Mindful Sitting – GN

Mindful sitting is to sit with attentiveness.  Find yourself a comfortable space to sit and sit in a way that you can relax.  You can sit on a cushion, a bench, or a chair.  If you’re sitting on the cushion, make sure you have the 3 points touching the ground: your two knees and your seat. 

If you’re sitting on a chair, make sure your two feet are level on the ground.  You can place your hands on your lap or your knees.  

You can begin by being aware of your breathing as it is.  “Breathing in, I know I’m breathing in.  Breathing out, I know I’m breathing out.”  Then you pay attention to your body.  “Breathing in, I’m aware of my body.  Breathing out, I’m aware of my body.”  You are aware of the situation of our body, whether it’s relaxed or tense. 

If it’s tense, just send the energy of awareness to relax it.  “Breathing in, I’m aware of my body. Breathing out, I relax my body.” You can also become aware of your feelings, whether they are pleasant, unpleasant or neutral.   “Breathing in, I’m aware of my feelings.  Breathing out, I smile to my feelings.”  Simply smile to whatever feeling is arising; smiling with acceptance. 

When you can accept your feelings as they are, they simply calm down and gradually go away.

The practice of mindful sitting should be pleasant.  If you feel pain at any time, just simply relax your legs or massage them, or stand up and do walking meditation instead.

GN