·.:H-'Y·:··:· I'T- '~W'·'(·-'···-O···· •.•... FlK··· e .

.. ~!_ ,._.<_.: I I <:.· .. ':.-- .. r\r·.'u~

Now, you're probably asking two thlngs at this point:

HW·'·'·····h" S,,· . - .. "in

• -':11,' .::.' mloutes"

~l;Wh ...- .. - II th- '. "II· rl ~u

-:_0 are :You; anyway, to te me tms WI WO (. .

H) 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

'That's the splrltl Like the Great American Bumper Sticker says~ "Qu estlon Authority" So allow me to introduce mys€! If without, as autho rs love to do, recou nting my personal and 'fascinating (to the author) spiritual jou mey.

I tell you my story because I want. yo u to see that my life 'i s slm i lar to you 1""8. People like us don't sit on rnountalntops, but have challenging stress-f lied llves that demand we get down in the trenches of real Ufel every day. And If you can take medltation along for the ride, 'it makes a" huge difference.

First, off" ltd like you to know that I am the author of The Best Gu'ide '[0 ,Meditation a very popu lar gu ldebook to medltatlon and a 'Book of the Month Club selection. I began to practice rnedltation in 1975.[; and over those decades, I have meditated for thousand s of ho u rs, attended dozens of mad itatlon retreats, an d studied with (and cou nt. as friends) some of the forern est rnedltatlon teachers in America.

I began rnedltatlng in 'N fNiI Yo rk C'ity while att.endinglaw schoo L My reas on for starting was p ractl cal. not. sp 'i rltu al An alumni told me he had started meditating the year before and 'found that his memory had 'improved-as well as hls grades.

At the tlme, among other reams of case law;; I had to commit a slx-lnch-thlck copy of the IRS Tax, Regulations to m,emory. So I flgu red, UWhat have I got to losei" I attended a cou pie o'f nlghts of basic rnedltatlon instruction and was to Id by the lnstru ctor to meditate twice a. day.

'The 'first time I mad ltated, I experienced sornethlng I hadn't felt. much of in my life ~ and never; ever in law school. ~ felt ,pe ece, And when sorneth ing 'fee Is good, you u sual ty keep on doing lt, So I did.

BEGI NNI NGS ~]

I continu ed to meditate on a, twlce ... dally basls, After several months, I 'found myself more relaxed yet~ paradoxically, more a Ie rt, both in and out of class. I also experienced better concerttratlon and focu s, 'This natu rally led to better camp rehenslon of even the most camp lex: materlale=-such as those Inscrutable tax regu lations. What was me re astou nd ingt I 'found myself actually looking 'fa rward to my daily sparring practice with them.

'Then came the final tax: exam, and to my (and my professo r's] utter su rprlse, I got an A,.Whether rned ltatlon hadanyth ing to do with it or not.It dldn't matter: I knew by then that rnedltatlon was something I was going to continue to practice. Which I dld, throughout twelve years of legal practice in New York; as a buslness affairs attorney 'for two Fortune 500 advertlslng agencies and Paramount Pictures.

'In 191'5~ I moved to Los Angeles to become more involved in the entertainment business. I became a producer; screenwriter; novelist. and nonfiction wrlten 'In LA;. I continued to deepen my medltation practice. rnovlng fi rst to Zen and then on toVtpassana, or Insight Meditation"

During this perlod, I was fortunate enough to discover sav-' eral extraordinary rnedltatlon teachers who enabled me to go deeper in my practice. 'They inc lu dad Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein, and Shlnzen Young. who became my prlmary teacher and rnedltatlon "go-to' guy. The teachings, benefits" and insights I received 'from these and other teachers were, and remain today, of inestimable value.They're also what I hope to convey' to you in this book.

'The lrnpetu s to write B ,Minu"te Med:ttation came to me after someone told me 'fa r the umpteenth time that they'd ureally love

12 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

to meditate, but ... u Frankty; I was tired of hearing whatever 9)(,-' cuse they had come up with. So I set out to create a fai I ure .. p ro of rnedltatlon program that would ellmlnate any and all "buts" and that would:

• F.itinto anybody's lifest.yle" no matter how busy they were.

• Start peop Ie rnedltatlng lrnrned iatety;_,and make su re they wouldn't stop.

• Provide simple, reliable m edltaticn lnsrructlon that anyone cou ld do the first tlme they tried.

• Anticipate and clearly answer common qu estlons ... doubts, and concerns

• Enable anyone who wanted to go deeper lnto meditation

to' be able to do' so

. ,',' .'" ,'. ,'. ", ," _",' " "

- < > . ""." .. -. I. ~ , ': 0 ,~ -,:,,> .:'.': >,.,

• Be su ppo rtlve, en eou raging, and give pea p le the feel'ing that I was with them every step of the way"

B M'inute Meditation is the program I created to meet. these goals. And, rnore jrnportantly, help you achieve yours.

Why 8 Minutes?

As far as I know" there is no Geneva Convention governlng meditation tim e periods. Some teachers requ ire students to meditate 'for up to one hou r a day. If you attenda Zen retreat, that can rise to ten hou rs~ On the other end of the spectru m, several m edlta-

BEGI NNI NGS 113

tlon books say three or even one minute is sufflclent daily medlration tlme,

Here's why I think B minutes a day 'is lust right:

'" lt's not a long time and will not compromise, intrude on, or throw off you r llfestyle, lt's the time 'it takes to take a shower or prepare a tuna. salad sandwich. It's also the time between the first two cornrnerclal breaks of you r 'favorite sitcom.

'" Eve ryan e, and yes th at 'includes you ~ can fit B m 'in utes into his or her day. Can you wake up e minutes earlier? Go to bed 8 rnloutes later? If you~re travellng, do you have 8 mlnutes while waltlng 'for your boarding call or on the plane? After you check. in at the hotel? Of course you do.

• A steady; daJty .. B rnlnute practice is cumulative and builds what I call '~M'indfulness Muscle~" More about this later. For now, just know that lt's all good.

BEGI'N 'TO MIEDITATE:. RI,GHT N'OW.

Med'itation has never been simpler than the 8 Minute Meditation way~You won't find a sing,le word in this book that requires a splrltual or Webster's dlctlonary, an lnstructlon Y'ou can't understand, or a. meditation technlqu e you cannot do slmply easily and the 'first, tlme you attempt it,·-"'"'Iik.e righ,t now.

As they say in Hollywood.lt's tlrne 'for a "Preview of Coming Artractlcns," Over the next 8 weeks, we wlll be getting into

1111 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

'things in a lot mo re depth. But fo r right now, I want you to get an idea of how simple and easy 'ifs going to be for you to learn to meditate.

Fa r the moment, don't worry about do ing anything but sitting right where you are, All I want you to do is read the following simpl e Instru ctlo ns and doth e b est you can.

Remember" this 'is not a, pop qulz, Grades wlll not be 'issued.

As you'll soon learn, there's no wrong way to meditate.

TASTE MEDITATION

• Sit erect, engaged yet. relaxed, as 'if you're llstenlng to your 'favorite frlen d.

.. A"" 110' ·w· 'Y"''''O'''U r eves t' '0" C" 10';:"0

. -~, '," .:., .' ,>.' -: ·~t ~." . ,.:.~. ':, ·.:···.·~~rE

• Take a long" deep inhale. Hold it a moment, And just let it go.

• Allow you r breath to settle 'into its own natu raJ 'flow. Don tt force arwth i ng.

• Br'ing your attention to where you 'feel you r breath the most. It could be your dlaphragrn.chest, or maybe under your nostrl Is. 'There 's no wrong place.

• Watch you r breath 'from this place fa r the next five breaths,

• Open your eyes.

BEGI NNI NGS 115

Well~ you dld ltl lt's easy, right? Not some b'ig deal or something you aren't capable of doing. Actually, rnedltatlon 'is lust, the oppo-, site: the most natu ral thing in the world.

So are you ready to do something this pleasant and simp le 'for B rnlnutes a day?

Of course you are. Just 'follow the 9 Minute Meditation program gam e p Ian. In B weeks~ you can have a rned ltatlon practice that can last you a I'Ifetime.,

I've already said that if you're reading these words. something has attracted you to medltatlon, You're about to 'find out what that 'is.

Just tu rn the page.

PAR·'T O· N· 'E'

- ,,-_, ,"'.' - ", ::- :.", r.-,'. I

- -, t.", I " I

• •

,ME:DITATION 101

IN A SHORT amount of tlme, you~re goi'ng to begin Week One of your S Minute Meditation program. But ftrst, lt's important that you get the lay of the land. Just like your home, your meditation practice shoul d re sr on as soli d a, feu ndatlon as posslble. That's what Part lis about, lt's going to:

.. Define and demystify what rnedltatlon really is

.. Tell you what th e B Mi nute Med ltatlon program carr-an d ca n't -d', 0'·' for Vi,"O··'U

~ -' ":. "," 1'.. ',' I" '_"._';

;Ii Address and resolve same common mlscenceptlons about meditation and resistances to medltatron

.. Answer beginning medltators' most frequently asked questions

:20 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

• Provide ){OU with a set 0" simple, powerful "Opera .. ting In-, structlo ns' t th at you wi II use in the next 8 m i nutes, 8 week g-,. and perh aps 'fa r the rest of yo ur life

It m'a.y be natu ral 'fa r you to want to skip over this part. and i.~ cut to the chase," that ls, beg into med itate. Bu t 'fight. O'ff that deslre. Th ls stuff is lmpo rtant, You '11 have a, much better chance at succ ess lf you read it. with fu II attention.

W'H'AT- I"S" MIE'O'I"TA' 'TIO'- N';!li;

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Med'itation is not a sratlc ~ 'th ing~tt. lt's (3,,' 'do 'ing~~ ~ This is why lt's so hard to put a finger on and define.

Many defrrltlons 0" medltatlon ure given by the use of metaphors. Here are two examples. one ancient and one modern:

• ~ 'lt is exactly n los mu ddy water left to stand 'in a glass. Little by llttle, the sediment slrjks to the bottom and the water becom es pu re,' (Talsen Deshlrnaru)

• ~ I ••• like g reat scub a gea r: You can see, hear, to u ch, and taste your thoughts without drowning in them" (Laurle Fisher Huck)

But these are verbal attempts to describa what is beyond wo rds, Med'itationis an actlve process that 'is a confluence of the qu alltles of concentration. insight; and wisdom. Here's how I describe 'it:

MEDi'TATION 1 01 :~n

• Medltation ls not a nou n, but a verb. M edltatlon is a dynamic process, like the llqu id 'flowing state of water as opposed to 'frozen 'ice. This is what I mean when I say that meditation is a "dolng," what you r seventh ... grade English teacher called an "active verb"

• M'edltation is not the goa I; lt's the j a u mey~ In just the act of sitting down to meditate, you've already achieved 'You r goal, 'Pretty great, hu h?' Talk about a win .. win situation ~

• ,Medltation is not the menur lt's the meal, Alfred Korzybskl, (11, 'famous Po lish mathernatlclan, once sald, "The map is not the te rrltory' 'The best way to un derstand the "te rrltory" of medltatlon 'is to actually meditate. Othe rwls 8; it's like describing Chunky Monkey Ice Cream to a Martian;you can talk 'from, dawn to dusk, but that poe r little allen won't know what you're 'talking ebcut=- until she dips into the Ben &:

Je r ry's co ntal ner;

Still, I want you to have a, definition of meditation you can hang you r hat on 'fa r the next 8 weeks, something that wi II keep you from wasting time trying to' figure out if youtre medltatlng every time you slt down to medltate=-lnstead of actually med ltattng,

So let's keeplt simple. 'For the next 8 weeks, the 'following 'is dec la red to be the 8 M'inute Meditation definition of meditation:

M dl '. ~ II· h '.

e itation is a oWing w rat rs,

Right no~ p I ease c lose you r eyesf; relax, and j 'fa r the next mlnute or so" just 'feel your body~You:r hands in your lap.jourfeet

:22 8 MIN U 'T E M E D I T A 'T ION

on the 'floor: The noise in the street+ N'ow, as alertlyas posslole, pau sing after each wo rd, repeat the deflnltlon th ree tim es,

Med ltatlon is allowing what ls,

Med itation is allowi ng w hat is.

Meditation is allowing what Is,

Did you get a little taste of meditation? I bet you did. And speaking of rnedltatlon, did you know that ...

M E' D" rr A' 'TI 0"-" N' - 'IA·S"_.'TIL'S'-" G····· PlE'A' 'T'

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.- ' . '.' ':-_ .. -' ..... ._' . -, Pi:.. !.' - '! -,' if I '.' '.' -, •

Back in p rehlsto rlc times (before MTV), there were those chll .. , dren's televlsion shows where the host would hold up a loaf of bread and proclaim, "Klds, Wonder Bread tastes greatl And It's good 'for you" too ~u Well. that's how I feel about medltatlon,

Why does rned ltatlon taste great? The taste o'f rnedltatlon ls, quite slrnply the taste of peace. And what does partee taste Hke,~ Something beyond words-but that you know better than your own name, One of the things your 9 M'inu-te Med:itation practice is about 'is givIng you that taste of peace-9 mlnutes wo.rth~ every day+.

Wh·':·"·r\l 'I~ med ltatlon uIJIQ. io .. d ror ·y····o··,·u U too! lt's c ornm .. ion sense

'_: '_: It' ~ ~" Q. 1 '. "" 6"--"''':-' '. :1'.. ", / .. ' " ..... ~ . ,." .", > ~ ,~. - . ."-.' <> ~~ : .. ~Iii

When y'ou are in a relaxed and allowing state, you are less mentally agitated. And when you are less mental ty agitated .. you r braln

MEDi'TATION 101 23

sends fewer stressful messages to your body~ allowing it 'to be-, come rna re relaxedand healthy,

M'ed leal researchers h 3;vei fo r the past s eve ra I decades, stu died the effectsand benefits of rned ltatlo n, Some of the resu Its in-, dlcate that meditation can, alone 0 r in conlu nctlon with other rnodalltles:

• Lower blood pressure

• Redu ce acute and ch ronlc pain

• Improve muscle response time

• Relax diaphragm and lnternal organs

• Increase breathing efficiency and lu ng capacity

• Reduce anxiety and stress

• Increase recognition of compu lslve behavlo r patterns

The latest research on meditation has been focu sed in the area called neu rap lastlclty, Recent research at the University of Wiseons in has shown that a, steady practice of mad ltatlon over many years can actu ally encou rage the b rain to physical ty rewire itself to be happier (Time 814/0.3; 'The N'ew York. 'Times Maga'z,ine,:; 91 '1,4/0.3) !

