Offering a Seat to your Meditation Practice

The purpose of meditation practice is to deeply recognize and commune with our own innate sacredness; to experience the living dynamic divine energy inside of our beings. That power is already right there inside of us; we really only need to sit still and pay attention to it.

As simple as this may sound- anyone who has embarked on the path of meditation will tell you: it may be simple- but its not always easy. The power within the human heart is perhaps the greatest power in the universe. None the less, it is a subtle power. While we are awake, so many other less subtle energies are there before us- all vying for our attention: our life with its details, relationships, responsibilities, our body with its pleasure and pains, and of course there?s our mind with its infinite capacity to create thoughts and fantasies and ideas.

As we set out on the journey to deep meditation, it is worth our while to stack the odds in our favor in any way we can. There are many factors that we can work with and make optimal for ourselves. One such factor is our meditation seat. If you are serious about meditation practice, then you may want to spend some time considering the seat that you offer to your practice.

To guide us in this exploration, we will take the help of the ancient Yogasutra, written by the great yogi-sage Patanjali.

In verse 2:46, Patanjali says:

Shtiram sukham asanam

The seat is stable and pleasurable

Of course, we are dealing with a text written in the ancient Sanskrit language and translated into English. Sometimes it's good to look deeply at the Sanskrit. All three of the Sanskrit words in this sutra warrant a closer look, the last word first:

Asana means seat or posture. It connotes intentionality and deliberateness. An asana is seat or posture which is carefully chosen or prepared. It is not haphazard or accidental.

The first word shtira is often translated as steady, solid, or stable. It connotes stillness and freedom from distraction. Shtira is unwavering.

Lastly, sukha is pleasure- the opposite of dukha, pain. Sukha is comfortable, easy, and pleasant. When strung together the words in this sutra steer us towards a dynamic balance of steadiness and easefulness; support, discipline, pleasure and freedom.

The Stable and Pleasurable Seat

The idea is to create a seat for yourself that will beckon you to practice- a seat that is both inviting and optimal for your meditation practice. Let's look at two main factors: Comfort and Convenience.

Comfort: helping your body be happy and relaxed

Comfort is a major factor in choosing your seat for meditation.. There are several schools of thought on this subject. Some teachers have their students focus at first on establishing a floor-sitting posture and learning to sit unsupported without moving. The idea is to have students work for a long time establishing the foundation of discipline in their posture before learning to plum the depths of meditation. While this has its merits, at Banyan we tend to err on the side of comfort. Everyone's body is different as are people's pathways into meditation. We like to have students find a seat they are very comfortable in and learn to meditate there. Once they have found their pathway "in", then they may choose to refine their sitting posture to support that inner experience. It's true, if a seat is too comfortable, there is a risk of falling asleep during meditation. If, on the other hand, the seat is too uncomfortable, there is a near certainty that the beginner meditator will be distracted by their body's pain and discomfort. Find a seat that feels good- a seat that makes you feel powerful and benevolent, a seat that allows you to sit up and feel grounded at the same time.

In a chair...

Chairs are fine meditation seats. You may not look like a classical picture of a lotus-postured yogi on the outside, but on the inside- everything is available in a chair. If you sit in a chair it's best to choose a stable chair that allows your feet to touch the ground. If the chair is too high, you can always place a firm cushion under your feet. Choose a chair that is neither too "squooshy" nor too hard. Heavily padded chairs are okay as long as they provide firm support. Wooden or metal chairs are suitable if they have enough padding. Cushions, shawls and folded blankets can always supplement the chair you choose to sit in. once you learn to meditate in a chair, there are benefits; imagine all of the chairs you can try out: airplane seats, bus seats, office chairs, waiting room chairs...the world is filled with great meditation seats!

On the floor...

If you sit on the floor, ensure that there is sufficient support for you to be comfortable. Most modern people need some kind of firm cushion under their buttocks for support. Elevating the hips in this way allows the back to be straight and the chest to be open. You can experiment and see how much height you need to be upright and comfy. If your floor surface is hard, another good item to have is some kind of blanket, small carpet, or thin cushion to place under your legs. Many of my students sit on traditional woolen meditation asanas. A blanket folded into a large rectangle is also a good solution for this. This marks off your meditation spot and also provides padding for your feet and ankles. If you prefer extra support for your back, you may choose to place your seat near a wall. A firm cushion between the wall and the small of your back gives you something to gently lean on without slouching or rounding your back too much.

On location...

