To Your Health
by SCOTT QUINN

We practice meditation some of the time so that we can be mindful and at peace more of the time. Meditation is not an escape but a return to the essence of who we are. Some also think of meditation as a time in which we rest in God.

There is nothing mysterious about meditation, yet something mysterious happens. Meditation is simply allowing ourselves to be present with the present moment. Walking can be a meditation if our attention is on the movement of the body and the sensation of the feet making contact with the ground. Eating can be a meditation when we turn off the TV and focus on the texture and taste of the food we eat. In meditation we give our racing minds a chance to rest and simply be. There is no need to change or fix anything.

Below are suggestions for those who wish to begin a practice of centering meditation. It is a practice because it is never done perfectly, nor should we expect it to be. And yet when done regularly we are slowly transformed by simply showing up to the practice. Our minds will wonder during meditation; there are times when it seems like nothing is happening. Yet on a deep level something is happening. A Presence greater than our problems, thoughts and feelings stills us and heals us. All we have to do is show up with an intention to let go into the silence. The presence of the divine, of that Mystery which holds all life, does the rest.

1. Time and Place. Arrange a regular time, when you won’t be interrupted, and a quiet spot, where you wont be disturbed by people, the telephone, or pets. This is one time when you are not on call, when you set aside the usual mode of constant doing and switch to a mode of non-doing, of being. This is your time. Giving yourself this time will tend, with practice, to slow time down.

2. Posture. Sit in an erect and dignified posture, in a straight-backed chair or on the floor with a cushion. Sit with your head, neck, and back erect but not rigid, shoulders relaxed, hands placed comfortably in your lap or on your knees. Slightly tuck your chin, and lift the head toward the ceiling. Close your eyes, or if you wish, slightly open, looking at the floor.

3. Relaxation. Relax your muscles sequentially, head to foot.

4. Breathing. Bring your attention to your breath by waiting for the body to take its next in-breath. We want to attend to the breath without manipulating it, just watching it come, and go, as the body breathes itself. Notice the breath coming in at the nostrils. Feel the abdominal wall expand on the in-breath, and then feel it fall back on the out-breath. Enjoy the quiet at the end of the out-breath and wait for the next in-breath to come. Be totally here with each breath where you’re most aware of it in your body. Commit yourself to be fully awake, fully present with each breath. Let the breath happen by itself.

5. Centering. You will want to choose a centering focus. It may be the coming and going of the breath itself, or a word or short phrase which you repeat silently to yourself on the out-breath, or a visual scene. This centering focus serves as an anchor when your mind wanders off into thoughts, worries, or any other mental activity. Whenever this wandering of the mind occurs, ever-so-gently notice it and return to your breath and centering focus. If your mind wanders 1,000 times, gently bring it back to center 1,000 times, intentionally cultivating an attitude of gentleness and patience with yourself. Anything that comes into the field of awareness is OK. Centering is a process of noticing and letting be, rejecting nothing, dwelling in stillness as the breath goes in and out.

You may wish to choose a word that connects with your deepest beliefs as a centering focus. The physiological relaxation of centering meditation, when combined with your deepest beliefs, is a particularly potent combination to bring us home where we can rest in stillness. Examples of such words are peace, rest, Jesus, Mary, shalom, Allah, mercy. What’s important is not which word you choose, but the word as a symbol of your intention to spend time with God. You may also choose a neutral word, such as the number one as your centering focus.

6. Judging. Don’t worry how you are doing. It’s a habit of the mind to criticize and judge our performances. Just notice this habit, and gently return to the anchor of your breath and your centering focus. Your mind will not stop for more than seconds at a time, if at all, so don’t expect it to be quiet for long at first. Just watch the coming and going of thoughts, and ever-so-gently return to your anchor. The mind is much like the surface of the ocean: on the surface there may be a lot of action with mind waves, but as you descend below the surface, the water is calm and still. With practice, we let go of surface thoughts and descend into calmness and stillness.

7. Frequency. Practice once, preferably twice a day for a few minutes at first, lengthening to twenty minutes. Establish a regular time and place for your centering. Make it as regular a part of your day as brushing your teeth.

Remember: A good centering is one you did.

Scott Quinn is an educator and spiritual director at Seton Cove.