But please, before you go rushing off to rewire you r caudate nucleus ... remember these resu Its relate to brains of pec-, pie who might have been meditating for at least a, 'few years. Don't be disappointed if, after you flntsh you r first B minute pe-, rlod, you don't feel that th lngs have radlca Ily changed fo r you"

:211 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

Rega rei th is excltlng new research as something 'to shoot fo ryet. another reason why ~~M'ed itation tastes great~ And lt's good 'fa r jtOU ~ too!"

RO'VIN,G ,MI'N!D: WHAT errs IN: 'THE: WAY or ,ME·DITATIO'N

Thls wou ld be a, good tl me to b r'ietly' i ntrodu ce a characte r you're going to see a, lat. of in you r medltatlon practice aver the next 8 weeks: your RovIng Mind. lronlcal Iy,it will be 1tOU r biggest hjndrance to rned itating-as well as you r path to success.

Whether you're a flrst-tlme or seasoned rnedltator; chances are high-abaut I OO~~that when yau start to medltate, you will be su bj eet to what appears to be an 'incessant and abso lutely un-' control lab Ie stream of thought, 'In the Zen med ltatlon tradltlon, this is called "watching the waterfall~,_.tha.t, perpetual 'Niagara gushing aut of your mind.It's what my pal [ohn Newton callsUcog-,

, ' , J~

n rtrve spam,

lrwarlab I)'. almost all beginn ing rnedltato rs believe that the process of rnedltatlon 'is somehow creating this cascade of thlnking. But the fact 'is otherwise. You r personal 'N lagara Falls ls and always has been there. You've just been too busy d'rawn,ing under ,it to notlce it~ Meditation p ractlce affo rds you, perhaps for the first tlme In you r lffe, an amazing opportun lty: a way to keep warm and dry despite the deluge.

Heres an example of how rnedltatton helps you accornpl ish this:

Let's say you are haJfrN,ay 'into your a Minute Meditatian pe-, riod.rour mind is tranquil and peaceful. Suddenly.out of nowhere,

MEDi'TATION 101 25

the 'fa Ilowing th ought app ears: Gee; my' m~nd seems' ,pretty quiet This is the seed of what I call a "thought-story" And here's where it can lead next:

Peace. Yea'ht Th.is ,is w.ha't's s~p:pased '[0 .nap:pen.? " ," Haw can I stay like 'this.? ., ., .Uh-o,h; rm st.arting'to lose {r[ ., " " Damm,tt!. I've iost ,itt for God'~s: ,sake; I can't do £l'nyth,ing r,ign'[ " " " like today when I deiet,ed'dla'[ e-mail fromSara.h .... Boy~wasReed.mad. ..... Yeah;we$$.he:sacoldn.sh anywa,Y! " " " S',peaking of wnich~ they're ha'v.ing a s~pecia$ on ,po(Jc.n,ed sQ'iman (It the market, Better get some on the wa'y' .hame . " .

And on and on and on. Get the plctureirou start out in tranqu H ity' and pea,ca and wind up shopping for d inned All in the space of a. second, Say hello to Roving Mind.

Now don ~t. start. feelIng bad that yo u h ave a Rovlng Mind. I t's not only you. It's every one of us. 24/7. The mind is a perpetual thought machine whose sale job 'is to thjnk, It's a, loyal, lndefatlgable worker who will never let you down.

Well then, 'if you can't stop or suppress )tour thlnklng, how do you deal with it so you can llvs 'in peace and calm'~ This 'is where meditation comes to the rescue wlth a simple, elegant, and powerfu I solutlort Don't suppress thinking. Sur,pass it

How in the world can you do this?' Well; you can start. by re-' rnemberlng your new definition of rned ltatlon and "allow what ls," And how do you do thati By doing what I call The Meditation 'Th ree-Step;

I. Recognize that you are thinking.

2. Gandy return to meditation.

3., Repeat steps I and 2 as needed. (This will be a, lad)

:26, 8 MIN U 'T E M E D I T A 'T ION

M'ed ltatlon is the art of gently retu m'ing-over and over again. And again. This is why we call it meditation ,practice~

Now, one important note: When I refer to Roving Mlnd~ I'm taU<Jng about those pesky, rovIng~ rambling thoughts that ccrrtinuousty draln you r energy and just. plain drive you crazy. Rov'ing Mind is not the same as and should not be confused with thought perse,

You constantly need to do thlngs, get here and there, hol d down your job" and plck up your klds after school. It's a blessing that you.r mind is working all the time, making sure you watch where you're go lng, avo ld troub le, and remember you r car keys. There's a difference between a roving "thlriklrrg" mind and what we rnlght call {,'wo rklng" rnlnd, As you continu e to meditate ... y'ou J-II be able to distinguish between these dlfferent m ind .. sets with in-, creasing clarlty

We111 get into much more detall about Roving M'ind throughout the next B weeks, But for now, know that if's not meditation that gives rise to it. You~ve been dojng this your entire llfs, lsn't it goad to flnally see It and know that you're about to do something about id

W'HY ME:DI'TATE:'

The Roman philosopher Seneca once asked, ~~What good is a w'ind without a compassi'fThls section is go ing to help y'ou define you r personal meditation goal.

Most people come to medltatlcn 'for myriad reasons, but they usually fall lnto one or more of these categories:

MEDi'TATION 101 27

• PhyS leal h ea lth, sue h as lowerl ng b I eo d press ure

• 'Mental health, su ch as lowering stress levels

• Spl rltual growth" su ch as seeking a closer connection to llfe

Why' do 'you want to learn to meditate! 'This 'is a. very lmpo rtant question, and you. shou ldn't 'feel shY' or embarrassed to ask 'itT. There is this mlsconceptlonthat m edltatlon shou I'd nat be goal-orlented. However, we live 'in a goal .. oriented soch~ty~When we do something. we expect-s- maybe even demand-s-a result. After all, why put time and effort. into something lf it doesn't re-' tu m a cane rete benefit! I wou Idn 't, do 'itt and neither shou ld you.

There is: absa$ut-ely nothing wrong with .naving a goat ,in mind' that you(i like meditation 'to .ne~p yOU' am,ieve" In fact, I thlrtklts a, good thing. And to help you define you r own meditation goal, take a look at some popu lar ones:

• 'You suffer from acute or chronic physical paln.rouve heard or read that rnedltatlon might help with pain reduction.

• Yau take medication 'for stress, anxiety, or hypert.ension. Your doctor also recommends that you take up meditation,

• You 'feel anxious and confu sed.rou need a way to "chill out" without rasa rting to rnartlnls and tranqu lllzers,

• Life is just dandy. 'However; yau~ve got. "the blahs" You feel someth ingis mlsslng.jou don't know qu lte what that ls, but you 've heard that some people 'find thei r answer in medltatlon,

:28 8 MIN U 'T E M E D I T A 'T ION

-You find yourself angll'iirrita.ble~ and sometimes acting in-, appropriately. You 've heard meditation can help you get a better handle on your anger:

Now that ){OUJve seen some other people's reasons, let's determlne your ,persono'$ reason for wanting to medltate.You r re-' sponse is very important. It will make you aware of the "fuel" that will propel you through these next 8 weeks.

So rlght now, take a 'few moments and relax .. C lase you r e)tes.

See what pops up in you r mind to f II in the fa lIowing blanlc ~- M'ed-,

itation 'is a process that can help me n

Okay;lgreat~Whatever you came up with was the perfect an~er:

You say you want to med itate becau se you want to be happied .Fi ne, 1{OU want to be happ j en Then ;;, Med:itatlon 'j sap recess that can help me become happleri'You thought about how afraid you were of y'ou r own road rage,? OkaYi you r goal is ~~M edltatlon is a process that can help me be less angry behind the wheel"

Now )tOU 've created the reason to rned ltate that's meaningfu I to j#ou-n'Ot someone else. Copy' dawn this sentence and place 'it whe Fe you can read 'it befo Fe you r dal Iy 8 minute rneditalian period.

Now that you\/e gotten close and personal with why you want to meditate, let's do the sam's with the a M'inute Meditation program and see how simple, yet effective. it can be fa r you.

MEDi'TATION 101 2'9

'The B Minute M'ed ltatlon program ls designed to be u ser ... :fri end ty, easy; and effective. Here 's a II you need to d a:

'" R.ead Part II tho rough Iy. Don't skim 0 r sklp to Parts II or III.

'" fam'iliari:ze 'yourself with the Meditation Operating Insn-ucelons, These are yaur "ground rules" designed to keep you on track and maximize you r med ltatlon period.

'" Meditate 0 nee a day fo r 8 min utes, Part II 'is dlv lded into 8 sections, one fa r each week of the program. Each week has its own specially selected gu lded meditation techn lque, In add iti on" it c ontalns ~ 'ch eck .. 'in'~ section son you r progress at this point of the program, dlscusslon and tips for this week's medltatl on tecbn lque l a 'fa Ilow up; and a sectl an of of re quanti)'· asked questions with accompanying answers,

'" Move on after eae h week, At. the end of each week, slmpty tu rnthe page and move an to you r rtext medltatlon week and technlque.The technlques have been selected and organlzed to gradual I)' allow you to deepen you r practice. That's why lt's good not to skip around-or ahead.

'" Upgrad eyau r practice, At the end of B weeks, you have the option to stay where you are or move on to Part III and deepen you r m edltatlon practice, Part III offers several ea,sy and simple ways to do this. It also introduces the Meditation in Action Template, which wHI show you how you can apply'

30 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

med ltatlon to every single one of your dal Iy aetlvitles, I highly and heartily recommend the upgrade. And no matter what .. please try the M'edltation in Action 'Iern plate.

W'H'A';'T- vous 0 M······IN,:'-'UI'-r-E-: M····r::O·.··IT·A .: ·:,'-T'-I.O-N·,····-' ~FlO·····G'····:f')A·M····

I I:' ;. I I ,-:, __ ~'. '---' .. , r\. 0 I ",',' I '", '--> LI I 'I'~' [:1 '-',.' ; .... '"" I .' .. ~. . r rl' ... ·--~· ':~:--~, .... J

Will-AN'D WON"I-DO

The 8 Minute Meditation UWon't" List

The 8 Minute Meditation program, won'c

• Con fuse 'yo u, The rned ltatlon tecbn iques in 8 Minute ,Med-, ,itation are so simple a child can do them (and 'if YOU\/B got one. maybe should).

• Leetu reyo u, You~ve chosen this program because you don't want. to spend time on the hlsto ry a r phi losophy of meditation.

• Del'''Iei ntayo u and 'your past .. Why go into discussions of mood disorders. brain chemlstry, or childhood? As w'e say in Hollywood, "Let's cut to the chase," meanlng. in thls case. meditation. right now. in this very moment.

• Get int:o religion, Your 8 minute ... a-day meditation program is nondenomlnatlenal, nonsectarlan, and nonpol ltlcal. There are no hidden agendas" Bu ddhlst or otherwise.

• En'light:enyou. Enlightenment is a word lndlscrtmlnately bandied about by every'one 'from New Age gurus to softdrink promoters, Your 8 Minute Meditation program is

MEDi'TATION 101 :n

about medltatlcn, Don't worry about enllghtenment, Just relax and meditate"

• Asic: to be you r gu ru, Some teachers say that you can tt medltate €liffectively without a guru or master to teach you ~ I disagree. Ewrything you need to begin to meditate Is r'ight here, 'in this book.

• Give you the "secret handshake" or shortcut; Believe me; 'if I could, I wou ld, But there are no secrets or shortcuts in meditation. 8 Minute Med'ttatronis pared down to the essentials. So relax. M edltatlon doesn't get slrn pier than this"

• Leave "'10 u in the lure h. Over the next B weeks of this p rog ram ~ 1'1 II be right beside you eve ry step of the way., l've been down this road myself and have anticipated the challenges, questions. and doubts that wlll came up for 'you. l've built all kinds of "technical su pport" into this prograrn.You'll see what I mean when you startWeek One.

The 8 Minute Med,tation uWiIl" List

'The a M'inute Meditation program wlll:

• Get yo u meditating right now, 8 ,Minu-te ,Meditation 'is designed to be simple, clear; and user-friendly-e-tc get you up and rnedltattng, rig,ht naw~ Look at you r watch. In 'less than 'twenty minutes from now, you ~II be sitting down 'to your first medltatl on pe riod.

32 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

• Respect 'your time and energy. 'There never seems to be enough time in the d,j''i to do what you have to do=rnuch 'less medltate.That's why all you're asked 'for 'is 8 minutes out of your day~N at ten, twenty~ a r fa rty-flve.] ust 8 m,inutes. Not one second more or 'less.

• Give yo u clear, simple, effective instruction. 'The pro-, gram and thls book are I 00% jargon-free. You won't 'find a word you can't understand, a meditation instruction you can't comprehend, or a, discussion that loses you in philosophy or tecbn lcalltles.

• Enable you to build a real medftation practice 'in a short tim e,. Many people have the notion that you ~ve got to sc,hte'p to Tibet and sit in fu II lotus posture for months on end to develop ,(1 strong medltatlon practice. Welt, that's just not true. If you follow the pl,an-8 minutes a day 'for B week~ you will develop a, strong, dlsclp lined rnedltation habit. that you can d eepen~ and can last you r llfatlrne.

• Answe ryou r basle q uestion s.Each section of the book centans 'its awn Q&A section. By' the way~ the answer to €Nery question is always the sarne.Trou're doing great. Follow the program. And keep medltatlng,'

• Help 'You over th e rou gh spots, 'The u nlque burning concern, 'issue, or doubt you have has more than !'ikely been posed by thousands of other medltators. You'll 'find these questions addressed at many places along the way.. Don't 'feel embarrassed, dumb, or ignora.nt~ Wejve all been there,

MEDi'TATION 101 33

• S UppO rt: an d e nco u rage 'you,~ I'm with you eve ry step of the way, not only to answer your questions but also to suppo rt y'ou r effo rts, I promise, I tru If want to help you get where you want to go.

• Point 'you in the right: direcclon. After you complete you r 8 week med ltatlon p rogram, you~ II have the oppo rtunlty to "upgrade" and deepen you r rnedltatlon p ractlce, Part III contain s everythl ng you j 1'1 need to doth is. lnclud ing a "training schedu le" and the Med'itatlon in Action Temp late.

