06/14/2013
Poised awareness is essential for relaxation and alertness to merge in perfect balance. If awareness of breathing is your single meditation method, you might let your attention dwell on the gentle rise of your abdomen. Your breathing will become very quiet after a few minutes of meditation. The rhythm and gentle movement of abdominal breathing will promote relaxation.
Passive attitudes happen when external distractions (from environmental sounds and intrusive thoughts and images) are viewed with detachment and are casually let go of. Each time you become aware that your attention has slipped away from your breathing or mantra and notice that you’ve started engaging in logical thinking, or you’ve begun paying attention to external sounds or other sensations, you will bring your focus back to your breathing, your mantra, or meditation object of choice. With practice, moments of great calm and deep relaxation during your meditation will become more frequent.
