Cosmic Loti

Sometimes, like now, I get totally stressed out over nothing, and can get myself into a right state which is totally unrelated to the situation in hand.

 ~ So, a reality check is needed. Stop my frenetic mind doing over-time ~

How much time can I spend worrying about inconsequetialities? And can I really expect to make any clear decisions (or find anything) in a mind all stirred up by mild panic? It’s like my mind’s a pond, and I’ve  waded in with a big stick, stirred up all the muck from the bottom, and freaked the fish out.

So, walk back onto firm ground, put the stick down and sit quietly for awhile.
Now breathe.
I like breathing.
Apart from being dead essential for life, breath is a reliable, neutral and ever-present object of meditation.
Breathing’s easy, too (even if we need an inhaler to get there, there’s not too much effort involved.)
Breathing meditation’s good for beginners to old pros.

I do Tarchin’s  breathing meditation every morning (abridged version to follow). Following our breath is a wonderfully basic and profound practice. We can start by just becoming aware of our breath. Don’t force it or think that you’re not doing it right – it’s just breathing. We’re just noticing it. And just by doing this, our breath naturally slows and becomes deeper as we relax. This is better than TV – we can’t really relax watching TV, our mind’s all over the place. Instead we simply watch our breath.  Let the other thoughts pass on by, we can return to them when we’re done. Re-focus on the breath and to this object, only pay attention.

Refs:
Luna Kadampa’s ‘short meditations‘ is a great resource too.