W'UA,',"-T- HI ;A>'F'U'''H::N::'' '5- O-UflIN:-'G'.": "T'"H-'Q"'S:'IE 0 M'.'·IN':""U' ,'TI[;;:5::'::I1

" :'.', rl-:, ,', I i I:,· ," rr-IC, , . ",.",'., _,I ... ".~ rll I .:_.- ,~ • .":-.," ', •. '.' [:J 0 ,", ~ I _.' •. -.... ~", ... :.:~'

Just about now1you're probably thinking that B minutes sounds !'ike a really long time to sit still and do nothing" This is a normal thought and goes to the heart of meditation, So lets clear up two things:

• 8 rnlnutes ls not a. long time.

• Med'itation ls not "dolng nothlng,"

I want you to get out a kitchen timer 0 r even you r watch and start tim ing whlle you read this section.

8 Minutes Is Not a Long nme

You don ~t have to be Steven Hawl<jngs to know that time is relative.

We all know what it means when we say "time just flew,;t~ lt's

311 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

an attemp-t to describe the experience where w'e are so involved in an activity that we lose track of relative time. The engrossing actlvlty can be as varied as watching an overtime NFL gameJ par-, tlclpatlng in a. yoga flow class, or just. hanging out with a. close 'friend. Wha,tever 'it m ay be, the experience 'is one of time lessness,

On the other end of the spectru mel we have all experienced tlme as "an eternity" It's the two minutes you waited at an lntersection to make a left tum when you were late to work, the ten mlnutes in a, bank line because the ATM was down, or the twelve minutes listen ing to an lnsu ranee agent desc ribe you.r medical copayment. This is time that feels more like an endu ranee contest than a trans lent event.

As 1tOU can see, time can pass 'in the "blink of an eye'~ or last eons.It's all about the attention with which you approach the actfv ity~ B M inure M,ed:ltation has been c reared to provl de yo u wlth a series of med ltation technlqa as that will fu I ty engage you r attention. But as Lauren Bacall once said to Humphrey Bogart when she kissed him. "lt's a lot better when you help"

So meet. me halNvay~ When you get ready to medltate, don't prejudge what lt's go'ing to be llke tlmewlse. Don'tlook at rnedltatlon as a horrific bu rden, bo ring chore" or-heaven forbld-esomething that is good for you (a surefire recipe for disaster).

Ju st set you r timer fa r 8 minutes. And meditate.

Doing Nothing Is Really Something

There is a popular misconception that meditation is "dolng nothing~U In point of truth, medltatton is more "somethlng" than what you think is something!

MEDi'TATION 101 35

Wha;t do I mean by thati Just this: When eve r you meditate, you are engaged in a, process.a "sorneth lng" that demands you r 100% complete 'focused awareness and attentlon. In this attentlon, you are active, but in a whole new way: a peacefu I~ calm way that allows you 'to eu ltivatea new relationship with you r mind. 'This is one of the great benefits of medltatlon, one you are go ing to start experlenclng once ){OU get you r practice u nderway But for now, just remember that meditation isn't about "zonlng

" U I" 1 b' "". '. '. ~~

outr tt.s aooutrzormg ,fn.

Timing Your Meditation Period

While we're on the subject of time, let's discuss an lnexpenslve yet extremely important item you must have to meditate properl)": a tim'ing device.

Clock-watching during a meditation period 'is counterprodu ctlve, It pu ts you in a, kind of l'im bo. a state of rep eared Iy a pen-, ing your eyes to check on how much time has elapsed and mental Iy calcu latlng how much time remains. Thls less-thanoptimum situation is easily handled by uslng a timing device. You set it fa r 9 minutes and 'fa rget it.

'To get the most out of 8 Minute Meditation, you need to have a kitchen tim en If you don ~t aJ ready have one, they1re available at housewa re 0 r electron i c sto res. Th i s less-than -ten -do llar investment wl II pay off handsomely in its ablllty to help you establish the most level p'laying 'field possible 'fa r mad ltatlon, Make su re your timer ls an electronic one that does not produ ce any distracting tkklng sound.

Another optlon ls to use the 8 Minute Medr£ation Guided

36, 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

Meditation CD I c reared fa r this program~ It. is a volce-gu lded verslon of the meditation lnstru ctlons contained in this book, The C,D allows you to sit down" find the eu rrent week's meditation track, push PLAY; close your eyes, and be led through your 8 M inut.e Medita.t.ion~ A pleasant. gong sound announces when 8 minutes are up. No muss, no fuss" The Guided Meditation CD is avatlab le through my website" www.Sminutes.org.~

Oka1;1 look at your watch or timer. How many minutes did you take to read this? Good, Su btract that, from 8 minutes, and you\te got an idea of how qUiddy you r 8 Minute Meditation perlod will pass.

I've already discussed the two malor excuses people have for not rnedltatingiThey haven't gat. time" and lt's too hard. 'Now" we're go ing to spend a 'few minutes clearing up some other rnlsconceptlons about medltatlon,

My nanny. Pau line Spector. called them "bubba metntzes.Trou I'" grandmother mlght have called them, "old wives' tales" Buddhist grandmas wou ld call them "palntlng a tiger on your wall" They all mean the same th'ing: You are creating a problem, where none exists. Let's take a look at some of the most popu lar meditation bu bba mel ntzes;

MEDi'TATION 101 37

1 A Meditation Is Too Complicated.

Meditation ls pretty stralghtforward. It is net tee hard. Nor is it tao ea.sy~

Try this. right now:

'* Close your eyes. Relax,

'* Pay attentlo n to you r breath.

.. Notlce one in-and-out cycle of you r breath.

Were you able to' completely pay attention to your breath, with out th ink i n g, d ayd reaml ng; fldgett ng~ or 'YIOnd erl ng what th e heck you were dolngi Most llkely not, Amazmg, isn't rt, how many thoughts you can pack into just one breath, like some lnflnlte, ex ... pan ding sultcase]

But despite all the rnlndtalk going on, did you find it so ln ... credibly dlfflcult to watch your breath? 'Of course not. This is what me d ltatlon ls: paying attention to sorneth lng, real iz,ing that you've strayed awaY' from it; and then gently returning to it. Ex, ... act Iy what au r a ,M inuteM,editation den nition says: a.11 owi ng what ls,

A tourist in Manhattan once stopped and asked world ... renowned vlcllnlstYasha Heifetz, how to get to Carnegie Hall. Hi's response: "Practice ~n lt's th e sam e with me d ltatlorcrou ju st practlce and get, better at it.

2. Meditation Is a Religion.

There is a popular misconceptlcn, especially in the West~ that equates medltarlon with Buddhism. But there's 3" major difference:

38 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

Buddh'ismi I'ike jrdalsm and Chrlstlanltj; 'is a rellglon, Med:itatlon 'is a non secta rlan process of awareness" In fact, you can 'find (1, m edltatlve component not just in Buddhism. but in all the great rellglous tradltlons, lnclud ing Ch ristianity and judaism.

Rest assured, 'the 8 Minute MeditatIon progra,m is completely nonsectarian. Its only pu rpose ls to help you develop a meditation p ractlce :yo u can use fo r yo u r llfetlrn e. The re a re no other agen-, das, hidden or otherwtse.

3. When You Meditate, It's Li'ke You Are Hypnotized. It Sounds Scary.

It has been shown that b rain-wave patterns in med ltatlon states are d ilTerent from those generated du ring sleep 0 r hypnosis. This kind of deep relaxarlonls a natu rally occu rr'ing phenom enon and show Id not be eau sa fa r alarm, Even in states 0" deep rnedttatlo n, you will be as ... and even poss'ibty more, aware and alert than in you r normal state. This 'is exactly the oppos lte of being hypno-, tlzed, stupefied orin a, trance.

4. Meditation ,Is an Excuse to Escape from Reality and Responsibilities"

Some peop le think that rnedltatlon 'is a sneaky selfish, narcissistic way to avold responsjbllltles and real llfe. Nothing 'is farther 'from the truth. The goal of medltation is not to escape from life--but

• ··iO . ,Ji,f.!1 H . ~. h· ..... .. h·· ... I

,J ",-0 It.. ere s . ·ow t . at wo r es:

When you:r mind :is calm, focused, and acceptlng, you expertence aJI aspects of life in a richer. fu ller way, This is because you

MEDi'TATION 101 39

are not Judging everything, but allowlng lt, moment by moment. This new way of seeing can resu It I n the creatlo n of more ~~ life en-' ergyU as well as ,3, desire to engage mo re fu Ill' wlth evell' aspect of life.

So don't wo rry. Becorn ing a med ltator doesn't mean y'ou'll wake up and 'find that you\te abandoned you r law practice and are head ing fa r a, m on astery in Bhutan. But It ce rtalnly can mean flnding rno re richness In you r legal practice, love fa r you r fam'ily~ and reve ren ce 'fa r a, II fa rms of I ifs.

5. You Have fo Have Absolute Silence fo Meditate.

Med'itation 'is about Q'i$owi ng' t.he wodd .in:, not shutting it out. Most people think meditation can only be done properly In abso lute sllence, preferably on a mou ntalntop, far removed from au r noisy,crass, eve ryd ay wo rid +. 'But that's ju st not tru e.

Remember our definition of rnedlratlonl UMeditation 'is allowing what ls," Well. this wi ld, noisy. seem ingly' uncaring everyday world is, whether you like it or not, "what ls," And it Includes car alarm s b larlng, children laughing "and scream Ing). and you r neighbo r's ste re a blasting h ip-ho p,

In medltatlon, we treat all outside intrusions exactly the serne wary: We we Ie am e them ~ with outany] udgments a r attempts to mute or muffle them by donnlng actual or "mental" sunglasses, earp lugs,. or nose e I lps.rou know. we "allow ~ .. allow .. ,. a II a »:

'This ~ {,a llowlng' t. co ncept was exp ressed beautlfu Ily by Sh antideva, an early Buddhist sage~ who said, ~~Where would I possibly find enough leather with whlch to cover the su rface of the earth!

AO 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

But wearing leather on the sales of my shoes is equ lvalent to covering the earth with lt,"

M'ed ltatl on opens you to an entirety "I19S h, peacefu I~ and re-' warding relationship with the wo rid, one that ernb races everything and reJ ects nothing. Each tlme you rn edltate, "tOU have the oppo rtunlty to cu ltlvate a new way to live mo re peacefu Ily and joyfulty-, 'in the midst. of that wild and wonderful place known as dally life.

6. If , Meditate, I'll Have to Give Up the Things , L;'ke~ Reading Vogue, Watching Notre Dame Football, Seinleld Reruns, Burg rs, and Starbucks.

Many people think meditation means having to sacrifice the things they love. I call this the "Tofu ... Meditation Connectlcn," It comes complete with veggles, soy products. charnomlle taa=-and zero enJoyment (unless of cou rse you happen to like these things].

You also may have come across teachers and books that say that the requ 'i rem ents to be a mad ltator lnclude vegetarlanlsm, teetotalllng, and perhaps even celibacy If this were the case, 99% of the rnedltato rs I know wou ldn ~t be allowed to meditate! In-, c lu dlng you rs tru ty~

The idea th at you have to sac rlflce things you love is not on Iy erroneou s, it's cou nterintu ltlve to rnedltatton, You r 9 M'inute M'ed-, itation program demands no prohibitions on anyth ing-especially so-called "vices," This 'includes everything from double lattes to watching Survivor iX to great sex,

'The truth ls that once you start m ed ltatlng, you '11 more than

MEDi'TATION 1 01 A~

likely enjoy these thlngs=-and everything else-even more. Why? Because you ~II have a richer experience of them .. To test thls, I want you to try the followlng Sweet M,ini-Meditation.

• Find a blre-slze morsel of something sweet, such as a ralsln or a Hershey's Chaco late Kiss,

• Take the sweet :in you r hand. Closely examine that beautlfu I m orsel, bu rstlng with svveet potent] a I..

;I; Vel"Y; very slowly; bring the sweet to you r mouth and slowly set it on you r tongu e.

• Close your eyes~ Rea$Iy' get ,in touch with the ex,qu lslte taste as It begins to dissolve in your mouth over your tongue.

Did you notice how much fuller and richer your experience of taste 'is when you are 'full), present 'in the moment? 1m agine dolng everythlng this way~

7. You Can't Learn to Meditate Without the Presence of a Teacher.

l.earnlng any ski II 'is always eas ler when y'ou have a good teacher; So if you can f nd one, go fo r 'it. Ho wever~ the reallty is that th ere is a scarcity of good rnedltatlon teachers. Find ing one is tough enough, and getting to where they are can entail a malo r investment in tlme, traveland money.

'This is a major reason why I created 8 Minute ,Medrta'tfon.. The program is one-step shopping. Everything you need 'to begin,

42 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

build, and malntaln a real meditation practice is herein your hands. And although I can't be physically in the room with you, I'm as dose as the next sentence.

There's an ancient p reverb that says, uWhen the stu dent is re(u:ty~ the teacher will appear" Maybe there is a, teacher waiting for you sornewhe re down the line. So fi rst, become a meditation student. Estab llsh a steady; da'ily~ 8 m 'in ute rned ltatlc n p ractlc e. Then see what unfolds for you.

8 There's Only One Right Way to Meditate.

There is no one way and no best. way to meditate. And O:lvea't ,em,ptor.; Be wary of the person" teacher; or schoo I of meditation that tells you different. If they say lt's "my way or the highway~U stlck out your thumb.

Over the next 8 weeks. you'll be lntrodu ced to 8 simple meditation techniques, And here's the good news:

• 'You can do everyone of them theft rst time and every time.

• 'You won't find a slngle line of instruction that you can't understand.

• It's lrnposslble to fal I at rned ltatlon, All you have to do is the best you can, which is what you are doing all the time, whether you know it a r not.

So stick arou nd and rned itate. After all, how often do you get the opportunity to engage in a win-win situation?

MEDi'TATION 101 43

'These day'S~ everything from bagels to SUVs comes with 'its own set of ope rating lnst ru ctlons, These are the ,in structl ens you usually don ~£ read. and then do whatever th e heck you want. Please don't fo Ilow thls practice wlth your 8 M,inute Meditation Operating lnstru ctlons, They are crltlcal to you r meditation practice and as germane to Day' One as they wlll be to Week Eight~and beyond,

Read your operating instructions now. Bookmark this section so you can retu m whenever you need to" I n tlme, they will naturally inca rpo rate themselves 'into you r med ltatlon practice and operate under you r personal radar,

Sit Down and Be Counted

Each time you sit down to meditate. you're standing up 'for your 'innate right to pea"ce of mind, self-we rth, and happiness.

So when you sit down to meditate, rea'lty sit dOwn~ And' stew there! Don't get. up for anyth i ng-sh a rt of a" 1 .. 2 earthquake, tsunami, or true em ergency~ And no, having to pee doesn't qual ify as an emergency.

