Meditation Practices

Sitting at a Desk Meditation

Sit with your back straight in the chair facing forward. Clasp your hands and let them rest in your lap.
Close your eyes. Silently count each in breath as one count, and each out breath as one count.
Count to 50 or another even number.
Listen to your breath as it comes in; listen to your breath as it goes out.

Example:

To finish, take a final deep breath, slowly let it out, and open your eyes.

Walking becomes meditation when you bring your full attention to the act of walking… and nothing else… meditation in motion.

To start, simply stand with your spine upright and your shoulders relaxed.

Let your arms hang naturally by your sides.
Take a couple of long, slow, and deep breaths.
As you exhale, let go of unnecessary tension, smile gently, and let your attention flow deep into your belly, hips, legs, and feet. Feel your connection to the earth.
As you begin to walk, bring your focus to the present, letting go of concerns about what happened earlier or what may be happening later.

Focus your attention on your body and your footsteps.

With each step, lift your foot mindfully, and as you place it down on the ground, feel your entire foot make contact with the earth.
Be relaxed, but keep your spine long.
You may want to gaze down at your feet to bring your focus inwards or you may be more comfortable gazing softly ahead – either is fine.
Let your breath flow naturally.
When thoughts drift into your mind, just release them and return your attention to your walk.
Begin to coordinate your breathing with taking small steps—as you inhale, step forward with your left foot; as you exhale, step forward with your right foot; and continue in this way. Let your gaze be focused gently on the ground in front of you. Keep the pace quite slow and relaxed.

SMILE! Let the smile spread from your face to every cell in your body.