Many among us like to meditate in places outside of our homes. Temples, holy places, and natural locations are wonderful places to meditate, but often are not the most comfortable. Many meditators find it helpful to have a little travel kit with a cushion and blanket to sit on for such places. I use a small carpet that I can roll up and put in my travel bag. It makes a big difference when I go on a pilgrimage. Chair sitters may even be bold enough to put a folding chair in the trunk of their car. Why not? If it helps you to experience the truth inside, I say do whatever it takes. Portable asana kits are also great for business traveling. I always travel with an asana, shawl, and candle in my suitcase. This way, I can turn any hotel room or guest house into my personal meditation cave.

When you build your seat just remember shtira and sukha: Supportive and comfortable, stable and pleasurable. When your body has the right combination of support and comfort, it's able to let go and relax.

Convenience- making it easy to go there

Imagine if, every time you watched TV, you had to build your whole TV-watching area. You had to go to a closet, open it up, take out the TV, assemble the cables, take out chairs, re-arrange your furniture, and then sit down to watch your favorite show. Imagine the impact it would have on your TV watching.

Daily activities such as eating, bathing, and entertainment have their own dedicated place in our lives. Your meditation practice relies on the same kind of support from you. If you are serious about your meditation practice, it is wise for you to invest some time and energy into creating a space that makes it convenient for you to practice.

Your meditation spot should be as convenient as it is comfortable. It should be easy for you to go there and comfortable enough that once you?re there, you don?t want to get up. The optimal solution is to have is a permanent meditation area. Some people dedicate small rooms in their homes to their practice. Others designate a certain corner or chair for their meditation seat. This place, wherever it is, should be kept very clean and regarded as sacred. When you set your space up, take the time to be creative and make it beautiful. It's your spot, so you can make it in whatever way that most inspires you to practice. You may want to set up a small "sacred table" near your asana or choose beautiful candles or inspiring photos or other items to compliment your practice. Do whatever you need to do to make your meditation place into a peaceful, protected sanctuary.

I understand this approach emphasizes comfort and easiness above all else. And I can already hear someone saying, "but the ancient sages- they fasted for weeks and slept on hard stones! What about tapas? What about austerity?" Yogic austerity does have its place for sure -and there are places where you can go off and do retreats with plenty of toughness. But when you come back home to your regular daily practice, it is better to have a place that is pleasant, comfortable and inviting. There is already enough struggle in modern life without bringing it into our meditation time. If you're looking for intensity and challenge, don't worry. If you seriously embark on the path of regular meditation, you will find all the intensity you need inside.

If you take the time to make your seat a convenient one, chances are- you'll sit there more often. If your seat is comfortable, you'll want to stay there longer. Investing time, thought and energy in your meditation seat is a great investment to make. The seat you create will be the seat for some of the greatest experiences of your life.

Meditation: A Simple Way to Heal Inner Wounds

Lately there has been a great deal of oxygen in the air for conversations about the plight of our new generation of combat veterans. While stories about moldy outpatient clinics and traumatic brain injury compete for (much deserved) attention, there is another, underground story going on.

We're at war. Really at war. We have over one hundred thousand volunteer troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and many of them are seeing real combat. This isn't a big sweep like Grenada or a laser-guided 3 mile high war like Gulf One. In this war we have boots on the ground "in the shit". SInce the beginning of our major deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom, I have been thinking. Of course, I've been thinking of the case for war, and whether or not I believe in it or if I agree with the way the war is being carried out and so on, but more than that, I've been thinking about the human heart.

When I see footage of the war in Iraq- the burnt out cars, the skinny men with dirty dress pants and white stretchers picking people out of rubble, the defiant face of a cleric leader, a bleacher full of troops listening to a president or an official, I think of the same thing. Its hard for me not to look at the car or the skinny man or the official or the stoic marine sergeant without imagining what is going on inside the hearts involved in the scenes.

This angle - the heart angle- is a tricky one. There are some obviously difficult questions- like what's going on in the hearts of ordinary Iraqis as they watch their already troubled country devolve into deeper and deeper levels of mess. And there are the hearts of the leaders leading the war who have to make decisions about how to proceed and how to cut losses and how to speak publicly about their process of trial and error. One could only imagine what's going on below the surface there.

For me, the compelling part of the whole equation lies in between the suited leaders and the skinny guys in Baghdad. For me the heart of the heart story lies about four feet above the "boots on the ground" in the War on Terror.