Remember, meditation the B .. minute way 'is this simple:

Nowhere to go. Noth ing to do. Nothing to be. Ju st. sitting. Fa r B minutes. No more. No less.

Be Kind to Yourself

Not j ust fo r the next B weeks of the meditation p rogram, but every moment of 'You r life, now and 'fa rever:

44 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

Fru strarion freqa andy arl ses in 'the b egi nn:ing stages of me dlration practice. You might become angry at rned ltatlon, feellng that it should deliver an some promise that lt's not 'fulfilling.

Whenangerl corrfu slon, fru stratlon, doubt, embarrassment. or other negative feellngs a r 'tho ughts arl se in rned ltatlo n, don 't be upset or try to repress them. S im ply become aware of what is happen i ng. Ask )tOU rself In 'th,is m ornent, am I being' kJnd to mys-eV And If you are not" do so.

'I n Week Seven of B Minute M'ed'itati on, you will lea m and do a technique called l.ovlngklndness Med ltatlon, '11Tis practice will ald yo u in accessing you r In nate; natural, aJ re ady-p resent w'e II .. , spring of kindness-not just fa r you rseff but others.

Fa r naw~ knew thls: The fact that you have given you rself a meditation practice is a sure sign that you have made a major declslon to treat you rself with the kindness and com passion you r'ichly dese rve.

8 Minutes~ Every Day .. No More. No L 55.

As you r parents told you back in high schoo I. "First gradu ate. Then you can make your own decisions"

In B weeks from now. when you "graduate" from the B Minute M,ed ltatlon program 'i you' II have a, far greater u nderstanding of medltatlon than you do right now. A.t that point, you'll be ready to make adjustments to you r practlce-sand. hopefu Ily, upward ones in the number of mlnutes you meditate. Until that time. though, please stick to the program and med ltate for B m in-' utes, N a more and no less.

Sticking with the program also means that you meditate just

MEDi'TATION 101 A5

once a day~ery day. Don't skip Monday and Tuesday and 'think you can "make it up" by medttatlng 'for twenty .. four rnlnutes on Wednesday. 'That might work when crammlng for finals, but it won't wo rk in meditation. Consisteney ls the cornerstone of a successfu I medltatlon practice.

Okay~ so now you know exactly how many minutes a day you wlll rned ltate 'fa r the next eight weeks: 8.lhere will be plenty of time 'for tweak.'ing. After graduation.

ULeave the Driving to Us"

lve atways loved this classic Greyhound Bus slogan. lts such a perfect way to say' "Relax," And l've designed 8 M,inu~e Meditation so you can do exactly' that,

I want y'otl to spend each of y'ou r 8 minute meditation pertcds 'in medltatlon, not questioning. doubt, and hesftatlon. That's why every element of B ,Minu-ce M,editation, 'from the Q&As to chapter dlseu sslons to the rned ltatlon technlqa as-even these operating lnstructlons-e-ls designed to yield max imu m resu Its.

You bought this book because you want to learn to medltate, That is my goal 'for you. And 1t.11 be there, right alongside you, every step of the way. Not as your guru. but. as a supportive coacb=-and bu s d rlver;

So fa r the next a weeks, re lax: and 'feel comfo rtab I e in the knowledge that a.11 you r needs have been antlcipated and taken care of. Trust me, you're going to enjoy the ride.

No Such Thing as a Bad Meditation

Th e defin itJon of a "good" meditation ls "the one you dtd ~~ Th e deflnitlon of a "bad'lmedltatlon is "the one you skipped," So to ensure that you have gcod medltatlon every time you meditate. yo u on 11 have to d a on e th lng, right? R.ight~ Ju st. rned ltate.

Rem ember al SO; in med ltanon t fai$ure is impo..ss~b$e! There is no wrong way to meditate. In fact, the very act of sitting down and meditating; ln and of itself, means that :you're meditat.ing~'currectl.y." lt's that simple"

Allow ... Allow ~ .. Allow

Just as the first rule of real estate is "location, location, lccatlon,"

- h f If' , dl -- , .' , " II " II II n

tne nrst ru e 0 me. rtanon IS a, ow ... a ow ... a ow.

When you medrtate, you allow absolutely everything that arises to arrse=-and you exclude nothing, This affords you a, dear, un ob stru cted vi ew of th e n in ety-three .. ri ng cl reus that is yo u r thinking mind.

Here's how wild that circus can be. I n a recent ami nutemed ... ltatlon session, I dined on a succulent lobster dinner I had ln Maine ln 1984. heard the theme song from the movie The Apart-, ment; and remembered my first two-wh eel bh:yde (a, Ru dge). Any connection between these thoughts! If you flnd it. please let me know;

When you sit down to meditate. your own mind chatter ls goi ng to com e pou ring out. SOme thoughts will be pi easant, fu nny~ and blissful. Others might be horrible. depressing. and frlghtenlng,

MEDi'TATION 101 A7

Naturally you will want to s'tay wlth the goad stuff and push aw,ay the bad stuff

Don't,

'When you meditat,e; just meditate,. Allaw every thought, image, and body sensation to "dance 'its dance" And you Just, sit. this one out

Please alsc remember that m edltatlon ls nat cau s'ing yau r wlld dlsp lays of rnlnd.The truth 'is that Roving Mind 'is alw,ays p resent.The major difference is that, (or the first 'time.in your tif'e~ you're notlclng 'it. and deaJ'ing wlth it in a brand ... new, better wa.y_

Catch and Release

Catch and release goes hand in hand with "allow ., ~ . allow .. "

II U

a ow.

'I n the wa rid of 'fly fishing; "catch and re I ease 1 ~ means that after yau catch a flsh, you unhook it and release 'it back into the stream, This is exactly what I want you to do wlth every thought, im age. and body' sensation that you "hook" during you r med itation period.

Your private stream 'Of consclousness 'is brmrrmg wlth a life-, tlme of thoughts, events, and ernotlons, This means that in every rnedltatlon perlod, you are going to hook thoughts.Jmages, or bady sensations that you til 'feel compelled to tangle with.

For example. let's say' you're meditating .. when out of nowhere. themage of the maniac 'in the huge SUV' who cut you off on the highw'ay last even:ing pops into your mind. Suddenly ... youtre fantasizing about how :you'd !'ike to get even with the drtver-e-devlslng punishments that wauld make the Marquis de

AS 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

Sade c r'inge~ You r body becomes 'increasingly 'flushed and 'feve rlsh, Youtre seething with rage and righteousness!

Wha:fs going on here?

'I n catch an d re I ease te rms, you 've "hooked' ~ a thou ght that has now 'triggered a cascade of other thoughts; 'images, and body sensations. In a" split second, you r mind has created a drama that pe rm eates eve ry asp ect of you r being.

Now~ let's run this scenario again, this time using catch and release. Sam's image of the jerkin the SUV~ Same angry' thoughts. But now you realize whats go'ing on" and you say to you rself O,h1- rve hoc ked 0 nto a th (uJg,ht. ~'$i just re$ecrcs-e it. Which you do; in stead of reellng ltjn, throwing it into your creel, taking it horne, scaling. f II et.tlng .. fry i ng~ and eatIng 'i r,

See how much easier-and wonderful-this is? Thls simple act of thought. releas ing 'is you r tlcket to 'freedom-the freedom not 'to engage. Keep doIng this. and allow 'it to lead you to deeper states of awa reness, clarlty~ an d pe ace in everyth Ing you do.

Anglers tell tales about "the one that got away~U In medltatlon, that's not somethlng we regret, but applaud.

Don't Get Mystical .. Shmystical

The word en$ightenmenrt has been bandied about ad' nauseum in connection wlth everything 'from Buddhism to soft drinks. 8 ,M.inute Meditation 'is not interested in ideas and discussions of enllghterm entand prefers the ancient adage: "Those who say do not know, Those who know do not say.n

M'editation ls not about experience-hunting 'for special states of consciousness that go by names such as ~ enllghtenment," "self-

MEDi'TATION 101 4'9

reallzatlon" 0 r "nirvana" When you m edltate, Just mad itate, wlthout any preconceived notion or agenda about what is going to arise.

Stay open to what comes up and then see what happens.You don't need 'to name anything.

UHave fun with Itl"

Do n" 't y' "'0' "U h a' t' e ·t· h' a+ ovp" ..... ess lon II ·S···· t' ",'11 t' ha t ha ~ no t st opped ouo rv

,_.,::, ',/., ..... __ :.". :.' ,._~ ' ... ~._ L. ~_ > I ~~ :'_. < -,,' . ~ -:.' 1 ," ~.'., . a,~ ,", _,' _. ~'. ,,: .. -. ,>_,,~,:' ~f;;iY-~ .• ·-i.'

teacher in the history of the wo rid from using 'it whether thet are teaching you to tap dance, mountain ... cllmb, or perform open-, heart surgery.

Butwalt-.there~s an element of truth here: We usually try so hard to master neN skl lis that we fa rget about enj oying au rselves in the p recess. And I want you to enj 01' rned itating.

M'ed ltatlon ls about gently' allow.ing everything that comes 'in to com e in and then gently allowlng It to pa,ss an its w.a,y~ Everyth'ing is welcome. Nothlng 'is excluded. And I'ike I said. there 'is no way you can do 'it wrong.

So t aI' os a' deep b re at h' and re lax There's no need t Q' d· 0···· anv

<.~: . "_ ... " ... '"'. :~ ~~.> . ~ • "',"_:_ .: .' .: ... :' I 1:.- a.A+. ~ "~ ~ .. : .. :,,~.: .:. ~:~ . ;,:.",: :.,": .. ", u" r:

thing but be, And you can do that, because you've had .3. lot of practlce=-ycu r whole lffe,

So, have fun with 'it!

Breath Is Home Base

The natu ral rhythm of you r b neath is the perfect p lace to retu m to whenever you find yourse If drawn aW'ay from any m edttatlon technlque. lt's also simp le:

50 8 MINU'TE M EDITA'TI ON

• Realize that you have drifted away' from your meditation technique.

• Locate the place in y'ou r body whe re you r breath 'is most dominant.

• 'D i rect you r attentlo n to that place.

• Take a deep breath, and completely let it go.

• Allow ... allow ~ .. allow,

Breath as home base 'is a great tool to use anytime during your 8 Minute Meditation program-as well as those other 1'12 rnlnutes 'Of the day. Try it next tlme y'au"re in bumper-tobumper trafftc or about to make that important marketing pres entatl an.

In fact. being in tau eh with yau r b neath is so wonderfu I and important a, tecbn lque that I \/19 chosen it 'for Week One of yau r 8 .. week program.

,sEJUP FOR ,ME:DIITATION

Setting up fo r 8 Minute Med itationi s fast, simp le, and easy; Here s all )tOU have to do to create a, comfortable envlronrnent;

• Wear loose-ftttlng, comfortable clothes that won't constrlct you r breathing or overheat a r chi II your body There are no special medltation robes or garrn ents requ ired.

MEDI'TATION 101 5"]

• Find a quiet room, preferably with a. door you can shut 'for p r'ivacy~ Ad just th e tempe ratu re, 5 l'ightly coo I is p refs reb Ie,

;I; Reduce outside dlstractlons as best you can. Don't worry about totally eliminating all noise, It's imposslble. Remember:

Med'itating first thing 'in the mo m ing or lust before bed usually ensu res the least, outside noise.

• Redu ce tnslde dtstracnons.Tu m off the phone, radio, and l'll'f you've got 'fam'ily and klds, make a sign to hang on the door, like UMommy is 'Meditating. Back in B m mutes,"

;I; Sit on a cornfo rtab le straight-bade chain You don't need any special cushions or mats.The 'following Q&A section contalns slrn pie i nstructl ens on pc stu re.

;I; Set you r timing device 'for B minutes. As al ready mentioned, 'for bestresu Its, U S9 a kitchen tim er;

;I; Rev'iew the cu rrent week's rnedltatlon lnstru ctlons,

• Start the ti mer and gently close you reyes.

• Meditate 'fa r 8 m 'i nu tes, until the timer soun ds,

Q&A,: SETTI'N,G UP, GEJTIN,G STAR'TE~D

Each week of the 8 Minute Meditation program contains a. qu e8-' tlon and answe r (Q&A) section. The Q&As aren't here to test you or to see how far you've come. Rather; they are designed to help

52 ,a MIN U r E M EDIT A '1 ION

you over the p redlctab le speed bu mps encou ntered in meditation by everyone!:, 'from beginners to masters.

Don't feel embarrassed to go back and consult the Q&As over agaln, Dolng so doesn't mean you 'Ire Urn edltatl on challenged," On the contrary" it means you 're just plain sm art Let's take a look at our 'first group.

Q= forget It~ I Can 't fin d 8 Min utes to Meditate--Anywhere or Anytime1

Let me ask you this:

,. Are you will'ing to spend B mlnutes a day to change your llfe 'fa r the better?

• Would you like to spend B minutes a day 'in a calm, pea,ce .. , ful statei

• Would you like to discover a way of bedng happier in llfe that doesn't require acqulrlng something 0 r somebodyi

If you answered yes to any of those qu estlons, you can den .. , nltely find B minutes a day to medltate,

We're not talking about a lot of time here.It's about getting up B minutes earlier 0 r going to bed 9 minutes late r: A little less of Good MorTling America or The Tanig,h't. Show. In exchange 'for a payoff that c au ld transfo rm you r life.

'Is it. worth 'it.? You know 'it. is. Can you de it? Ab sol utel),!

MEDI'TATION 101 sa

Q~ Wha' Is the Best Time of Day to Meditate'?

Upon rising or just before bed.

As already mentloned. it's best to medltate with mlnlmal dlstraction. Most meditators find that the best tlrne for this is first thi'ng in the mornlng, That's when the kids are still asleep, the TV lsn t:t blasting, an d th e phon e's not yet ringing. Th e oth er best tim e 'for m ed Itatlon is i' n th e even i' ng, ] ust befo re retl ring. Th e day '5 done, the kids are in bed, and your home and neighborhood are settled in for the ni:ght~unless you 11\(9 in Brooklyn.

lf, for some reason, a. different time of the day works better 'for you~ that's fine, too. But remember, consistency is tli'e fl,(]$$mark of (] strang med'itationproctice. No matter what time of the day you chose to meditate, s,tick with, it on a d'a,i$y basis.

Make a standing date with medltatlon. Show up, and you will never be I et down.

Q: Can J Meditate at the Office? A Friend's House? You Know, Catch as Catch Can?

"Catch as catch can t~ n ever caught anything.

