Sitting crossed legged on the floor for about 40 mins without moving sounds easy but as I found, while attempting my first true meditation session, a great deal of mindful concentration and relaxation is needed to maintain the position for any length of time.
My hosts in Kendell are a lovely couple that are practising Buddhists that have around 12 acres of land comprising of gardens vegetable plots and at the centre is an idyllic pond which is visited daily by birds that splash land into the garden. After a full morning planting garlic in rows that were hoed straight and true, during a downpour, I was asked if I wanted to join the couple in their weekly traditional meditation session. I had been interested in learning about the Buddhist philosophy and practises.
It had been a long time since I had sat crossed legged on a floor and I found it hard to get myself into a comfortable position that I would be able to hold for any length of time. I could feel my foot already squashed and hurting as it was pressed against the floor under my weight and this was before we had started the meditation process. In order for me to fully appreciate the experience I thought to myself that I would have to immerse myself into the way of thinking and the process of meditation. The process of meditation should allow the practitioner to recognise the pain or discomfort that they are experiencing and to be able to, not so much as to suppress the pain, but to recognise the pain, be able to see the pain and then to suppress its effects on your mind and body.
It was surprising how long I actually could sit there concentrating only on my breathing and the movements of my chest moving in and out with every drawn and exhaled breath. I breathed deep and slow that relaxed every part of my body visualising a slow and steady walk to and up a hill to a lonely hut filled with other quiet and still people who are deep in meditation. Every sound that you hear around you is noted in your mind and then you return your thoughts back to your breathing and your chest and diaphragm movements.
After the session ended it took my body a few minutes to return back to a state in which I could walk proficiently again without the accompanied moans and groans. The western body differs from eastern bodies so as westerners sitting crossed legged with our knees below our hips is quite a feat to achieve if you can at all. I can imagine why there are other forms of meditation, such as walking meditation, as after whole weekend meditation retreat you would probably have to be air lifted off the floor still in the crossed legged position. The practise of meditation gives you something to think about as you can feel the benefits of calming your mind and body and the also the practise of well wishing of others including every living thing must go some way to help shape you into a better more thoughtful person.
