Three Meditations for a Fresh Perspective
By Katharine Bierce
In December 2020, I got a concussion when a car door hit me on the head. Thankfully, I recovered and am back to work as of spring 2021. Along the way, I found that I couldn’t meditate in the “usual” way I had, which involved paying close attention to the breath, for example. I had to learn to meditate in a more relaxed, joyful way, using awareness and not just attention.
These three meditations came to me as I recovered, to help communicate a perspective that might be helpful for anyone who finds they are striving or trying to “get somewhere” in their practice.
Relax and enjoy!
Meditation 1: Ocean of Awareness, Land of Attention
In this meditation we will explore the relationship between intention, attention, awareness, and relaxation.
Lay down in a comfortable position in a place that is quiet – it’s OK to put on earplugs or noise canceling headphones for this, so that you can more deeply relax. You don’t need to try to focus, and it’s OK to do this when you are sleepy. It’s fine to do this meditation in bed, but if you prefer to do this seated, that’s OK too.
Start by relaxing into your body. Let your legs, arms, torso, head, and face be relaxed. Feel the support of your bed. Maybe you enjoy the fuzzy texture of a blanket or warm socks.
[pause]
Imagine your favorite shoreline. Maybe it’s on a warm beach in Hawaii or the cool, rocky waters of the California coast. You are standing at the shoreline, where the ocean meets the land. Feel the water caress your toes. Dig your feet into the wet sand. Enjoy relaxing here for a little while.
[pause for a minute]
Now, pick an intention. What would you like more of in your life? Unconditional love, equanimity, or joy, for example? Pick up some of the sand and cup it in your palms. Put your intention into it.
[pause]
Now, gently toss the sand into the ocean. Imagine it slowly settling to the bottom of the ocean.
Now we’re going to move from the land where we can pay attention, putting intention into our actions, into the primordial ocean of the unconscious. Don’t worry, we’ll come back out, and you are fully supported in this exploration.
You swim out a bit, and then relax, floating. The salty water of the ocean makes it easy to float on the surface. Imagine all the happy animals in the ocean that are doing their thing: the plankton, seaweed, the barnacles and clams, the fish, the mammals: dolphins and whales. Be happy that they are here swimming with you in the pleasant ocean water, too.
If you feel distracted by thoughts, emotions, memories, or plans, don’t worry about it. You can imagine it’s some dolphins going by. Or, maybe some of the sand got into a clam and there’s a pearl lying at the bottom of the ocean, waiting for you to dive in to discover it. Let yourself relax and allow the dolphins or pearls of insight come to you. You don’t need to do anything – just relax, and remember your intention, and watch what comes up. Enjoy relaxing and observing for about ten minutes, or as long as you like.
If you find that the silence is challenging for you, you can use this affirmation if it’s helpful: “I have the space and time to see the beauty and enjoy the silence.”
[pause for 10 or more minutes – can play ocean music or allow guidance for beginners, allowed silence for more experienced meditators]
Now, in case you were diving into the depths, slowly come back to floating on the ocean surface. Swim back to the shoreline, and come out of the ocean onto the land.
Behind you there are some flowering plants. Pick some of the flowers and make a flower necklace. As you make this necklace, imagine 3 things you are grateful for, and put your gratitude into the necklace. It could be from this meditation, about this experience, or anything in your life that makes you happy.
[pause for 2 minutes]
When you are done making your flower necklace of gratitude, place it into the ocean. Thank the ocean of the unconscious for playing with you in this exploration. Thank the land of attention for the ability to focus, to bring intention to your actions, to pay attention to one thing at a time.
[pause]
When you feel complete, slowly come back to your body. Take a few deep breaths. Wiggle your fingers and toes. If you like, you can set an intention for the rest of your day.
Meditation 2: The Puppy and The Mind
This is a meditation you can do eyes open on a walk, or eyes closed at home. The purpose of this meditation is to invite more joy into your life by shifting how you look at the world.
Start by getting comfortable with where you are. You can do this meditation sitting, standing, walking, or laying down. If a puppy is nearby, it may be easier to do this meditation standing or walking looking at the puppy, but if you are by yourself, that’s fine, you can sit or lay down.
Be aware of your body. Are your feet touching the ground, or do you feel your back resting on the earth as you lay down? Notice the sensations in your legs… arms… torso…. Head…. Face…. Let your body completely relax, supported by what you’re sitting or laying on. Notice the feeling of gravity. Maybe you connect with the energy of the Earth. It’s OK to let yourself just feel relaxed and heavy. If you fall asleep doing this, it’s OK.
Now, imagine a puppy. It could be one you have seen in person or just use your imagination. How small or big are they? What color fur does this puppy have?
Imagine that you are the puppy. You go on a walk to the dog park. You smell the trees, hear the birds, feel the wind blow in your face. Each moment is exciting and fresh. Even poop on the street is very interesting. You are full of energy and can’t wait to explore each thing you walk by.
What does it feel like to be alive in this puppy body?
[pause for a minute]
Now, imagine that you are a dog trainer and your mind is the puppy. We’ll do a meditation on the breath now. The difference here is that each time you notice your mind going off into thinking, remember the puppy and give it a mental treat for coming back to noticing the breath.
[continue with The Mind Illuminated style attention/awareness breath meditation: attention is focusing on one thing, awareness of background/body/sounds around you, celebrate the “aha” moment of coming back to the breath]
One analogy that may be helpful as we train the mind is that attention focuses on one thing, like the road in front of you when you’re driving, and awareness takes in the big picture, like having a sense of cars around you while driving.