To say youtll meditate "when I get the chance" or"when I feel like lt" is shortchanging med ltatlon-c-and yourself. Th e goal here is to establish med ltatlon as a dally habit, such as brush i'ng your teeth.You do that at a certain time an d place-sln themorning ln the bathroom over the sink.

If youmed ltare ln the back of a taxi on the way to the ai rport on Monday morn ing, during you r I un ch break on Tue sday, an d at. home Wed nesday night, you 're not establ ish i ng a co.nsistent~ d'ai$1

a,p,po'imment with medltatlon lt's akin to brushing your teeth in a taxlcab=-scrnethlag I've rarely seen~or done.

Q= What About Meditation Posture? Don't You Have to Sit Cross-Legged on Some Weird Cushion?

lt's not the posture you sit in. but how yOU' sJt in the ,posture.

We have all seen those pictures of robe-clad monks 'in Zen monasterles, sitting silently on low, round cushions (called zafu'S). thelr legs crossed in full lotus, the tradltlonal sltting postu min this tradition. Whlle thls may look, peacefu I. the truth 18 that sit .. , ting 'i n this posltlo n, es pee la Ily 'fa r long perl od s,. 'i s exceed 'ing Iy un .. , comfortable and even palnful. Just ask a Zen monk!

8 M,inute Med:rtCitfon does not advocate phys i ea I di scornfo rt 0 r pain.When you meditate, youtll sit on a straight-back ehalr. It maY' not look as "cool" but 'it. 'is perfect to get the Job done.

Why is po stu re so 'important? Co rrect postu re sets the stage 'for meditation, allowing you to be srnu ltaneously alert yet re .. ' laxed.

How can you be both at once! Easy. Ju st 'fa Ilow these in .. , structlons:

8 EASY STEPS FOR CHA,IR MEDITATION

I. Place a straight .. back chair 'in a quiet spot with good alr .. , flow and rnlnlrnal 'intrusion.

2., Slowly lower you rself onto the ehal r: Wiggle fa rward on the seat" u ntl I you feel you r buttock bones two to fou r 'inches 'from' the llp of the chal r seat. (N ate: lf y'ou cannot sit with

MEDI'TATION 101 5:;5

you.r back unsuppo rted fa r 8 minutes. you may lean against the back rest.)

J., Plant you r feet directly on the f 00 r and fee I the cormectlon, If you r 'feet do not reach completely, place a plllow or blanket underneath them.

4., Gently lower your hands to you r lap, You may clasp them a r rest. one a n each thigh.

S., Ma,ke su re you r head is level. Gaze straight ahead, 'Keep your spine straight but not jammed. Vlsuallze an imaginary cord attached to the eel ling, extending down and connecting to the top of you r head.

6. Relax you r jaw. If it feels like lt's Jutting out, adjust it by gently retracting you r ch in. If you r jaw fee Is retracted, gently re lease you r chi n.

'7. Take a. deep, relaxed Inhale. Slowly allow the exhale, Allow you.r eyes to gently' close.

8. ,Beg'in to meditate.

Meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg tells the sto ry of the time she and 'fellow teacher Joseph Go ldsteln wens seekJng a, site for what wou Id eventual Iy becorn e the lnslght Med'itation Society~

The two teachers we re in the small town of Barre, M:assa, .. , chu setts, checking out a 'form er monastery that was fa r sale.The place had great potential but needed a, lot of work. As joseph and Sharon headed into town to brainstorm over lunch, they passed a, town po lice car: Sharon looked over at the doo r of the ponce

car, whi ch b ore Barre's official sea I and me tto: "T ranqul I an d Alert:' It was at that moment, Sharon says, that she knew she had fou nd the perfect place for a, meditation center.

Next tlme-e-and every time-.<you sit down in your rnedlta ... ' tlon posture" remember the Barre town motto: 'Tranquil and Alert. lt's the best po stu re and rnedltatlon jnstru ctlon I know.

Q= Must I Meditate on an Empty Stomach?

No, but save the peppero nl p lzza fa r later:

There are no hard-and-fast ru les about how long you need to wait after a. meal before you meditate. just u sa you r cornrn on sense. We all know that (:I" rich meal makes us sleepy~ So why go and meditate afterward] You 're better off taklng a nap or a b rlsk walk. Glve you r meal time to dlgest, Then, when you're feel'ing more awake, sit down and meditate.

Q= This Technique Isn't Workingl< Can' Skip It and Try the Next One?

Not a good idea.

Remember the "Leave the Driving to Usn operatlng lnstruc .. , tloni Please 'fa Ilow lt, Stick wlth the technlqu e of the week fa r the full week befo re m oV'ing on-even if you don't like it. Each week 'is designed to lead to the next one, gradually bringing you deeper into rnedltatlon practice.

8 ,Minute M·edltation was created as a. kind of Whltm an's Sampler of rnedltatlon technlques.Ycu'Il taste a new one each

MEDI'TATION 101 57

week. After B weeks, you ~ II pick your favo rite techn lqu e--and stay with that one. You'll see what ,I mean when you reach Part .III.

As far as saying that a medltatlcn technlqu e "lsn't wo rk .. , ing," don't worry. You might not think it is, butltts.Therels no need to let Rov ing M'ind lndu lge 'in specu latlon, JU dgment, or doubt.

Sa fo r the next 8 weeks; please 'fa Ilow the program, exactly' as ltls Iald out. This means no swltchlng befo re It's time.

Q= How Will' Know If J'm Making Progress?

'This is a, perfectly legltlrnate concern, After all, we l'ive 'in a result .. , oriented SOCiety, and when we invest time and effort 'into some .. ' thing, we want to see progress. In medltatlon, we msasu Fe progress much the same Wi)', we would If we were starting a weight tra'ining program.

If you.r goal is to develop you r bleeps, wou Id you expect, after your first workout, to look. 'in the mirror; flex, your arms, and see Popeye staring back? Of cou rse not, Becau se you know that building physical mu scle 'is a" gradu al process which requlres that you be patient and realistic about seeing p regress.

So you keep up your da'ity workout. For the first several weeks~othing. But then, one day~ you finish you r workout, look 'in the rnlrror, and--<wow~-your biceps pop up Uke website win .. , do "W~~!I A·'<·, h·· !".'Ii p ""OQ't"\OS· !:"'!I

'. " ..... , .... ~.~~, ,": .. g-, -~ ,I', "bl ~.:.~~

Progress :in m edltatlon 'requ i res this sam e kln d of patl enc e, commitment, and dally workout. Here.Jnstead of physical muscle,

5:9: ,a MIN U r E M EDIT A '1 ION

you~re building what ,I call uMindfulness M'uscle.H And like building phys'ical muscle, you may not notice lt lmrnedlately, But one day~ you~1I sit. down to meditate and see that somethlng's changed. "Your focu sis stronger and steadier; and thoughts slide off you I'ike 'Ieflon.Thls rnlght be hard to descrjbe, but one thing); for su re: It's ,progress.

Meditators a lso notice the appea ranee of ,M lndfu lness 'M us .. , de 'in their dalty actlvltles, For example, 'imagine you 're ln the supermarket Checkout-Llne-From-Hell that never fails to raise your blood pressu reo But today~ for some reason, you find you r .. ' self qulet and content, Just relaxing and watching you r breath.

Or perhaps you're waltlng in 'front of a movie theater and yo u r date 'is late. Instead of stlfllng you r anger as you usually do. you find you rself JU st standing comfortably allowing all you r angry thoughts and feelings to Just arlse and pass away~ like clouds 'in the sky. By the time you r date shows up, you find you rself feeling even better than if he'd arrived on time!

Remember that p rogress jn medltatlon Is both subtle and gradual Best bet: Don't think about lt, When 'it makes 'itself known, you'll be the first to know it-and very p leasantly su r .. ' prlsed indeed!

Well. finally! We~ve concluded the prelmjnarles.There's only one more thing you have to do before you begin your 8M'inute ,MeditatJon program: Take the pledge.

MEDI'TATION 101 5'9'

rne a MINUTE MEDI'lATION OfFllCIAt Pl,EDG'E

Dat~:

=====

I hereby agree with mysei"f thatf even i'f I am traveling, on vocclton, under a million Family obligations, or have any other !lgood" excuse not to, I \Nill nevertheless meditat-e for exac~y 8 minutes a day, every day, For the next 8 'weeks.

[Escape Clou se: IF I fo r some reason, my day is so crazy tho t I honesriy cannot 'Find the lime and miss a day, I 'will continue my medit-ation program immediat-ely the next day. Note: This e~ cape clause is val id for two uses only!]

(Sign~d'll =====~

Congratulatlonsl 'Ybu're signed up and ready' to go. Just turn the page. It's ti me 'for Week One of 8 ,Minute Meditation. Tl me to quiet your mlnd=-and change your life.

PAR" II

•

THE 8 WEE:K MEDITATION PR,OGRAM

Time to get down to the real reason you"re here. Time to put down the map an d discover the territory of meditation.

You~ve successfully completed Part l.You've read the Medi'ta .. tion Operating Instructions. You know how to correctly sit on your ehalr.You know how to create your quiet rneditatlon environment. He~you already know a lot!

Part II of th is book ls the heart of a M,inute ,Medita'tian-th e daily. 8 minute regimen you~1I be following for the next 8 weeks. lt's designed to make meditation simple ~ easy~ pleasant, and part of your daily life.

Part II is divided into eight segments, one for each week of the program~ Each segment is broken down into five sections:

~, Wh~ reyo u are, This is your check-in station. It contains (1 brief d lscusslon about what mlght be going on 'fa r you at this stage of the B Minute 'Meditation program.

~, What: you'll be doing .. This section introduces you to this week's medltatlon technique,

~, This week's 'meditation instructjons. 'These are your dear, s im pie, step -by-step rnedltatlon lnstru ctl ons 'for the week.

~, How's it: go'i ng? Here's where we discuss what might be coming up 'fa r you 'in eonnectlon wlth this week's technlqa e.

~, Q&As,. 'This week If section add resses 'frequently asked qu estlo ns that a rise 'fa r m edltato rs,

As you can see, I won't just be saying UChTtOU and abandoning yo u. No pe, I'm here with you fa r th e d u ratio n, every step of the way. Who knows, you might even get tlred of met And that is fine-as long as you don't get tired of medltatlon ~

Lees beg'in Week One,

WEEK ONE

JIUIS'J Q'INIE: IB,RIEA'lIH e

W· iHI E··'R··,'E' Y··,O······U A··',··'R·:·'E'

i I; -,"'_' ii' .. ' - .... ":-' I:,~ .:.' ..... ! I

Welcome to the start of th e 8 Mi'nute M edltatlon progra'm.

AnytJm e you start sam ethlng n e«; questions. doubts, an d hopes usually arise. Perhaps you hope that when you sit dawn to meditate. youtll suddenly become "enllghtened," whatever that might mean to you .. On the ather hand, you might have a,1 ready decld ad that med ltatlon is just an e more exercise in fut.ility~ like the di et you trled last month that d ldn ~t work.

AJI this is, of course, normal, and completely to be expected.

And the best way to deal with both positlve and negati've expectations is to drop them completely~ lnstead, decide that you wlll approach this medltatlon program one minute of medltatlon at a time.

Today is ,Da¥ One" By this time next week, you'll have medl .. , tared a times-<which adds up to almost an hou t: So ask you rself Can ~ dev(rte an ,hour of mY' ttfe 'to see ,f( ~can c.hange my $ire?

Su re you can.

W~ 'HiA"Tc 'y"'O"~-'U'~'Ll DE D' o IN~'" G-' ·W····"'A'T·-C~-~H··ING"'-· 'Y"O'" . un DR-E:'A'··'THi

•. ~ :_.-,: ...... _ . ";,. ,I;. ,':: 1,>' . _ D It, .'~ .. 1:. __ .. :. (",1' ::~ .. : ..... _': ... ' ..... A_ 1.::-. i I ('" I::::_'~-. .";" ::. ~_.I ,! '., r\ D' : .. ". ~, _ _' .. ~:-. ;:

'The a M'inute Med'itation program commences with the srnple yet powerful technlque of watching your breath.

I once stayed with a Zen master at his mountaintop monastery 'in Callfornla His sale teaching 'instruction was "just notic-e breath"

When I heard that, I figured rnedltatlon was go'ing to be super-simple. a real no .. bralner; So I told him ,I wanted something a little more challenglng .. more macho~The master smiled know .. , 'ingty~ patted me on the shoulder; and told me to lust follow my b reath fa r th ree b reaths, ,I sat sti II ~ closed mY' eyes;; an d began.

By the end of my first breath. I had planned the menu 'for a. djn .. , ner party 'tau r months 'in the futu re, By' the end of the second, I was 'figu r'ing out how to rneke su re my Honda. passed the Calffornla smog check. An d by the end of the thl rei brea,tlf.-....we II~ you get the plctu reo

Followlng you r breath may sound simple and easy" like ehlld's play. But, thanks to our constantly Rov'ingM'ind~ we're anywhere but here. My 'friend Josh Baran calls this Uliv'ing in the elsewhere and 'elsewhen' ~,.t

But 'forewarned is 'fa rearmed. When (because there is no "lf" about this) you are meditating and suddenly 'find yourself mb(:'ing up a batch of brownies or deciding whether to eat Chinese or ltallan tonight, ju st reallze that you have strayed off. Then, without

THE B WEEK MEDITATION PROGRAM 1/1

ju dging yourself a 'bad" meditator, gently retu m your awareness to you r breath.

This is what breath medftatlon Js about: watching your breath; stray'ing off reallzlng tt, and gently' returning, Over and over again. Lik.e ,I sald, medltatlon ls a practice.

And don't worry, l'll be giv'ing you a. lot more detalled rnedl .. , tation lnstru ctlons than that Zen master gave me.

Let's do it.

THIS WEEK'S MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS:

JU:S'T ONIE: BR.IEA'TH:

PR EPA RATION

Set your timer for 8 m'inutes;,

T,t.· i'-" i' ,-.-;.-;-J'~."+:,-, .. r",-',--,'ti,-" -a n- . .''',-,-,'','' ~I'.,,:.'.-, ,,-,,·-,.f.-,·t.~""II,-

112L.II'..e your mecna uon pos 1, .. ion on your Clillalr~ comror' au e

and alert,

Take a ,I oil ~I' deep i II,h 21J e th at swee ps LJ P' yo ur current war ~ ries, hopes, an a dreams." Halld it for at rnoment.Tben g'entily

Start you r t:i mer

INS'T'RUC' 'T'IO-'-' NS

:" -.:: .:: . .". ',' ,:: ". .,:,:. <,". :.:. :.>

• IN;ot!ice WyOLJ are con1trolll'in~ yo~r breath. If 5,01, release con= trol Relax.

