Beneficial Breathing Meditation.

This is better than seeing me stretching.

Beneficial Breathing Meditation.

A stretching demonstration in a shop window.

After doing my morning exercises a mix of Pilates, Tai- Chi and yoga. I do not do this routine as regularly as I should. Why fight the inevitable. I try to be accepting of the prevailing circumstances. Balance and flexibility are not only a physical concern.

You will have to put up with me for this one.

I usually finish off in the lotus position then meditate on the breath. Actually the whole exercise session is meditating on the breath as the breath is an important part of exercise. Expansion  and contraction, inhaling and exhaling in co-ordination with the movements. Relaxing into a stretch, using the breath helps further the range of movement.

A panting by Elioth Gruner Spring frost, to get over the last photo.

Focusing on the breath for a few minutes settles me down. Breathing is the most basic and important thing in life, it simply is life. Sportsmen especially swimmers know the importance of coordinating the breath with actions. Speakers and performers know a few deep breaths calms the nerves before going on stage.

Ox herding sculpture, taken in a watt in Bangkok.

Concentrating on the breath is a perfect focus for meditation practice. When the mind is calmed by focusing on counting each breath, you can progress to other methods of meditation. There are many ways to practice breathing meditation.

One of the 10 ox herding pictures on a temple in Korea.

One may think, ‘one, inhaling with love’ and on the exhale, ‘out with hate.’ ‘Two in with good,’ then ‘out with bad, continuing in this way to six. Then repeat these steps. Using any positive word on the ins and a negative for out. You will find your mind wanders, when this happens do the same as you would if disturbed when reading a book.

Reading an E-book in a quiet place.

We can develop our own method of meditation once the basic breath method is mastered. You will know  this when the invasive thoughts die-down. Like a radio tuned in properly there will be no static  or what is called the monkey-mind stops its monkey business. Like the ox in the ‘ten ox herding pictures’ the beast is trained it will no longer stray. The mind is still and concentration is not difficult.

This picture shows the trained ox will not stray.

Some days you are focused, other days are difficult the mind wanders and you lose count. Do not let this upset you just return to your chosen focus. If things are too disturbing it is like with reading a book, either put it away till later or move to where there is less distraction. When the mind is calm and under control. Advanced meditations can be practiced to further your understanding of the true nature of things. This is the ultimate goal of Buddhist meditation to reach a state of perfect understanding.

The monkey mind up to mischief.

Read Full Post »

My Answer.

Quiet time in our garden.

My Way of Coping.

Quiet time in a garden above a busy city.

We would like a peaceful world no agitation no hatred. I found it was useless grumbling and complaining. I wrote letters to politicians and received printed sheets back with their party’s answers. The only hand written part was the signature. No more acknowledgement than a two-fingered salute. Complaining is useless even to those with some power to change things. Expecting others to fix things by stirring and organising people to protest only adds to the problem and makes you unhappy. Mass protests only aggravate the problem and it becomes a highly explosive situation.

a smile from my grandson Geoff.

I have come to the conclusion, mindfulness of others feelings, showing friendliness, being kind caring and sharing is the only way to reverse the downward spiral taking us into the wasteland, created by our greedy throwaway society.

A smile from Jade.

My challenge is in the now, mindful of my thoughts, emotions and action. That is the first step mindful of my thoughts and emotions and understanding grasping and clinging is not the answer, caring and sharing is the only way to alleviate the problem. We must be aware all things are passing and subject to change and everything is interconnected; therefore I must change myself to become a better person. Changing my faults has an effect on all my surroundings. A good attitude and wholesome thoughts brings about a positive change in my immediate world. A smile is infectious and a person’s attitude is passed on.

Jasmine shows a sweet smile.

Practice starts at home with you and I, then will expand to the rest of the world. This is a slow process and we are living in a fast paced age.

Michael is bursting with smiles.

