Tricycle | Awake in the World

Seven Essential Points for the Body

1.    Legs comfortable and stable, knees lower than the hips whether on the cushion or on the chair.
2.    Spine straight like a spear.
3.    Hands either on the knees or in the meditation posture: right hand on the left, thumbs touching, hands below navel or on the lap.
4.    Shoulders open.
5.    Chin pulled in to encourage straightness from the tailbone to the top of the head.
6.    Mouth closed or slightly open; tongue resting naturally against the upper palate; breath is flowing freely through the nostrils.
7.    Eyes open or half closed, gently gazing downwards.

Seven Essential Points for the Mind

1.    Take a moment to reflect on your motivation for engaging in this practice.
2.    Let go of your conceptual mind and tune in to your experiencing mind.
3.    Adopt the meditation posture and feel your body.
4.    Take the time to feel your breath.
5.    Relax into the present moment while maintaining awareness of the breath. When thoughts arise, acknowledge them, let them go and come back to the breath.
6.    On the cushion, on the chair: neither repress thoughts nor indulge in them. When you notice that your mind has wandered, be kind to yourself and gently but firmly come back to the present.
7.    At the end of the session, think of your fellow beings and imagine that you are sharing any goodness generated by your practice with them all.