| Preparation
| Warm-up Exercises | 1
| 2 | 3
| 4 | 5
Warm-Up
1: The Sitting Meditation
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Exercise 1 |
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The Sitting
Meditation enhances the flow of the body's energy from your
arms to your legs. It also helps you to feel that flow as
a sensation of warmth. For this exercise, you need ten minutes
without interruption and the right place to sit. The seat
must be firm, level, and at the right height.
What is
the right height? The height at which your feet rest flat
on the floor and your thighs are level and parallel to the
floor. If the seat is too low, your thighs will slope up toward
your knees; if too high, your thighs will slope down. As you
sit, your thighs and legs should be like two sides of a square
box. If a straight chair is too low or too high, a coffee
table or a stool may be what you need.
- Sit
erect, with shoulders and abdomen relaxed. Place knees slightly
apart, on a line with hips. Place feet directly below knees,
pointing straight ahead, toes even. Rest palms, flat, lightly
on knees. Close your eyes, and let your attention remain
unfocused, directed globally toward your whole body.
- If
thoughts, words, or images come into your mind, let them
pass. Treat them like stray dogs following you along a street.
Pay no attention to them and let them wander away. Sit quietly
for ten minutes.
Checking
Yourself:
- Thighs
level.
- Feet
parallel, toes even.
- Shoulders
relaxed.
- Abdomen
relaxed.
- Attention
global.
Sometime
during the ten minutes you may feel warmer, and you may feel
a tingling sensation. Your knees may feel a penetrating warmth
where your palms lie against them. The exercise is beneficial
whether you feel such sensations or not, so don't try to make
them happen. Keep your attention unfocused and relaxed, and
breathe regularly.
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