However you are, sitting, standing, laying down, notice your body. Feel the contact where it meets the floor, or a chair, or the texture of your socks. Give your attention to this body as a large area for attention to notice. And, at the same time, allow awareness to receive the sensations of your environment: sounds around you, maybe smells or a breeze blowing. You don’t need to push anything away or fix anything. Just allow your attention to rest on the body while also allowing awareness to soak up whatever else is around. In this way we start by not fighting our experience, by beginning to bring a kind and peaceful attitude as we train the mind.
[pause for a minute]
Next, gently move your attention to noticing the sensations of the breath, wherever you feel them: belly, ribs, chest, throat, nose. Let awareness receive the sensations arriving from the rest of the body, as well as background sounds.
If thoughts happen, it’s just like noticing your heart beat or digestion. Thoughts just happen, and it’s no big deal.
Each time you notice yourself thinking, this is the moment to give your puppy mind a mental treat. This “Aha” moment is a moment to celebrate. You noticed thinking! Yay! You can add the label “thinking” here so the mind distinguishes between the moment of wandering off and coming back to the breath.
Just like you bring an excited puppy back, gently bring your mind back to noticing the sensations of the breath again. It can help to notice what feels good or helpful about coming back to the breath. Maybe you notice that you feel more relaxed or calm by paying attention to the breath. And if you feel tense or agitated, that’s OK too. Puppies have lots of energy, and our minds are very similar sometimes. It’s all OK.
[pause]
As we conclude this meditation, I invite you to thank your mind for working with you. Appreciate yourself for making the time to care for your mind. The Buddha said that you could search the whole world and not find a being more worthy of your love and kindness than yourself. If it feels difficult to be kind to yourself, just remember that your mind is like a puppy.
***
For further inspiration, see The Radiance Sutras, translated by Lorin Roche.
#84 is:
Extend your awareness
Into the bodies of other living beings,
Feel what those others are feeling.
Leave aside your body and its needs.
Abandon being so local.
Day by day, constrictions will loosen,
As you become attuned
To the current of life
Flowing through us all.
Meditation 3: Contemplating the Universe, Space, and Connectedness
This meditation is about shifting our perspective on life to cultivate a felt sense of wonder and connectedness.
I recommend doing this meditation laying down. You can also do this seated, eyes closed, or whenever you look up at the night sky.
[Starting with relaxation]
Start by getting comfortable with where you are. You can do this meditation sitting, standing, walking, or laying down. If a puppy is nearby, it may be easier to do this meditation standing or walking looking at the puppy, but if you are by yourself, that’s fine, you can sit or lay down.
Be aware of your body. Are your feet touching the ground, or do you feel your back resting on the earth as you lay down? Notice the sensations in your legs… arms… torso…. Head…. Face…. Let your body completely relax, supported by what you’re sitting or laying on. Notice the feeling of gravity. Maybe you connect with the energy of the Earth. It’s OK to let yourself just feel relaxed and heavy. If you fall asleep doing this, it’s OK.
Now, imagine you are an astronaut on the International Space Station. You can see the Earth outside your window. It’s dawn, and you can see the sun starting to peek out, illuminating the side of the earth and the Earth’s atmosphere. Night time is almost over, and the earth is in shadow, the thin sliver of atmosphere is light blue, and the sun appears like a bright diamond. Take a few breaths here, appreciating this perspective.
Now, imagine you’re a bit further away from the earth, like an Apollo astronaut or on a satellite where you can see the whole earth easily. See the green of the forests, the light brown of deserts, the white of the glaciers, the dark blue of the oceans, and the swirling white of clouds. How beautiful the Earth is, like a big blue marble. Take a few breaths here, appreciating this perspective.
Imagine you’re at the edge of the solar system, around Neptune and Pluto, looking back at the earth. In this view, you are a few billion miles from home. In the vastness of space, you see a pale blue dot, suspended in a sunbeam. That pale blue dot is Earth: every person you know, every place you’ve been, everything you’ve built, is in that one pixel in this image. Take a few breaths here as you contemplate the size of our solar system, and how precious this Earth is.
[Perspective 4]
Now, come back from space and imagine yourself standing in front of a tree. It can be any tree you like: a redwood, an oak, a maple. Maybe it’s a fruit tree. What season is it? Winter, spring, summer, or fall? What kind of leaves or needles or flowers does it have? Is it a young sapling, a tree big enough to give you shade, or is it over a thousand years old, one of the elders of the forest? There’s no right answer here. Just imagine standing in front of a tree that resonates with you.
[pause]
Remember that the air you breathe comes from the oxygen this tree gives off. You also feed the tree when you breathe out carbon dioxide. In this relationship, there is no waste: everything is useful. The tree breathes out, and you breathe in; you breathe out, and the tree breathes in. Enjoy breathing this way for a little while.
[Pause]
Now, consider your view of yourself. Do you often feel like you need to fix something to feel good enough? Consider the view that you, like this tree, are a part of nature. You are a part of the pale blue dot in the view from the edge of our solar system; you are a part of this web of life that connects you and the tree and all that is. If you love and appreciate the beauty of this tree, can you also love and appreciate the beauty of this unique human being that is you?
Imagine embracing the tree, appreciating it for all it is. And as you embrace the tree, imagine giving yourself a hug, appreciating all that you are – ever growing, ever changing, into a greater and greater expression of yourself. Even if it feels like you’re just one tree sometimes, surrounded by grasses or rocks, you are always connected to all of nature, simply by breathing, by being you.
Take a few breaths here as you enjoy this perspective.
To close, I’d like to share a verse from The Radiance Sutras. This comes from sutra number 3:
Mind dissolves into heart
Heart dissolves into space
Body becomes a vibrating field
Pulsating between fullness and emptiness.