On Meditation May 27, 2008

It’s been a while since I meditated, but after being sick, I craved (craved??) a sitting-still session. I try to get up early for yoga but haven’t for a few days, so today I thought I’d do some. Got to my mat and just wanted to sit still.

It was really nice. I tucked a bit of mat under my tailbone so I’d last in the cross-legged position, and decided to count breaths, backwards from 10. This is a nice relaxed way to notice when my mind wanders, which it did a bit. But the overriding experience was calm, and my focus seemed to be around heart / solar plexus.

I was probably there for 10 minutes or so, by which time one foot was asleep… Twice I even brought my mind back from the distraction of physical discomfort – unusual for me. Did a really gentle bit of yoga.

Conclusion: Meditation is all it’s cracked up to be. Right time of day can help a lot. Morning is good, but not so early you nod off sitting up (I’m talking from experience). Try it sometime. It’s like a mini-holiday from EVERYTHING, including your own thoughts; and you can be there instantly, at a price even Ryanair can’t beat.

On Tao May 27, 2008

Tao: the unconditional and unknowable source and guiding principle of all reality as conceived by Taoists.

The process of nature by which all things change and which is to be followed for a life of harmony.

often not capitalized : the path of virtuous conduct as conceived by Confucians

often not capitalized : the art or skill of doing something in harmony with the essential nature of the thing [the Tao of archery, or the Tao of vacuum cleaning]

That’s why I like tao. There’s a certain friendliness to working “in harmony with the essential nature of the thing.” Of course, if you don’t know the nature of the thing, you might need a good manual: See “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” for an exposition on the different types of people: those like me, or my sister, who prefer a sort of “romantic” notion of how things work (they just should, and if they don’t, somebody should fix them, yesterday); and those who are interested [and may I add "capable"] of knowing the intricacies, the inner workings of the thing (like my husband, or my sister’s husband).

The Tao, in the broadest sense, is the way the universe functions, the path [Chin. tao=path] taken by natural events. It is characterized by spontaneous creativity and by regular alternations of phenomena (such as day following night) that proceed without effort. Effortless action may be illustrated by the conduct of water, which unresistingly accepts the lowest level and yet wears away the hardest substance. Human beings, following the Tao, must abjure all striving. The ideal state of being, fully attainable only by mystical contemplation, is simplicity and freedom from desire, comparable to that of an infant or an “uncarved block.” (from www.bartleby.com/65/ta/Taoism.html)

If you’re stressed, do something serene, like sit in a church or visit a museum or have lunch alone under a tree. Why are you stressed? Can you dump something from your schedule, or is it deeper? Did you mistakenly accumulate the wrong priorities? How can you shift them back? If you think about what would make your life more harmonious, you’re heading in the tao direction.