• INoti ce that pl ace i M yo UJr 1b 0 d Y where YO'LX are most aW:iliI"e of' th e sensati 0 n of breath ,i'n :5',; lit may be you II" (he st, eLi ~ aphrag:m', or' nostrils .. Thel"€ lis no ~~'I"ii~'hf' place ..

W,ith your attention on the anchor point, observe the natura,1 r·i s:e and fu'lll of the bre ath Try to \l'iiew thii5 a s not !~yo u r breath' ~ but ~ ~ the breath .. u I

A;I,IF'!<'}'"'~ . ~:llftw< . ~:I:IF'iiw'~ T! here's Ff;O- IRe8~*o beco Pri'"i,B 'I:R~

y1j:~' II II II ~'l! I U, t, II II II G y ... , II I I I ~ I I ,;:J I il· I I" ~~II !1. 1- - ~ • .1 I I,~ ,I ,I

Thii nkir~~? INo prob lem, Si m pill' noti ce '1th is, G,entill' ret urnto yo ur 31n cho r po Ii rrt, your' b l"e afh.

• l!ry to fo llow just one f:u'I:li n-and-out cyde of b.reath .. lf you can, th en fo II 'low CLIM oth er: Ilf yo U CCiJl 't, fI n 12, Just start ave 1:'

IFrus11ration l' Ilrrita1!jolfil~ Just notice these sensations" And 're,= t um to your an ch or po Ii nt,

Continue in this 'Vta)t, Si:mply absente the natural cyeile of' breath at you r aneh Of" poi nt,

Do this until your timer sounds.

lH E B WEEK MEDI TATION PROGRAM 6,9'

HO .. ·::·W'······/.'S···· rr G'.·O:-··I'N· 'G·····:,iO

~ .,':_. __ ' " t" -':'t_ ",: '" :._ : I" '_,'. ,1:", .. 1 I ',.", I, :', ':- .' "t'

Most every meditator feels awkward when they begin to rnedltate. In fact. I'd be su rprlsed if you didn't feel this way. This can prompt you to think that maybe you're not cut out to be a medltato r: But thatlsn 't. true at a 1'1 +.

Consider this: The 8 minutes you just spent in meditation may be the first tl me in you r life that you ''Ie been still ~ silent. an d awake slrnultaneouslyl Even if you only were like this 'for two seconds, lt is a radlcal new way fa r y'ou to experience the world, No wande r you feel a. little strange.

Learn ing to med ltatels like learning any new skl I L At f rst, you probably are mentally and physically off-balance. Perhaps you feel stupid, uncoordinated, even angry~l'ike a, real klutz. But you stick it out because you want to do it,

Right now; you m.ay feel wel rei and awkward. But don 't let that sldellne you. Keep up you r dat Iy B Minute M·editation periods. One day soon" y'ou '11 sit. down to med ltate and will have what I call

U h rrt n

your -a -a rnome .

When that happens, medltatlon won't. 'feel strange anymo reo And youtll be glad you stuck around.

Q&A"" .-',. IN:" 'T'-H-'E" S·'· ~G'-: I'N·····-iN···· II N···· rc

,'--:", " _'".- ' -. '-, : .' '_ ~. I ..• E: ._~ _ . ' ._: ~. " .. i ' ,._: ._~ ..

Q= All , Did Was ThinkJ , Couldn't Stopl

Of cou rse you cou ldn't, But don't worry. you're not doing any-, thing wrong.

There's a. popular misconception that when you meditate

70 ,a MIN U r E M EDIT A '1 ION

correctly, all thought ceases. Nothing cou Id be farther from the truth. Meditation is not. about sU':ppres_s,ing thoughts" but sU'r,pass',ing them.

Accept thls reality: It 'is you.r rnlnd's Job to th'ink-24/7. And lts not going to stop just because you slt down for 8 minutes and tell lt to "Shut up, already!" But the good news is this: When you stop try'ing to stop you.r thoughts. you begin to su rpass them. 'This ,can lead y'oU' 'to the "peace yOU' th a ug,nt you cm.dd' Q n$y' achieve w.hen )IOu sm,p,ped 'tfdnking!

Now would be a good time to go back and reread the "Catch and Release" and '~Allow +. •• Allow, +. +. Al'lowH Operating Instructions. They'll remind you how to approach and deal wlth Roving'M':ind, Also. try my ,Meditator's '~ABCu: A,lways Be Calm. That's a good mnemonic device, 'for meditation and everything else in you r IWe" no matte r what arises,

Q= Why Do I Feel So Restless Just Sifting Still?

Along with a" restless mind" a restless body 'is the most common challenge beglmlng med ltato rs eneou nter, It's also perfectly nor .. , mal and understandable.

In breath meditation, we sit still and do nothing but neutrally observe the breath. We try not to engage in glve-and-take wlth Rov'ing .M'ind~ which doesn't appreciate thls lack of attentlon, To get our attention back, Rov'ing Mind sends signals to the body, urging it to 'Don't just sit there. Do something!"

I encourage you to do exactly the opposite: !'~'Doll"t. just do someth,ing:, Srt th ere," As you deve I op you. r meditatio n p ractlc e,

THE B WEEK MEDITATION PROGRAM 1]

your mind and body will gradually acclimate to belng still. In the beg'inning~ this might take up aim ost you r entl re a minute m edlta .. , tlon period. But even if you experience only seven seeo nds of 'focus, 'it is very' slgnfflcant,

One day~ you will find that you r mind will, of lts own accord, settle down quid(ty~ perhaps only a minute or so into your rned .. , itatlon pe rlod, 0 r even as you take you r preparation breaths. As 'for your body~it wHI eventually, of its own accord, head 'for peace like a homing pigeon.

Q= I'm Not Medit fing Correctly. Am I?

Every' beginn'ing meditator believes he or she is medltatlng wrong. Not true. As I've al ready sald, no matter how you meditate, you 're always doing 'it correctly. Here's what may' be happening to make you believe you 're not:

You sit down to meditate and. of cou rse, you r mind beglns to wandenrou believe that you must be doing something wrong or this wou Idn ~t be happening. Perhaps a part of you r body. you r r'ight foot fa r examp le, suddenly feels uncomfortable. 0 r you re .. ' allze that you need to u S9 the restroom, So now you've got you r mind straying; your foot aching, and your bladder about to bu rstl And you think ,Meditation ,is sU,p,posed 'fa make me ,peaceful,And its nod T.1l iSCQ¥l''t, be r,ig,hd

But 'it is' right, And y'ou on Iy' have to do on e th'ing: A 'low exactly' w.hat ,is' coming up '[0 com e u,p,. lt's you r resistance to ~ 'wh at ls" that 'is causing you to 'feel that thlngs are wro ng.

Once you begin to allow and accept exactly what is go'ing on,

72 ,a MIN U r E M EDIT A '1 ION

you can stop battling wlth you r thoughts and feelings and su rren .. ' der to them.

When you begin to allow your thoughts, feelmgs, and emo .. ' tlons to Just do their thlng, something magical happens: They' don't bother youlThey become like puffy clouds" scudding across a, llmltless sky. And you are that sky~

Next time you wonder if you're meditating correctly, stop and answer this question: Did t; for 8 minute~s'~ 'try mY' best to do todars meditation 'techn,ique? (Notice that this is about try'ing~ not be'ing perfect]

Of ceu rse you d id ~ Congratu lations! You Just meditated right.

Keep 'it up.

Q- What Can I Do If I feel Scary Thoughts and feelings When I Meditate?

Do n't be afral d of being afrald,

Feel:ings of fear and disorientation are comm an in m edlta .. , tlon, whether you are a, beginne r 0 r master; By the way. so are feelings of bliss, peace, and love. But let's look at the un comfort .. , able ones and why they might be arlslng,

The practice of m edltatlon can free you r body and mind in a, whole new way~ propelllng thoughts" feelings, and emotions up from deep within to the surface of fNitareness" Just as bubbles rlse 'from the bottom of a glass of dub soda .. Some of these thoughts and m em aries can be unsettling and frlghtenlng, espe .. , c'ially ones we never knew we had or might have unknow'ingly' su pp res sed.,

lnstead of resisting and suppressing these thoughts, deal wlth

THE B WEEK MEDITATION PROGRAM 13

them exactly how you deal with everything in meditation. Allow them to a rise, do thel r thing" an d then tl oat off

Go back, and review the "Catch and Release" Operating ln .. , structlon, Also remem ber that. 'in rnedltatlon, we handle mind, emotional, and body states this way:

• If you like it" don't go running after 'it,

• If you don't like it, don't run away from 'it.

This is a good ru le of thum b, not just fa r rnedltatlon, but 'fa r Ufe.

Q= Should I Be Trying Harder To Meditate?

Alan Watts, the well-known rnedltatlon teacher; wrote that 'it was lmpossble to meditate. What. he meant by that statement was this: You can't try to rnedltate and be rned itating at the same tim 9. ln other words, meditation is something you need to allow to happen on its own.

Remember when you first learned how to sw'im?' In the be .. , g'inning you struggled m'ightil~,. to keep you,r head above water, But then, one day~ something amazing happened: You gave up fighting to stay afloat. And when you dld, you rose to the su rface and 'floated effortlessly.

Meditation ls llke this. You are im mersed 'in a, sea of you r own thoughts, body sensation s, and fee lings" struggll ng aged nst them. UntJI the moment when you remember to just "allow ~ .. allow ~ .. allow" them. And when you do, when you su rrender into what is, you 'find yourself floatlng effortlessly in serenity.

714 ,a MINU'fE M EDITA'll ON

Q~ Mea itation Is Incredibly Boring. Nothing's Happenlngl

Actually, a lot ts happening when you meditate. but in a different way than you may be us ed to,

Th ere 's a, great ,New Yorker cartoon by Gahan Wi lson ln whl ch a. meditation student. sits across from his master, who is. irritated with the question the student has just asked: '~What happens next?" Th e master roars, ",Noth'ing happens next!"

But this "nothing" is really a big~'somethi'ng:~ When you drop your expectation of what med ltatlon is and how it is supposed to change yo u=wh en you I et go of everything an d just sit qu letl y an d peaceably for B min utes->- you create the environm ent for movement to occur. And your llfe starts to change.

So. if only for the Bmi'nutes a day youmeditate~allow all notlons and expectations about what you think is supposed to happen to drop away. I n tlme, you will see that the "nothing happens n ext" might ju st be the bi:gge st "som eth lng" that ever happen ed to :you~

Q: Should My Eyes Be Open or Closed When J Meditate?

It varies accord i ng to the med ltatlon teach sr, technlq ue, and era .. dltlon.

One 'meditation technique called Yogic Skyga:z:,ing has you keep your eyes as wide open as possible. The Vlpassana and lnsight M ed ltatlon tr-aditions have you dose your eyes. Zen practltloners half-close their eyes and gaze down.

In the a Minute Meditation pr-ogram~ you keep your eyes

THE B WEEK MEDITATION PROGRAM 15

closed. And although this can be very relaxjng, It does not mean that It's time 'for you to "space out" or take a nap. 'In fact, just the oppo slte is tru 8.

Rem ember the Stan ley Kub rick f 1m tltle, Eyes Wide Shut.? Thls is a good reminder that.ln medltatlon. even though your physical eyes are shut, you r "mind's ey'e~~ remains wlde open and alert. Here are DNO pointers on how to do this:

• Don't squeeze you r eyes shut. Allow them to close gentlY' and naturally,

• Keep the eyes "soft," Relax your 'focus.

After Week Fou r of the meditation program, you 're welcome to experiment wlth Zen eye position:

Soften you r ey'es, and let you r gaze drop to a, forty-flve .. , degree angle with the floor. Gently allow you r eye I ids to close until th ey' are ab out a ne-th 'i rd 'Open.

If this works better 'for you than eyes closed, continue this way. If not, go back to closing y'ou reyes.

Either way~ remem ber that closing you reyes :in meditation lsn't about losing awareness but galnlng lt,

You're doing great,~' If "his' is yo,ur sevenf',h day, turn

"h"e" p. nne' ....,n··o·.·, move 0'· ·.n ,"0·', ne·v',:I., w-··e·e~-

l P .~. l' :"y:d" ... ' yll . '.:' I" 0 .":"" ~" :,: ~ ;~"~ ',,'": ill1 ~Al~ ,"",_:" '"" 'K i,

WEEK TWO

INAIKED SO,IUIND e

W· iHI E·"R··,'E' Y··,O······U A··',··'R·:·'E'

i I; -,"'_' ii' .. ' - .... ":-' I:,~ .:.' ..... ! I

Congratulatlon s~ Youtve successfu lIy completed Week One of 8 Minute Med ltatlonl

Ybu\{e made your desire. to learn to meditate a, reality, maybe for the 'first time in your life. At this point, you\,e meditated for almost, an hour, If you have never med ltated before, thls hi! a. new per, .. sonal record. And by this time next week, you'li have dou bled it.

Last week we· worked with breath medltatlon. And I, 'm sure your (and everyone's) constant companlon=-Rovtng Mind~ frequently interrupted your medltatlon perlods.rou may have also had the experience. if only for a. moment, of Roving Mind dlsappearlng and your thoughts passlng by like douds across an open sky.

1:8: ,a MIN U r E M EDIT A '1 ION

This is a. taste of medltatlon. an insight. into how meditation allows you to stay peacefu I and calm, no matter what thoughts your mind chu rns out.

If you don't think you had this experience, don't worry, be .. , cause at some point you wlll It's a natural outgrowth of rnedlta .. , tion practice.

As yo u prepare 'fa r Week, 'Two. this would be a go od time to revlew several 'important operating lnstru ctlons:

,. A,llow!i] '. '. allow ~ !. ,. allow, Allow whatever comes up. And exclude nothing" Emotions., thoughts; lmages-e-they're all treated equ a.lly~ 'The mo re you completely accept. them, the more present, you are and the m ore 'fluid you,r medltatlcn,

'" Catch and re lease, When you realize that you 've hooked onto a thought, gently unhook and release 'it. Over tme, you ~ II become mu ch rno re ski llfu I at noticing when you \1'e "hooked" something. After a, while; releasing wUI become easier and more auto matl c .. ,

'Keep this dynamic duo in mind as you begin 'Week Two. And rernernbe ~ by this time next week; youJ II have feu rteen-s-ccunt 'em~fou rteen meditation sessions under you r belt.

So without fu rther ado, onward.

Don't wo rry~ Naked Sou nd Meditation doesn't mean you "11 be dis .. , robing. lt's my way of desc r'ibing a way to m edltate that anchors

lH E B WEEK MEDI TATION PROGRAM 1'9'

you in the coming and going of sound, without needing to know what it is, what 'it means, or where lt's coming 'from.

