Meditation by Leo
Share Article After climbing Qinchengshan where Taoism began 2,000 years ago Leo introduced meditation practice to his Grade 8 students in Utopia.
Mediation is sitting quiet to develop a calm mind, you sit tall with your hands in front of you or on your knees, gently lower your eyes and focus on a single breath, ‘in, out, in, out.’
If your mind becomes distracted by past regrets or future fears you bring it back to your breath, ‘in, out, in out.’ This is your single point of awareness. Be your breath.
You do it for yourself, not your friends, parents or teachers. Meditation allows you feel harmony and balance. You will feel more peaceful and happier than people busy rushing around. Your goal today is to sit for five minutes and sit and practice for five minutes every day before school. You may choose to sit for five, ten or twenty minutes every day, whenever and wherever you like.
He wrote Jing - quiet, stillness, calm and Ding - concentration and focus on the board for the linguistic context.
When you begin to sit in meditation, at first your mind will be very uncooperative. Your ego or emotional mind will fight against its extinction by the higher forces of spiritual awareness.
The ego loves the day-to-day circus of sensory entertainment and emotional turmoil, even though this depletes your energy, degenerates your body and exhausts your spirit. We call the ego the ‘monkey mind.’
They laughed, remembering The Monkey King classic.
When your mind is calm and focused in the present it isn’t reacting to past memories or preoccupied with future plans.
These are two major sources of chronic or long-term health problems. People suffer because their monkey mind is busy regretting the past or afraid of the future and it drives them crazy, this little monkey.
Do you want to try it?
Yes.
Ok. Great. No books, papers and pens. If you don’t want to try it, it’s ok. Please sit quietly respecting others sitting in meditation.
See how it feels. Let’s begin. Adjust your posture with your shoulders back. Eyes slightly closed. Relax. Focus on your breath, ‘in, out, in, out.’
He dimmed the lights. After five minutes he rang a small Tibetan bell and they opened their eyes.
How did it feel?
Beautiful, said a girl, I was flying.