If we plant and cultivate nourishing seeds of kindness and compassion we will harvest a storehouse of happiness. I am not religious but I am guided by the Buddhist Eightfold Path and helpful wisdom from all beliefs. We need an ethical set of precepts to follow. We do not need a bigoted hierarchy type religion. We need to think for our self and in our heart we know what kindness is. We only have to imagine how we would feel in another sentient beings circumstance.

Amie the newest member of a smiling family.

A smile is a good start to promote friendship; a smile is the seed that love grows from. Be aware of your emotional state, it is difficult to smile if your attitude is negative. A gloomy or tense face can be mistaken for an unfriendly face. Start with a smile then a kind word or deed. Then the true practice starts where effort to be a better person is needed. To be trusted you must be honest and trustworthy.

My grand children follow Jesus I learn from all.

So smile be happy stop grumbling, complaining and getting upset. All the worry only upsets you and disturbs your mind and the downward spiral starts. It is this disease that leads to anger, hate and bad actions.

Look above the muddy water to see the beauty.

Change and love life do not destroy it. Meditate on peace, dispelling anger promoting all the virtues, to a point where you glimpse Nirvana. At times I feel everyone is my friend and I am in tune with all that surrounds me. I have reached a point of tranquillity where the outside hustle and bustle has little effect on my inside tranquillity.

Unaffected by the mud the lotus blooms.

 The TV stirs the mud by bringing the problems of the world and tempting advertising into our homes. Inflaming desire and greedy wanting for unnecessary luxuries. When you feel the pressure of commerce and the worries of the world getting to you take a deep breath and if necessary keep quietly concentrating on your breath till you find your mind clear and settle. With regular meditation the turbulent muddy water settles and clear crystal understanding emerges.

Find peace beyond the city.

You need to take a rest from the rat race at every opportunity, in nature’s garden. Cultivating and caring, appreciating the wondrous things created for all to enjoy. Be patient, it will take time, but will never happen till you take that first step on the path to paradise. It is a slow process reaching the stage where your part of the world is at peace. It will take much longer for your achievement to inspire others. At least you will have the joy surrounding you. It is up to you the ball is in your court as they  say.

A quiet place is never far away.

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Read the Book.

Australian Hibiscus grows on this coast.

An Inspiring Book.

Surfers Paradise from N. Burleigh headland.

This post is from a book that impressed me. The words are exactly how I try to live. But I could never convey them as well as, the book “Blossom,” by Michelle Merrifield. The author is a beautiful lady from the Gold Coast, Queensland, which accounts for her love of surfing.  The sample below may prompt you to read to the book.

Dietes saying good morning.

“Blossom.”

The words are Michelle’s but the photos are mine.

Watching the action from S. Burleigh Headland.

I always say that, as a teacher I am merely a messenger passing along what I have learnt from all the incredible gurus I have been blessed to work with.

The entertaining action.

Breath, bend, blossom is my humble interpretation of what they have taught me over the years and how I have come to apply lessons of yoga in my life;

Everyone can enjoy.

That it starts with the breath, the life-force, the union between our individual spirits and the divine universal energy.

That our body is the temple that houses the spirit, so we bend and stretch and twist and fold to keep that temple healthy and strong;

The watchful eye in the sky keeps everyone safe.

It is only when we have trained the body, mind and soul that we can truly blossom and use the lessons of yoga to make the world a more beautiful and peaceful place.

S. Burleigh from Ambience Apartment building.

The first thing we do when we are borne is inhale. Last thing we do is exhale. In-between is life.

Gold Coast Highway and beach front apartments.

Like a find tuned woodwind instrument, our bodies need oxygen in order to sing and play. You will find the sweeter the quality of the breath the sweeter the harmony in our lives.

Our family often meet at Burleigh Beach.

If you desire to live your life in a state of peace and serenity take control of your breath and inhale slowly, deeply, with deliberate conscious thought.

Jasmine being kind to the Sea Gulls.

Notice too all the emotions associated with fast breathing, stress, anger, fear, uncertainty and panic.

Jason gives us a song.

The quality of your breath is directly related to the quality of your posture. By lengthening of the spine you naturally lengthen the breath. By rolling your shoulders back and down opens a clear passage to inhalation.