Noise po llutlon has reached epldern lc proportions. We live at the mercy of ,3" constant assau It fro m b larlng stereos, sh rl ek.:ing ca r alarm s, droning airplane engines" and ear-splitting emergency ve .. ' hide sirens.

You most likely get you r dai ty earfu I of noise po Ilution and have probab Iy invented y'ou r own fo rmu la to shut it out.Thls usu .. , ally invo lves the creation and app] lcatlon of phys:ical and psycho .. , logical "earmuffs"

Fo r example, construction site next door d rhiing you bonkersiIu m up the stereo. Kids making too mu ch nolse! Vodka martlnl to the rescu 8. Car alarm that won't stop squawl<Jng? Stereo and' martlnll

These tactics may work, but only up to a point. And there's a much better way: meditation. Believe 'it or not, medltatlon can help you handle noise pollution-no earmuffs requiredThat's what Naked Sound ,Med'itationis all about.

Naked Sou nd M:ed'itation 'is a" technlqu e that treats sound 'in all its pristine nakedness. For the next week" you'll spend e min .. , utes a, day' just hearing scunds-ewlthout definlng, fllterlng, reject .. , ing, 0 r ju dg'ing them" You ~ II be amazed at how profound Iy re laxlng this can be.

Here's an 'illustration of what I mean: You're meditating. Sud .. , denly.,in the background, you hear a, falnt drone that starts to be .. , come louder; Before you're even aware of it, your mind has ldentlfted lt as a small a'i rplane, And a sed es of tho ughts, images, and body sensations fo llows close behind like foot so ldlers, It m'ight go something like this:

:8;0 ,a MIN U r E M EDIT A '1 ION

Dam n~ ~ hate that p$ane! Irs interfering' w.idl mY' meditatio n. it s-ounds much too dase,.'The ,pi$at ,is an ,idfat! rm CI'n idiot! , never should ,have moved' tn,is cbse to t.he airport. , wis,h , ,had enough moneY' to move to the counitry;

Get the plctu re? It starts with a simp le, neutral" buzzing sound. Next thlng you know" YOU·VB upset yourself. This 'is an ex .. , ample of Roving 'Mind just doing its job. which is to constantly re .. ' celve, analyze, and as'SDdate all sensory input" not on ty with hearing; but with all five sen ses,

But there 'i s an other less stressfu I and more sklllfu I optl on. Imagine yourself once agaln ln m edltatlon. Here comes that plane.You hear the buzzing drone: louder ... louder ... louder ... louder: But that's all you do. Just hear 'it. Not as a plane. but as just s-ound'. Allow that sound to just be what it 'is and do what 'it does. ln a few me ments.the sou nd j of lts own acce rd, begl n s fadlng ...

fading +. • +. fading ...

And that's 'it. Sound came. Sound went. It did lts dance and moved on. YOU' didn't dance ~t.h .it" $atch onto it" ,push ,it away~ or tell a story' about .it 'This ls what I call "naked sound"; sound unem .. ' be Iii shed by you.r concepts, associations, and lm ages,

Naked Sound ,M'editatJon mlght appear simple, but don't be surp rlsed when you enco u nter d i'ffi cu Ity wlth lt, Consider the preced ing example and how 'instantaneously the mlnd needs to associate sounds with ju dgm, ents, tho ughts, and b ellefs, Expect this to occu r once, If not many times. when you meditate.

And don't worry~ get upset, or think you're doing things wrong. just keep on keeping on. Thls ls why we call meditation a practice.

TiJ m the page" and let's begin.

THE B WEEK MEDITATION PROGRAM :er]

THIS WEEK'S MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS: :NA'KED SOUND

PR EPA,RATI ON

• Take: your :me,d iltation position on ya ur eha h'~ c 0 mlO-lrtabl:e an d a le,rt.

. . .~

ries, hopes, an d d 1"e8.t:n1:S" Ho I'd it f 0'1''' amo me' rift 'Then genlJy

an d :5 I: o:wly I! 's i~gh ~ '11 it out

• Start yo lJI r ti me r:

INSTRUCTIONS

• !D'r"I'n rr VoF> 'll' 'r ':'I't""'''''' nti "'" F!; t 'A +Jh'" {3j .s A lJI F!; d ,(1: ':'lIrA u nd 'ifjif"'>'lJI A·' 'I'I '5' if"'>:U nds

ILl 1'1 'I,~; j'v, ' ~, I~" 11'",,"-.1'111 ,'ow' III <;::;: v' 1.1" ,;;, GIl '-" ,I .... l'''.;I,' ',' ,,'! "Y" 'I.:l.

they cl: e, ] ust ,Ij ate: 'Ibh e:rn by s i'I eJltliy SZKY in g th e' wo rds rising 0'1" raWrrg:

... . ..

et h ,', 'f", I,l" ' , ", '.If' ".',;, I I ":'i", "'" .;~ both "",' I 1,"lf,tt,:",,'t: ."""'" i",,·;4-" "','

ot ier ,a,sl see IIII jf,QU can g1Vi2, , CL equar atrennon, nOlblt:lg

t:h ' " d' id II~'" ',,;tIl d'Iii.f;.,I'I' !I

,J' t2:111r 1f'il)IVli ua TI'Sln~.' an: '·I'd. img.

:8:2 ,a MIN U r E M EDIT A '1 ION

• A sou :nel, Ii S j ust a sou nd .Th e l"e Ii S it"] 0 oe ed to rnatch 'it to an object

• lf a sou nd do es $I rve ri se to a.l th au ~htt Ii t'r1B(ge cr bod y sen = sadt,iorr!-no problem, Si,mply notice this" Gferilti!.y retomto yo u r rneditat ie 'til CHi just 21.1 kJwiin~ sou nd to I"i se and fad I,

161 .. ·,··,··t'+lh'I',· ,t, :h··', ,.-If .. ,,.p ··,'",,'t:· .... ',' lav fo 'I" week

!!,e,pea t" istee ruque rore rnmutes a cay ror one wee, "

'H'O"" ·W·' "S"': 'I'T"" G---'O"'I'N' G:":'o

I ": .:-.'_ .. :.," .. '_ .. ,'.,'.' ...... ,',). : ,; .: ~ .. : .. _ .. :.: I ' _ .. '::_ . .'~

Although you most l'ikety 'fa und Naked So und Meditation chal .. , lenglng, you also hopefully got a taste of how peaceful it can be when 'You just allow things to be the way' they are. So why not try and apply the Naked Sound technique to your other senses, 'for a com plete experience of sight; taste, smell" and to uch,

How can you do thls] Here's an example of how to convert Naked So und to "Naked Slght":

lt's sprlng and you happen upon a beautlful cherry tree burst .. , 'ing with blossoms. You stop .. become quiet" and slmply look at the tree.rou don't compare it with the cherry tree you saw last. year 'in Washi ngto n, D.C. or judge It agal nst app Ie blosso ms down the road. lnstead, you "just see" ex.actty the same wa, you "[ust lis .. , tened" to so unds 'i n Naked So und-witho ut. ideas, thoughts, j udg .. , rnents, or comparisons,

When you 100 k at d. tree this way .. It's Ii ke seed ng nature 'for

THE B WEEK MEDITATION PROGRAM 83

the first tlrne, The experience can be j oyfu I, even overwhelming. lrn agi ne going th rough y'ou r da.y I'i ke th is, 1 u st s ee:ing, just eating, ju st srne Iling, ju st feeling, without fi lte rlng, e rltkl srn, 0 r judgment.

Sound wonderfu I'~ It. 'is. And m edltatlon can help you be thls

way.

Q &A'.,',,'.' """""'" A":, M'" 1 M"", E' :D'I 1 "T"'A 'T' I' N::." 'G,:'_': C>-"O' -"., ,n ~ Ii::C> 'T' lye

o ,_ • .-,---.-.;1, .-, -'-. '.:'. l "_/' 1_, .,_., ~,I t '':__:_" "':~ -_- .:----_., rt.1:"t Ll '-.- "f ';I,:

Q= My Meditation Session Was Bad. What's Wrong?

Youtll never hear anyone cornplaln when they've had a "good" rned ltatlon sessl on. Bu t 'if lt's a "b ad' ~ one, oh boy~ watch out!: Rlght away. you figure somethlng mu st be terribly wrongl Here's a typ .. ' leal mlnd scenario:

Okay; rm ,med~tating '"',. Followtng ,instructions ,pe¥fectly'" ," rm sup-' posedt» be serene" Iha,p,pr~ and blissful!. , .. And l de,~n,iteiy' am nod. ,. ,. ~"U never g'e't the ,hang of td " ""Th,is ,is a bad medrtation!

If this sounds familiar; relax. Not onlyIs this not a bad rnedl .. , ration session, It's a, P" erl"ea one. Why? Because it shows you that

I ~' ~ ~~ , .

the problem Isn't with you r meditation, but with you r judging

rnlnd, whlch 'in this case has decided that this medltatlon perlod is bad.

As you know from' the M edltatlon Operating I nstructlons, the only criterion as to whether a meditation period was good or bad 'is this: uA good medltatlon 'is the one y'ou did. A bad rnedlta ... , tlon is the one you sk.'ipped.H Keep that in mind.

And keep medltatlng. lt's all g'ood.

:8:,4 ,a MIN U r E M EDIT A '1 ION

Q. How Do , Know This Meditation Technique 15 Right for Me?

There are hundreds of medltatlontechnlques to choose from, Once you complete the 8 week meditation program, you'll be in a, much better position to seek out and choose techniques that. resonate perfectly with you~ But for just this time, allow me to choose for you.

lt's important that you follow the program the way lt's presented and give each rnedltatlon technique a 'full seven-day trial period. This wm hopefully discourage the growth of the wldespread affllctlon I call "Contentment Shoppi'ngn~somethi'ng that results in anythl ng but contentment.

Contentment Shopping ls the nonstop, acqulsltlva quest 'for "somethlng" out there that will make us happy. You know. that thi'ng that you ju st have to have, no 'matter what. H ere 's how it works:

You see an item, anything 'from a, $2.,99 bag of Hershey bars to a $89'.000 BMW. You th in k ~f $ can just h'Qve that,. nt be ho,p,p,)!" Then you do whatever you have to do to get it. And you~re happy-« for a. brief rnornent.Whfch would be about two minutes 'for the Hie rshey bars. And for th e BMW a lot longer-e-up to two whole weeks, or u ntll the first ding in the fender,

Your desire to switch to another medltatlon technique is just another version of the Hershey bars and the BMWYou believe that if you ca n get a. d iFfere nt m e dltatlon te ch n iqu @'1 you r medlta .. don problems will be over, and you~11 be happy On the other hand, if you com mit. to staying with th e med ltatlon techn lqu e~ even for one week, it caul d be a meaningful step toward s fre eing

THE B WEEK MEDITATION PROGRAM 9:5

you rself from the belief that happiness is som ewhere "out there," 'in the next thing. It could be the first break 'in the vicious cycle of Contentment Shopping. Doesn't this sound like a. better choice!

So stick wlth this week's meditation technique untll lt's time for change. Notice all the qu estlons and doubts that tell you there's a better meditation technlque out there. And lfyou could just have that one ...

Q= How Will' Know If Meditation Is IIWorking"?

'The way' rnedltatlon wo rI(S is different from the way other things work, What seems to be ha,ppen,ing and Wthat is really' ,ha~p,pen,ing when you m edltate are two d lfferent things.

Lees say you 've lust sat down to rned ltate, At this polnt you feet, well, llke you're Just sitting there, like a bump on a log. Next thing you know, youjre experlenclng a nonstop stream of thoughts" feellngs, and body sensations-some of which rnlght have to do wlth medltatlon, like how you 're doing it wrong 0: r that 'it's a, waste of time. But that's not true: A powerful process is at wo rk here" ftying below you r radar.

lve al ready' dlseu ssed how meditation bu llds '~M :indfu lness ,Muscler and how every 8 minute meditation period you com .. , plete contributes to building that muscle, This is going on when .. , ever you meditate whether you are Qlwcm~: of it. or not

Know'ing this 'frees you. You don't need to keep monltorjng yourself for results. All you have to do is simply 'follow the 9 ,M:inute ,Meditation program~ lt's worklng, whether you know it or not.

Q. I Fell Asleep While J Was ecl;tat;ng~ Is That Olcay?

lt's fine. Now it's time to meditate.

Every medltator, at some point, falls asleep on the [ob.rou go into a relaxed state an d~bye~ bye. There's nothing wrong with falling aslee p~ and you need never ehastls e and berate you rself 'for doing so.

On the other hand, your snooze doesn't count as your medltatlon period. The best thing to do when you wake up is~you guessed it=set your tlmer for 8 mlnutes=-and begin agaln to meditate.

Here are a, few slm pi e things that can hel p you stay awake an d alert when you meditate:

.. MaIntain correct. sitting postu re. It's lmpertantthat you sit straight an d u prlght. lt's wh en you start slou chi ng that. you doze off. Thls simple correction can make a. huge difference in wakefulness. D02Jng off ls always a, good reminder to go back and review the posture lnstructlcns in Part L

.. Keep your room a tad on the cool side. Turn off the heat, Let ln some 'fresh alr, Remove sweaters, vests, or scarves .

.. Splash a little cool water on your face before you sit down to meditate.

.. Do some short physical exerd se to get you r ci rcul atlon gai ng. Just several deep breaths can do \'!Vend ers,

.. Never med itate right after a heavy meal, a triple espresso, or a glass of champagne,

THE B WEEK MEDITATION PROGRAM 9:7

• Don't mal'(€l meditation time nap time. You\(e al ready de .. , feared you r own pu rpose.

You're doing great,' If'i'his' is your sevenf~h defY ...

"II'~"J"'tjio ,i,Le' , p~g'" e" ~,n"d" m""o" ',V~ Q,"'tjio '-'0''- tjioe'. y,;!.' we,' O~7_ ~'U~I I~~ I~ln... ..y! ... Y'I, , " .. ~ ',. 1~1I1 I' .. " 1~1I1 Al~' .... ~K~

i "" ...

