I haven't sat yet today: already at 5:30 am, I'm feeling behind as I rush to prep today's classes. It's been one of those weeks.
But, I meditated before & after last night's yoga class, which I really needed (both the class & the meditation!) So maybe today I'll have to do some "edge of the bathtub" meditation like Dale & MB did yesterday. (Bravo, Dale, for excellent cheering/coaching.)
Thank you, Mary and Ruth, it turned out to be a great couple of days -my son is leaving today- and it was, I think, finally saying what's been bothering me all these years, the way grieving's been strongest on my birthday. Acknowledging enables an acceptance and a release.
I'm glad you gave yourself points for trying, Nicole, but I don't see why you should take any off for falling asleep. It's just another form of distraction, and it's part & parcel of meditation. No more "not meditating" than when the mind wanders off to lunch in any other way.
Nicole, points for trying, points for sitting, yes!
Thanks, Dale, for giving me the nudge I needed. It's been a rough week for a constellation of reasons so this was a very good thing. I'm altogether too perfectionist sometimes, lapsing into all-or-nothing thinking. I appreciate the reminder that even 3 minutes can make a difference. I actually did sit for 20 minutes. Not on the edge of the bathtub, though -- twenty minutes there sounds like a recipe for numb-butt! But as good a place as any for 3 minutes.
Like Lorriane, I meditated last night at the beginning and end of yoga class. Then did some breath awareness on going to bed. I have a question that's been bothering me. When I breathe in, my chest rises but not my belly - should my belly rise too? Am I breathing wrongly?
You made me laugh too, Beth, about going for the "whole shebang." Could be a good life-goal, right? Anna.
Anna, as far as meditation goes, the only way to breathe wrongly is to get caught up in wondering if you're breathing properly & not recognize it as a distraction :-)
But it may be a sign that your posture could use adjustment. Is this when you're sitting?
Sometimes people associate "sitting up straight" with sucking in their stomachs. You can't do that and breathe into your lower lungs too. What I had to do for a while to break the habit of holding my stomach tense was sit myself up with as straight a spine as I could -- then let it relax a little -- and then deliberately push my stomach out (you know, like you would if you were pretending to be pregnant.) If there's muscular resistance to doing that, notice where it is: you probably have to release that tension, wherever it is.
If you're sitting with your knees about level with your hips, or higher than your hips, you'll need to use those stomach muscles (and your thigh muscles) just to keep upright. So make sure your sitting up high enough, and that your pelvis is rocked forward, not back. (Often you need to scootch forward on whatever you're sitting on to make that happen -- most people need really to sit on the forward edge of a cushion, not smack on top of it.)
But who knows? Maybe your lungs just sit up high. I wouldn't spend much worry on it.
Thanks, Dale, that was really helpful. I think you're right about sucking in the stomach (Letting the muscles relax reminds me painfully that I need a daily sit-ups regime, too :). Also, I think you're right about sitting close to the edge... Anna.
anna, i find breathing in to different parts of the body has been helpful. I have always been a good belly (gut) breather (belly out when breathing in) but have neglected the rib cage and heart area which has a whole different energy to it. Now, when I sit for my first 21 breaths I do alternate belly/upper torso breathing to make sure I contact the whole breathing mechanism. then I try and let go and observe.
The new imac (well earned and deserved by J) has just arrived in the place where i used to meditate. It is all temporary and we are on the way to having a studio and me having my very own room so it is another practice of letting go and being present.
did 15 mins today in a crazy day with lots of demands so feeling quite proud. had to leave my best friend who only arrived from CA yesterday alone. felt wierd but OK.she probably needed it too!
I've been running around half crazy today trying to check off to-do's before I leave for Ohio for spring break tomorrow. When I went to pick up my rental car (*my* car being too old to trust on a 1,400 round trip drive), I had to wait, which meant I was forced to sit there.
So sit there I did, pretending to study a promotional poster for rental cars...