Jade looks mischievous with a bucket of water.

Maintaining good posture takes concentration and self-awareness at first, in time it becomes natural.

Pauline and Jason wrapping while James gives a tune.

Every breath is a connection with the universal life force. The air we inhale has been purified by trees and vegetation. We breathe out all the toxins and negative waste.

Thanks to the Indigenous People.

Living meditation is about being totally president in everything I do and making it a sacred experience. When eating a meal focus on smell, flavour, texture and savour every morsel. Imagine how your life would change, if you could just be aware and present in every moment. Breathe in the sweet fresh air. Smell the perfume of flowers. Hear the birds sing. Look up to the clouds. Let go of thoughts and just breathe.

Respect is not much for what they gave up.

Read Full Post »

Mindful of thoughts and emotions.

Waves ”We will rock you.’ like Queen.

Mindful.

Notice some can handle these waves.

Aware, alert, focused and attentive all similar words but the word mindful fits what I am writing about. To be mindful of our thoughts and emotions and the effect they have on our wellbeing. We need to understanding how a sensory perception or a subliminal perception triggers a thought in our mind and gives rise to waves of emotion. with this understanding we pause before these waves break.

Stay safe ride the waves to the beach.

A thought has no power of its own, till the person experiencing that thought grants it the power. Discernment is needed before we act on a thought and the emotion it gave rise to. Mindful of these thoughts and emotions, pause and realize the feeling being experienced. Unmindful of strong emotional waves breaking in our mind, we are like a ship in heavy seas off a rocky shore. Aware of these emotions in our mind we have the power to steer clear of the hazards that can wreck our life.

These waves can be handled.

Aware that a wide range of thoughts and emotion can be prompted by our daily encounters. We are mindful of what is harmful and beneficial sensory input. What we surround ourselves with will reflect our thoughts, in a positive or negative way. Life today is full of distractions to be wary of, negative media reports and entertainment and unethical people create negative emotion. Such as impatience, anger, jealousy, hate, and other unhelpful emotional states to enter our mind. If mindful we pause and correct these negative thoughts. To be conscious of impatience and realize it is unproductive and if unmindful develops into anger. If anger is not controlled, like a fire it burns the one closest to it. Why do we upset ourselves in this way?

A fire out of control.

In heavy traffic impatience and anger often get out of control. Curtsy and consideration are The antidote. If someone lacks courtesy, anger is not the answer. Consideration is the answer. Perhaps the driver is under life threatening pressure, probably not, but to assume so is to lower our tension. Life is not always to our liking. We must be cooperative and obliging, going with life’s flow. Thoughts give rise to emotions, watchful of these thoughts and arising emotions gives us more control over events in our life.

Stopped by Bushfire.

Aware, alert and focused is not all, we need mindful as well. Aware and alert can avoid an accident but if we are not mindful of our thoughts and emotions we could react in a foolish way. By honking the horn in anger, alarming other drivers unnecessarily, or stick our arm out the window to make a rude gesture at the offending driver, thoughtless of passing vehicles. Unmindful we have lost our composure and our focus on what we are doing.  Letting the outside sensory perceptions run our mind unconsciously is to be out of control. Mindfulness is the first step in taking control of our life.

Natures restful cathedral.

Meditation helps one understand how thoughts can disturb us. In breathing meditation when we are concentrating on the breath we should not be upset by invasive thoughts, this is how we learn to let thoughts come and go while staying focused on what we are doing. We become mindful of what is important to us in the now and, unflustered, can return to our practice. This is the way to become tranquil and undisturbed by the unimportant.

Reflect on a peaceful mind.

Where do these invasive thoughts come from? If they are prompted by a noise directly experienced that is obvious. Some time they are a mystery. In our quiet secluded well-chosen meditation sanctuary, a gentle breeze touches us softly bringing the fragrance of frangipani. Concentrating on our breath we are only subliminally aware of the breeze and the scent but a thought from the past comes into our mind. We have a lifetime of memories waiting to be aroused. Mindful of pleasant or unpleasant thoughts we stay focused not distracted in this way we learn self-control.