WEEK THREE

IN O'T II IN G, lS, 0, lOY S IE IN S Al ~ 0, INS e

W· iHI E··'R··,'E' Y··,O······U A··',··'R·:·'E'

i I; -,"'_' ii' .. ' - .... ":-' I:,~ .:.' ..... ! I

Congratulation s. You ~ve got fourteen days of med ltation practice un der your' beltl As a, famou s m edltatlon master on ce said ~ "Everjthlng's perfect! And there's always r-oom 'for lrnprevement,"

At thls point in the program, you 'may 'find yourself:

• Settl i'ng down into rned ltatlon more easily

... More relaxed and less awkward with meditation

• Sta,rting to see that medltarlon lsn t too hard-e-ner too: easy

• lmpatlent that youtre not-progressing as 'fast as you might have expected

The first th ree lterns aren't problem atle. In 'fact, they indicate progress. But let's take a look at the last oner lmpatlence,

Right now, please take a long" deep, slow breath. Good. Now

~ ;;-hI _ d

yo u re reay.! to rea, on.

Impatience is a. common feeling that comes up in the begin .. , n'ing stage of meditation practice and usually arlses either because:

• You are enj'oy'ing medltatlon.rou want. to get even better at 'it~r:ight now~

• You aren't enjoying meditation. You 'feel 'frustrated and l rri .. , tared, You want medltatlon to ~(,kickin~1-r'ight this :instant~

These seemlngly opposing vlewpolnts are actu ally the fllp slde of the sam e coin ~ call ed ~ 'expectatlon' t 'These stro ng p refe renees provide a, good opportunlty 'fa r observation when they su mea du ring meditation. Notice these thoughts" feel ings" and emotions as they arise, and appty' the "Catch and Releaser and "Allow ... Allow ... Allow" Operating lnstru ctlons,

Thls week you're go'ing to add something new to you r rned .. , ltatlon toolbox, It's a technique called "Noting Body Sensations" lt's a 'fresh, new way to explore terrain that you thlnk yau rea, I I)" know=-you r body. I think y'Ou~1I be in for an eye-opener:

Let's do it.

"W"'_"'.'~H· ;A"'T- V 0,'.' ",': U1/! II L Ii) 11: D"O' ··:1 N':" '·G-'_

,~". I"' ,"'. ]; .'.' ~. 1_,_. . .• [) ~, .'~ .. :_ __ I ._~ I,_' __ ,.

There's an old movie called Fantastic Voyage that starred Raquel Welch and Stephen Boyd. The two of them, clad in tight [umpsu 'its (I

lH E B WEEK MEDI TATION PROGRAM 9"]

wonder \Nhy'?)~ are rnjnlaturlzed and then proceed to pilot a micro .. , scopic space shuttle through the bloodstream of the president, try .. , ing to find a blood clot in his brain before lt's too late.--which~ 'if

eo U _.0 lt lsn't !!w!_: _", _ .. I "~ciJ." ~'. :".1;

Week, Th ree of you r 8 Minute M edltatl on p rograrn l s go'ing to take you on your own fantastic voyage of so rts: lnslde you r own body. Jumpsuits are optional"

The rnedltatlon technique yaujll do this week is called "Not .. , 'ing.'~ Noting is a simple yet powerfu I technique that enables you to foeu s your attention.

Here's a brlef preview of noting. Try- this now:

,. 'Take a deep breath and gently close you reyes.

,. Relax, into your body Really allow yourself to occupy it.

,. Are you drawn to a prominent sensation somewhere, in .. , ternally or externallyi

,. Good, Note where ltls.You need not label the exact body' part a r area, where the sensation ls located.

;Ii Observe the sensation without analysis or Judgment. Just watch.

As you can see, you need not be cones rned with the exact location of the prom lnent body sensatlon, 'The only thing you need to dais sense the sensation, note itt and direct your aware .. , ness to it.

A brief word about dlfflcu Ity: You might find noting rna re challsnglng than the prevlous techniques yOU\/i9 done wlth breath

and sound.That's because your "anchor polnt'l ln noting rnedlta .. , tlon 'is not centered in one place, but instead is 'in constant mo .. ' tlon throughout you r body Don't feel frustrated If you find it a challenge, Noting 'is well w« rth you r explo ration and can "turbo .. , charge" you r level of awareness. Remember that you're building ,M:indfu lness ,M uscle here.

Okay~ifs time to fasten you r searbelt, and take O'ff.~on you r own fantastic voyage.

THIS WEEK'S MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS:

N10TIN:G

PR EPA RATION

s ...... + VOII Ilr t ·1·t"\1'1i,,",1f' fer El. t"'"" '11;""\ I: 1+ ..... e:

'~6 t - lUI . I, 111r~1! ''V I oQi I, rr11,1; I,!!d Ij.G~·.

Take yo ur me ditatio rill pOS litii on 0 rill )IOU r ch a i r; C omfo rtabre and alert,

G·· .. e- til·· ,+!I);,I "Ji 1111i'"'!iw' ..... Va, II I r" .n.v,,",s' to .,...110-', e e

:.-" , r 11j.,/ et V·_. /. IU ~/ G" '-'. '6 .lI.'"

Take a ,I 011 ~'I deep ,i nh aJ e th at swee ps LJ p' yo ur current war ~ de s, ho pes, an d area m$." HI oJI d it for a rn 0 me nt, Then i'e ntily

0'·' ",',' .. trr - 10-1" I, h'I'" .+1.'", ID', II··' - .. ... :.' ,,' .·i··" . " .. 1 t . '''', '. '.- ,,',

ne more .. Ime. ,'- eep 6Irea~ll" f\,e"eas,e an~ remaln'llnlg .. enSIIOrl.

Start you r t:i rner

THE B WEEK MEDITATION PROGRAM 93

INSTRUCTIONS

• AHaw your body to relax, INotice the diffe!"e'm body sersations that arise, Doth is for at few moments

At so me po irrt, yo u w,i I'I fee il an ar~a 'in yo ur body so rio]

• IN' i. ,f· thi . , .. ', I . " . '. 11+ :'.', . t ''1' ~.' .'. '.1, 'ii' .. , ·I·,!b··· 'II 'this b .,..J " ,.",..+

o!':'e, 115 pace . .11 ,IS no nece£sary to 3]; ... ellS . o~ly pal 11,

IBr,in~ YOUI'"' .a~reness to this dominant area" And rest your atterrtion there. Tbis is yo ur current anchor point,

• Sao n, at new a re a of sen sation \~ i iU I i ~,ht u p,; Treat lit @JS you di d th e fI rst a rea 1M a ke it you I" , C'LI(1I''e nt anc he I'" po ,i '111. IN ate thii S '11 ew a rea a~n eI! rest yo ur atte ntli em Ih ere ri A;I'lo\~ lit Obse rve it Do n oth i n~' a b out it 0 I'" to 1ft

Whenthou~hts arise, just notice ·them:. INo need to ~'et 'if\ivolved, Gently return to the pil ac e where you sense yo ur

• Repeat tin:i s technique for '8 rni nutes a day for on e we e k

HOWlS .1'1 'GO'I:NG~

Now that you\r@ had a chance to experience noting medltatlon, here's 8, fun way to better understand what this meditation 'is all abo ut, Let's take a little soja urn bac k to the heyday of TV' and th at fa mo us co p show; Dragnet..

If you recall, on the show, Jack Webb played the laconic,

stone-faced LAP,D Sergeant [oe Frldey, And you could rest as .. , sured that at some point 'in each episode" Sgt.. Fr'iday would wind u p Interrogatlng a. fern ale witness to a crime. Du ring that scene, he would never fal I to utter his farn au s line: "[u st the

,,- . t' '. '~" '. n

Id"C . .s" rna am.

What Fr'iday meant by this was that hls only' concern was with the bare bones of the event-the pure. unadu Iterated facts. the exactly-what-happened. He wasn'tlnterested in what the witness thought.jrnaglned. or wished she saw. All Sarge wanted were the 'facts, rna' am, Pe rio d.

~ 1u stthe facts ~1 'is also h ow I want :you to app roach all yo u r meditation techniques. Here's what I mean:

• When you're noting a body sensatlon.ju st note It.

• When you're watching your breath, Just watch it.

• When you hear a sound. Just hear 'it.

The operative and eruclal=-wo rd ls jUst. As this "[ust-ness" beglns to perm sate and satu rate you r awareness m are and mo Fe, you r med italian practice can take you to a. neN place of allow ing and balance, where you 're more relaxed and open. not ju sr to medltarlon-c-but your entl re I lfe,

And tha't:s a fact.

THE B WEEK MEDITATION PROGRAM 9';5

Q--. &A ......•. ,. 'T-I H-'I'N·-iK'-1 N;·:"G;·:,: '-T'-H I N::··-'K·I N<:G> 'TH' -II N;:···-'K:·I'N·-'·G":

": .. :' .. ',' - .. ~ ,I I'" t •••• I' ,I I..:', .' f II I I· .... , I", -".",' it +. it

Q= What Do , Do with Unwanted Thoughts That Appear During Meditation?

Do eJ(,actly the op:pos'ite of what you usually do.

Ou r waking lives overflow with a nonstop lltany of human emotions that ru n the gamut from pu re bliss to unadu lte rated hell. The way we normally deal with thoughts is to give them a lot more credit than they deserve, thinking that we are obligated to follow them wherever they lead us.

As the cliche says,uOne thought leads to another" And thats exactly what happens, over and over again, ad' ,infln,i~um-a.nd ad no'useum" Exhaustlng, isn't it? What can you possibly do to rest you r weary mlnd and get some peace! M edltate.

M'editat.ion ls the antidote to Roving Mind.AII you have to do ls=-well, noth ing. Here's how:

• A thought arlses, You watch lt, allow lt, and release it.

'- A new thought arises .Yo u watch 'it, allow it, and release it.

• Another thought arises, Guess what? Exactty'~ You watch it. allow it, and re lease it.

If you thlnk thls sounds (1 lot like the "Allow .. ~ Allow .. " Allow" and "Catch and Release" Operating lnstru ctions you're exactly right. And that's good news, because you don't have to learn anything new. Ju st keep dolng what you ~ve been do ing.

By now, you are starting to realize that thoughts always arlse du r'ing meditation. no matter how calm and relaxed you are or

how proficient a meditator you become. But the good news is that you are also starting to develop an :imm.u nity to the lu re of Rovlng Mind-no matter how seductive it seems.

Rem ember you r operating lnstru ctlons and our definition of medltatlon, Allow what is. Rest your weary mind, Bask 'in the peace y'ou deserve.

Q= I'm Having More Thoughts Than Ever Since I Started Meditating. Why Is Meditation Causing This?

As Garcia" sald, Just befo Fe he dellvered dl re battle news to hls commander; "Don't kill the messenger]"

There's an enormous difference between notlclng thoughts rno re and n otlclng rno re thoughts. In rned ltatlo n, lts the fo rrner; not the lattenthat's happening, even 'if it. doesn't seem that way.

Med'itation does not produ ce an 'increase in thinkjng, but rather makes you realiz'e~ 'fa r the f rst tim e 'i n yo u r life, how mu ch think.'ing you actu ally do. This is something you probably never no .. , tked befo reo So :inst.ead of concluding that medltatlon is messing up you r mind, be gratefu I 'for this new realization.

Next time you medltate and the thought comes up that u,M'editatianis causing more thoughts," treat it. exactly how you're learning to' treat all you r thoughts: wlth allowance and nonen .. ' gagement, lt's another perfect. opportunity to deal with Rov'ing ,M:indin an 'infinltely mare sklllful=-and peaceful--way.

THE B WEEK MEDITATION PROGRAM »r

Q~ While Meditating, J Had a Moment Where J Felt I Was Really Here. It felt Wonderful, Then If Was Gone. How Do J Get It Back?

What you might have experlen ced was a natu ral state that is your birth right. It has many names, bu t fo r th e mome nt, let's ca II it "presen ce," lt's life itself, without the overlay of you r non stop "I n rnachl n e that continually obscu res it 'from view,

Presen ee is always right here an d available to you ~ in every mom ent, But th e on 1'1 way you can return to pr-es ence ls, paradoxl ca.lly~ not to try to return to it. To help you better u nd erstan d what I mean, try this:

.. Sto p whateve r you 're dolng,

oIi Review the thoughts yOU\fS had over the past five minutes. Don't worry if you can't remember most of them.

'* What percentage of your thoughts would you say involved plannlng your future? o- remembering your past?

'* Where were thoughts?

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you

when you were thinking these

E.ven just a few minutes of observatlon demonstrates how much of your waking life is spent in either the dead past or the nonexistent future .It's amazing how seldom i·n th e day you are actually present, in this very moment. which is the most wonderful place you can ever be.

H ere's wheremedltatlon can hel p, Even though you can't d e·clde to be ln presence, meditation can 3.1 low you to become what

Catherine lngrarn, teache r and author o:f the book, Passionate Presence ca lls "m ore pl""O~on"c'o prone," Ho· w7 [".Iy·' g' olng as Catherine

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puts it, "upstream from' thought,"

As you continue to meditate, you can spend more time up .. , stream, and this place becomes more pronounced and 'intim ate. You begln to understand" on a. nonintellectual level" that presence is not something that comes from "out there" and has ju st ran .. , dom Iy-and temporarlly-e-d ropped 'in 'fa r a v lslt, Instead, you come to reallze presence as your natu ra I inner state=-abvays here and always available. 'in the sllent space accessed through med ltatlon,

Q= When' Meditated, My Mind Kept Singing uWhife Christmas" Over and Over Again .. It's Maddening. What Do I Do?

Don't worry" you're not going cra,zy~ 'The appearance of popular songs" comrn erclal jingles" and school alma maters du ring m edlta .. , tlon 'is a very com man oceu rrence,

Lees sayit:~s December, and you're 'in the midst of your B ,M:'inute Meditation period, Suddenly your mind beglns to playa farnl liar melody It's the ,I rvlng Berlin classic, '~'White Chrlstm ae" and the voice of cou rse, 'is that of B:ing Crosby,

But once isn't enoughl lt's as If there's an old phonograph record grafted 'into you r braln, play'ing the song over and over again.You try to banish it from your mind" but as usual, the harder yo u try, the more p ers latently It stays.

Your reactlon to this intrusion is probably less than skillful" somewhere along the lines of O,h~ far crying CUJ'f toud! G'et last! Can't

lH E B WEEK MEDI TATION PROGRAM 9"9'

you see ~'m meditating,? But do Irving and Bing care? Absolutely nod

What in the world do you do so that you can keep rnedltat .. , 'ing~ Hem's what:

To adapt a line from Gertrude Stein: ~~A thought is a thought 'is a thought" Remember your Catch and Release Operating ln .. , structloni Whafs happened here is that you \re hooked onto a thought, in the fo rm of a series of we rds that make up a, song. All you need to do 'is treat. the song as you wou ld a slngle thought:

Gantty unhook 'it and release it back into the stream.

M~' you r days be m,erry and b rlght,

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