Your First Session

Note: The following comments are all answers to questions that have come up over the years. If you also have questions on your mind it may be helpful to read this over. It is not intended to give the impression that a long preparation is necessary before you come to a meeting!

Clothes: It is OK to wear just about any kind of comfortable clothing to a meditation session. However, please be mindful that some people are allergic to perfume, or may find strong scents objectionable.

On arriving: The door is open a half hour before each meeting. Please do not ring or knock. There is a place for shoes at the entrance.

You might like to give some thought to your seat. There are cushions and benches, both designed to keep your seat elevated you that you can keep your back straight. On the seiza bench, knees are on the floor, and the legs are tucked under; on a cushion, having the buttocks elevated makes it easier to cross your legs without slouching. Chairs are also available. On a chair, sit with your back straight, and with both feet on the floor. Choose your seat so that you can be comfortable and enjoy your meditation.
It is OK to change seats between sessions, or even during a session if you find that your discomfort level makes it difficult to concentrate. If it should happen that you feel sleepy, please feel free to get up and get some water or take a few steps outside the room at any time.
 
During a session: You do not need to suppress coughs, a normal cough is less disturbing than failed attempts to muffle it.

Mindfulness songs are part of the practice. The melody helps us to remember the words. It also helps to create a certain mood, and to focus the mind. You might like to just listen the first time around. Please feel free to join in the singing if and when you feel comfortable. There is no obligation to sing.
You can also expect a short talk about some aspect of the practice. At some point, there will be an invitation to share your thoughts, your understanding of the talk, or your experiences. Feel free to participate in the discussion. There is no obligation to participate; however, misunderstandings are very common on this path. If anything sounds strange, it is a good idea to ask about it. A good comment that comes from the heart can be helpful to everybody. If you want feedback from the group or from a particular person, you can ask for it specifically. Otherwise, the sharing moves on to other people and other topics. When you speak, please be specific, and speak from your own experience. Abstractions and generalities are too vague to be appreciated. You can also stay behind after the session is over, and have a private discussion or consultation with the speaker.

There are usually two sessions of sitting meditation and one of walking meditation. The sitting sessions are 20-25 minutes each. The first one starts with a guided meditation, and the second one is silent. If your mind tends to wander, it is a good idea to remember the verses of the guided meditation, and to repeat them silently to yourself. Our style of meditation begins with awareness of breath. The breath belongs to the body; focusing on it helps to bring the body and mind together, and is designed to prevent the mind from wandering. If you find that your mind has wandered, gently bring it back to your breath again.
It may help to keep the eyes slightly open during sitting meditation. The mind can wander more easily if the eyes are kept closed.

Walking: Please stay concentrated during the walking meditation. Take small steps. Focus your attention on your feet as you walk, and not on your thoughts. If thoughts come, just note them briefly, and get back to concentrating on your walk. Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that the feet can walk on the Earth as if they were kissing her. He has also said “When I walk, my heart is at peace, my feet embrace the Earth, and my eyes embrace the sky.” That last phrase is good to remember; you may find that the mind wanders more if you are looking at your feet. Walking meditation is a good practice for slowing down so that we can appreciate what is around us, and be in the moment. A good verse to recite while walking is, “I have arrived, I am home in the here and in the now”. We arrive at home with each step. Remembering Thich Nhat Hanh’s saying, “Peace is Every Step” also helps.

Lending Library: Is for members only. It is not possible for us to lend books to non-members who are coming for the first time, or who come very occasionally. There is a small notebook  for signing out items, with a page for each book. Please find the appropriate page, and write down your name, phone number and the date borrowed. Upon returning, please take the time to cross out your name. The membership cost is calculated by multiplying the contribution for each session by the weeks in the semester. It costs a bit less than paying for all the sessions and activities separately, and is more convenient for you as well as for our treasurer. Your contributions help us to keep our programs going.

Keeping an open mind: In Hermann Hesse’s short novel, Siddhartha, the protagonist has these words for his childhood friend Govinda:

“When someone seeks, it can easily happen that his eyes only see the thing he is seeking and that he is incapable of finding anything, incapable of taking anything in, because he is always only thinking about what he is seeking, because he has an object, a goal, because he is possessed by this goal. Seeking means having a goal, but finding means being free, open, having no goal. Perhaps you, venerable one, are indeed a seeker, for in striving after your goal, there is much you fail to see that is right before your eyes.”

Siddhartha’s comments can apply to any new experience, including your first session of Mindfulness Meditation.