These are men and women- all volunteers- who have chosen to enroll in the military and have put themselves through training and who are now there, in vehicles patrolling or searching a house, or manning a checkpoint, or fighting with bullets and bombs and artillery. These men and women grew up watching the A-Team like I did. They rode BMX bikes and ate Captain Crunch like we did and now they're there with rifles - and sometimes blood- in their hands. They're in military hospitals being fitted for artificial limbs and joining veterans' groups and trying to make sense of it all.

In working with a few of these men, I can see. They're changed by their experience. Some are diagnosed as changed- they have PTSD- a label that makes it seem like something has gone wrong with them. From my point of view they are completely normal. Normal men and women having a perfectly normal reaction to a very extreme experience. There are dreams and intruding memories and bouts of depression and anger. There are fits of rage and hyper vigilance and immobilizing feelings of loss.

Some of these changes are in the brain. In some cases these are the kinds of changes that happen when the brain operates under extreme conditions for extended periods of time. Sometimes time alone can sort those processes out. When time is not available or is not enough, there are also great drug therapies available to help get people over the humps of their symptoms. But there is something else available too.

In many cases, our minds just need a chance to sort themselves out. Our minds and brains are incredibly resilient. If left alone, they will often mend their own wounds and turn lemons into lemonade, trauma into strength, struggle into wisdom. But they are also wired in such a way that they can cause more problems. When something happens once "in reality", it often is replayed again and again in our minds. Think of a harsh word spoken to you by someone who matters- you may replay that word hundreds, thousands of times silently in your memory. Your brain and body sometimes cannot distinguish the difference between a real time insult and the reruns you play in your head.

We also live in a culture that rarely gives us a chance to just sort ourselves out. Many of our leisure time activities -playing video games, watching TV, going out to clubs, surfing the net -are often more stimulating than the original stimulus we're trying to recuperate from.

I would like to make a case for meditation as way for our vets to rest their minds and reconnect with their hearts. While they're in the flow of their lives, as they find jobs and reconnect with their families, as little as 20 minutes of sitting meditation per day can do wonders for their process of reintegration.

When we meditate, we still our bodies and quiet our senses and let our minds go into a kind of maintenance mode We watch our breath and make it even and complete and give our bodies a chance to fully relax while remaining awake. Its like a bath for our minds. Its like a Zamboni machine.

Have you ever seen a Zamboni machine? A Zamboni machine is the big vehicle they use to clean the ice on a skating rink. After hours of skating, the ice gets all cut up and rough- so many grooves in it left from the skate blades. The zamboni machine comes in and smooths them out and restores the ice to a pristine condition.

From the POV of meditation- the mind is very similar to the ice of a ice rink. The various experiences we have- along with the thoughts we think and the words we hear and images we see- leave imprints on our consciousness. Think of all the work a mind does under normal circumstances. Imagine what the mind goes through in a time of war- of combat. These experiences and stress-ors leave imprints like grooves and gashes in the ice of our minds.

Most of us- whether we are veterans or not- live our lives with zillions of imprints- grooves there in our "ice" some big and some small. Then something happens- we experience a miracle, or go through some kind of healing experience or go into some kind of theraputic work -and the ice gets smoothed a little bit. Then we go back and refill our ice with grooves again.

Big things- violence, heartbreak, tragedy- religious experiences leave deeper grooves- like huge gashes in our ice. Some of them never go away. These deeper grooves in part make us who we are. Running the Zamboni machine over the big gashes doesn't erase them- but it does smooth their edges and make the surrounding area smooth again.

Meditation is like a Zamboni machine for our mind. Really simple exercises, done regularly can do for us what the deep therapy or healing experiences do. The good thing is- we can control it, we can do it whenever we want, and it's free.

At Banyan we are trying to find ways to train veterans of the "War on Terror" in these simple techniques. Its not about becoming a yogi or a Buddhist. Its just about learning how to do this simple mind maintenance on a daily basis- and seeing what happens. Seeing what shifts. For some people meditation creates a very simple -almost imperceptible- shift. For others, it radically changes and enriches the way they experience their life.

As 2007 rolls on, we are finding better and better ways to connect to vets and active duty troops. If you are in the military or have served in the War on Terror- please email us and let us know.

The government will do what it thinks is best. Our families will do their part, and hopefully, we will find ways to do our part here at Banyan as well.

In the meantime, I invite everyone who reads this to simply consider the Hearts involved in this conflict. Consider the Iraqis, the Americans at home, the leaders, what's going on there- beneath the surface, about four feet above our 150,000 + "boots on the ground".