The frangipani scent prompted the thought of Pauline.

Impatience, anger, hate and thoughts of revenge are not going to help anyone. Instead we can feel sorry for the drivers with problems. They will have  accidents hurting their self or someone else. Actions always have consequences and thoughts come before actions. Those wild, angry, hateful thoughts and actions will one day hatch into monsters that will bite the one who gave them birth. No need to be the judge and executioner that is a thankless task.  Kind and caring thoughts and actions will enhance our life. Meditate or sit quietly and think about being aware of emotional states as they arise in the mind.  Emotional states shape our life. To be mindful and have control of our emotions will bring peace into our life.

Devilish thoughts.

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Ocean of Joy.

Twilight, between the night and sunrise.

Ocean of Joy.

A sole surfer.

The earth orbits around the sun. The knight dresses in golden armor, refreshed after a vacation in the land of oblivion. Beta waves with amplitudes of varying frequency signal consciousness this is a better way to be, to feel, to think, and to act.

Oh what a beautiful morning.

The big swell, light offshore wind, the surf is up. I am up and the conditions are ideal for being with nature. My bare feet touch the wet sand, I earth-out, bearing my board to face the challenging waves. The battle starts the turbulent white-water has to be overcome, to reach the trysting place, where the engagement takes place. This is the challenging moment where man and nature connect, to go with the flow,in the now. Wu wei, this is the breaking, or the making moment of ecstasy, living in the now, with the force of nature.

Early birds of a feather.

People fight life wanting, grasping, and hording not understanding all material things are impermanent and everything transient. Like the passing wave, we can only go, with the flow of nature. The time is now, the wave will not wait, life is now do not waste it. The most important thing is what you are doing now; the most important person is the one that is with you now. Travel light laiden down with pockets full of coins the surfer would drown. Some possessions we use, the ones we do not use are a burden needing protection and maintenance. To the needy and the greedy flaunting wealth causes envy, jealousy, and hate. Enjoying nature’s free gifts, sharing our gifts is in tune with nature way.

Just another day in Paradise.

Beginning your day in the twilight you will catch the sun’s brilliant display. This is the photographers ‘Golden Hour’ at sunrise and the brief time of long shadows and warm glowing colour or sometimes misty affects, a challenge to capture and keep to share with others. Any activity that inspires you to rise early full of enthusiasm will enhance your life. I have always been an up with the birds sort of person. I enjoyed my work, there was no drudgery in doing what I liked, building dams, power stations, bridges, pipelines and roads. An occupation should be chosen that does service, rather than harm. That was my pleasure in getting my nourishment working not purely for money.

Self sculpture, Jack and hot little board.

As a youth I got an adrenalin buzz riding the crane hook or feeding my ego up in the purlins. Today safety regulations have taken the excitement and the expertise out of rigging and construction work. A young man has to get his excitement from less practical activities. Does the way you ‘earn a crust’ bring you joy and satisfaction? Do you work for ‘big bickies’ to buy status symbols and luxuries beyond what you need? I am not averse to earning large sums of money as long as it is earned in an ethical way and spent on unselfish things.

A boy at heart.

At the end of the day what have we achieved, can we sleep with an untroubled mind? A joyous day full of good activity aids a restful night. Enjoy today in a pleasant way for it will pass. Leave no more than foot prints in your travels and take only pictures. Have respect for age, Mother Earth is extremely old. Some say about 5 billion years others only 6,ooo years, let us not get diverted, extremely old we can all agree on. We must be mindful of the beta wave frequency and amplitude.

Natures cathedral.

Take a walk in natures garden hear her music the rustle of the leaves caressed by the gentle breeze aware of her breath of life. Breath in the life-giving air, exhale the negative waste. You can focus on your breath; you can count on this to calm an agitated mind. Your emotions becoming tranquil, you can now see the beauty everywhere. Conversely an angry person cannot taste the food in his mouth. This is meditation on the breath, concentrate on the breath of life and you will appreciate what a wondrous world we live in. this is to love life and all creation.

