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I’d love to share a really simple contemplative practice that I’ve learned through the Radiant Mind course. Before I learned this simple practice of “just sitting”, I was pretty sure that seated mediation was not my bag. While I really enjoyed (or at least appreciated the practice of sitting, I found it damn near impossible to sit regularly. The notion of a regular contemplative practice seemed unnatural to my restless nature. I reasoned that a moving practice, such as dance and asana, were more in line with my shakti spirit. Truth be told, this was my well crafted excuse to not sit still.

And then I learned the practice of “just sitting” - a minimal contemplative practice that’s designed to lead to the experience of natural meditation, where meditation happens all by itself. The practice is so easy, that it’s hard to find a reason to not do it. It creates the optimal conditions for resting in unconditioned awareness free of all effort and ambition.

This practice doesn’t require any focus on breathing, and because of this I find it naturally evokes relaxed breathing.

Here are a few guidelines to “just sitting”. Keep in mind, there’s no right way to do this, no wrong way to do this. The only rule is to stay in one place.

• Disengage from high level stimulation (ex. people, books, computer, music).
• Sit in relatively still position on a chair, couch, meditation cushion or lay on your back
• If you’re uncomfortable, do whatever you need to do (stretch your legs, scratch an itch, etc) but don’t get up and move around.
• Be silent.
• Just do whatever you’re doing, think what you’re thinking, feel what you’re feeling, experience whatever you’re experiencing.
• Do this for around 20 min per day.

If a contemplative practice is something new for you, you might want to tell people around you what you’re doing. Find a time and space that works for you and doesn’t interrupt other people. It is best to not to create a hard edge around your practice, and not give off the message that you don’t want to be interrupted. If people feel like they have to tip toe around you, then what’s the point?

So that’s it - super simple! Give it a try and let me know how it goes. If you have another contemplative practice that has helped you cultivate stillness, I’d love to read about it.

For more info about Radiant Mind click here to visit the website.

Here’s a video of Shayla Wright (a friend & teacher of mine) describing what “nondualism is not”. Gotta love the paradox!

Enjoy!

 

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