It's not quite sitting on the edge of a bathtub, but it's close! :-)
"Ditto" on everything Dale said about breathing & posture. First rule: don't worry about it. In Zen, we emphasize *watching* the breath, not trying to *control* it.
I sometimes compare it to watching a river: sometimes the water is high & sometimes it's shallow, but it's useless to try to *force* the river. Just let the breath flow as it will, *watching* where it wants to settle, where it eddies into knots of tension, where it pools smoothly, etc. The point is to *watch without judgment.*
And like Dale said, we're trained to "sit up straight & suck in your belly." ESPECIALLY if you're a woman, you've been trained that a slouchy belly is bad/unattractive, which encourages a lot of shallow breathing.
When you first sit on your cushion, try leaning your torso forward while keeping your butt stationary on your seat, then straighten upright again. What you want is to allow your lower back to curve naturally so your butt curves out a bit (again, a lot of women avoid doing this!) This will jut your belly out a bit, so if you're wearing loose clothing you'll be *able* to breathe from your belly if your body wants to. Much of the time the clothes we wear & the way we sit prevents our bellies from expanding, so our bodies forget how.
Once you've "freed your butt/belly," your breath will often follow. Again, you're not forcing it to settle; you're just giving it the opportunity in case it *wants* to.
Ruth and Lorianne, thanks very much for uselful info - I'm getting anxious about breathing which is ridiculous. In my original comment which got lost, I was musing on the way in which, as a teenager trying to attract boys, we ALL held our stomachs in (lower abdomen, belly) rigidly as the fashion was in the 70s to be competely flat stomached. (Still amazes me to see young women letting their (often substantial)flab simply hang over their low slung jeans - I suppose in some ways this is a healthy attitude!) I am sure I still have a hang-up about letting go the belly. Anyway, helpful advice, ta. Anna.
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G'morning, everyone!
I haven't sat yet today: already at 5:30 am, I'm feeling behind as I rush to prep today's classes. It's been one of those weeks.
But, I meditated before & after last night's yoga class, which I really needed (both the class & the meditation!) So maybe today I'll have to do some "edge of the bathtub" meditation like Dale & MB did yesterday. (Bravo, Dale, for excellent cheering/coaching.)
Thank you, Mary and Ruth, it turned out to be a great couple of days -my son is leaving today- and it was, I think, finally saying what's been bothering me all these years, the way grieving's been strongest on my birthday. Acknowledging enables an acceptance and a release.
And oh, how wonderful- the bathtub meditation!
Any means necessary :-) I wasn't doing any favors; I needed some kind of kick to get me going again.
It really was three minutes on the edge of the bathtub for me.
I'm glad you gave yourself points for trying, Nicole, but I don't see why you should take any off for falling asleep. It's just another form of distraction, and it's part & parcel of meditation. No more "not meditating" than when the mind wanders off to lunch in any other way.
Brenda, so good to hear you sounding better.
Nicole, points for trying, points for sitting, yes!
Thanks, Dale, for giving me the nudge I needed. It's been a rough week for a constellation of reasons so this was a very good thing. I'm altogether too perfectionist sometimes, lapsing into all-or-nothing thinking. I appreciate the reminder that even 3 minutes can make a difference. I actually did sit for 20 minutes. Not on the edge of the bathtub, though -- twenty minutes there sounds like a recipe for numb-butt! But as good a place as any for 3 minutes.
Good evening all!
Like Lorriane, I meditated last night at the beginning and end of yoga class. Then did some breath awareness on going to bed. I have a question that's been bothering me. When I breathe in, my chest rises but not my belly - should my belly rise too? Am I breathing wrongly?
You made me laugh too, Beth, about going for the "whole shebang." Could be a good life-goal, right?
Anna.
Anna, as far as meditation goes, the only way to breathe wrongly is to get caught up in wondering if you're breathing properly & not recognize it as a distraction :-)
But it may be a sign that your posture could use adjustment. Is this when you're sitting?
