- Modern people are accustomed to thinking and often overuse their brains. With too many concerns weighing on their minds, their energy tends to gather in the head, so when they first begin sitting meditation, it is very hard for them to relax the whole body. The key to relaxing the whole body is to relax the mind and brain. Therefore, when beginning sitting meditation, the first thing is to let the energy sink downward, and then regulate the breath until it is even and smooth.
- Observing the breath and observing thoughts in sitting meditation is not thinking or pondering — it is seeing with the mind. So in general, you should let the energy in the head sink into the heart chakra area, then relax and begin the contemplation.
- Some people sit very well in meditation, but when their energy channels are observed, some carry a heavy, dispirited energy throughout the body, while others have dry, lusterless energy channels. All of this is related to the state of mind before taking the seat. So before sitting in meditation, you should adjust your state of mind, filling yourself with loving-kindness and joy.
- Do not eat too much before sitting in meditation.
- Pay attention to the practice off the cushion. In daily life, try to let the six sense faculties expend as little energy as possible. When eating or sleeping, first withdraw your mind and spirit inward. Gather the energy of the six sense faculties back into the body, then relax, and only then begin to eat or sleep. In this way, you will be less prone to gaining excess body fat all over the body and less prone to nightmares. When having a bowel movement, do not read books or newspapers. Doing so easily leads to constipation and hemorrhoids. You must quiet the mind and relax so that the body’s residual waste can be expelled more fully. In fact, only by attending to relaxation, stillness, and naturalness in the daily business of “eating, drinking, relieving oneself, and sleeping” can sitting meditation get on the path more quickly.