Sometimes people associate "sitting up straight" with sucking in their stomachs. You can't do that and breathe into your lower lungs too. What I had to do for a while to break the habit of holding my stomach tense was sit myself up with as straight a spine as I could -- then let it relax a little -- and then deliberately push my stomach out (you know, like you would if you were pretending to be pregnant.) If there's muscular resistance to doing that, notice where it is: you probably have to release that tension, wherever it is.
If you're sitting with your knees about level with your hips, or higher than your hips, you'll need to use those stomach muscles (and your thigh muscles) just to keep upright. So make sure your sitting up high enough, and that your pelvis is rocked forward, not back. (Often you need to scootch forward on whatever you're sitting on to make that happen -- most people need really to sit on the forward edge of a cushion, not smack on top of it.)
But who knows? Maybe your lungs just sit up high. I wouldn't spend much worry on it.
Thanks, Dale, that was really helpful. I think you're right about sucking in the stomach (Letting the muscles relax reminds me painfully that I need a daily sit-ups regime, too :). Also, I think you're right about sitting close to the edge...
Anna.
anna, i find breathing in to different parts of the body has been helpful. I have always been a good belly (gut) breather (belly out when breathing in) but have neglected the rib cage and heart area which has a whole different energy to it. Now, when I sit for my first 21 breaths I do alternate belly/upper torso breathing to make sure I contact the whole breathing mechanism. then I try and let go and observe.
The new imac (well earned and deserved by J) has just arrived in the place where i used to meditate. It is all temporary and we are on the way to having a studio and me having my very own room so it is another practice of letting go and being present.
did 15 mins today in a crazy day with lots of demands so feeling quite proud. had to leave my best friend who only arrived from CA yesterday alone. felt wierd but OK.she probably needed it too!
I've been running around half crazy today trying to check off to-do's before I leave for Ohio for spring break tomorrow. When I went to pick up my rental car (*my* car being too old to trust on a 1,400 round trip drive), I had to wait, which meant I was forced to sit there.
So sit there I did, pretending to study a promotional poster for rental cars...
It's not quite sitting on the edge of a bathtub, but it's close! :-)
"Ditto" on everything Dale said about breathing & posture. First rule: don't worry about it. In Zen, we emphasize *watching* the breath, not trying to *control* it.
I sometimes compare it to watching a river: sometimes the water is high & sometimes it's shallow, but it's useless to try to *force* the river. Just let the breath flow as it will, *watching* where it wants to settle, where it eddies into knots of tension, where it pools smoothly, etc. The point is to *watch without judgment.*
And like Dale said, we're trained to "sit up straight & suck in your belly." ESPECIALLY if you're a woman, you've been trained that a slouchy belly is bad/unattractive, which encourages a lot of shallow breathing.
When you first sit on your cushion, try leaning your torso forward while keeping your butt stationary on your seat, then straighten upright again. What you want is to allow your lower back to curve naturally so your butt curves out a bit (again, a lot of women avoid doing this!) This will jut your belly out a bit, so if you're wearing loose clothing you'll be *able* to breathe from your belly if your body wants to. Much of the time the clothes we wear & the way we sit prevents our bellies from expanding, so our bodies forget how.
Once you've "freed your butt/belly," your breath will often follow. Again, you're not forcing it to settle; you're just giving it the opportunity in case it *wants* to.
Going to sit now. No more excuses tonight.
Ruth and Lorianne, thanks very much for uselful info - I'm getting anxious about breathing which is ridiculous. In my original comment which got lost, I was musing on the way in which, as a teenager trying to attract boys, we ALL held our stomachs in (lower abdomen, belly) rigidly as the fashion was in the 70s to be competely flat stomached. (Still amazes me to see young women letting their (often substantial)flab simply hang over their low slung jeans - I suppose in some ways this is a healthy attitude!) I am sure I still have a hang-up about letting go the belly. Anyway, helpful advice, ta.
Anna.
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