A leaf out of natures good-book.

Not wasting time on fighting over who has found the truth. The truth is elusive and is also subject to change. The irony is the only thing that does not alter is the fact that ‘everything is subject to change.’ I will be generous and say to the waiter accept the change.

While the highrise sleeps.

Read Full Post »

Breath of life meditation.

BREATHE of life meditation.

A new day Burleigh beach.

Meditate sitting comfortable and relaxed with a straight back, concentrate on your breath. Breathe in gentle and deep through the nose, exhale like a soft sigh through the mouth. Repeat this breathing till you have calmed the mind of disturbing thoughts. When you are settled and relaxed continue to the next stage, concentrating on the sound and feel of your breathing. Focus on the sound of your in breath and the gentle, soft, relaxing exhale. Concentrate and feel the breath of life flow through your body. Feeling your lungs naturally expand, the movement resembles the gentle ebb and flow below the oceans waves. Centre and relax into the rise and fall, feel the calm and tranquil breath come and go, taking with it all the tension as you settle into your calm and inner being where you can hear the pulse of your heart. Continue centered in deep calm, gently breathing, slowing down into the depth of the calm within. Be aware of the gentle ebb and flow of your breath whispering of the quiet peace within you. The outside world no longer intrudes on your peaceful tranquility.

Shallow to the deep calm.

Relaxed, aware of all the sensations, the air caressing your body, its fragrance permeating your being and the busy world is like a distant outside lulling vibration. Silent and calm you are at peace with the world. Enjoy this pleasure till it is time to gently return to the activity of your busy world refreshed you can rise to the challenges of life. Carry this peace with you throughout the day to share with the world. Take this quiet peace with you on your joyous journey. Spreading a calm example to all you encounter in the outside world.

Busy Seoul Metro.

In the midst of a challenging world when tension tends to take command. Remember the calming effect of a few deep breaths to relieve the tension. Be aware, feel the beneficial breath bringing in the oxygen and as you breathe out feel the tension withdraw from the battlefield, leaving the silent calm in triumph. Life’s challenges overcome without force. Meditation teaches us to become aware of uncontrolled thoughts that fill our mind and can lead our actions astray. Mindful of unsavory thoughts we can consciously correct them. Aware of tension, impatience or annoyance we can use our breathing technique to gain control before these feeling escalate into anger.

Morning Meditation North Burleigh Headland.

An angry person cannot appreciate any of life’s joy. Angry thoughts of hate and all ill will affect the bearer nervous system adversely while the one the ill will is directed at may remain oblivious. Regularly practicing meditation on the breath becomes a habit and in time it becomes an intuitive part of our life.  When aware of our thoughts we can control our actions. We become a better person to ourselves and others. Calm and controlled we spread joy and kindness. Like one small step is the start of a life long journey a conscious breath of fresh air can bring a world of peace.

Example of perfect poise and pose.

There are many ways to meditate this is a good one to start with. The breath is not the only object you could use to focus on. People choose many things, but the breath is vital to life and always with you. What you use to concentrate on is your personal choice. Also when you have reached a point of calm you may want to continue. You can change your concentration to an internal idea like focusing on loving kindness or right understanding or any of the steps on The Buddha’s Eight Fold Path. Once you have calmed the mind your concentration on any subject is deeper and you have more insight. You can actually meditate on a job when you give a mundane task like washing dishes your full attention it can become a pride and joy. With meditation you will take pleasure in the now it helps in every aspect of your life.

Eight spokes eight steps.

Read Full Post »

The waking dreamer.

Temple gate gards.

The title could have been “The Waking Dreamer.” or “The Awake Dreamer.” because when I dreamed up the picture for this post I was wide awake. I was tired and relaxing uninterested in any activity so I was not focused and concentrating on anything. This is when the mind takes off on its own and if you are tired why not let it take over? If it starts to take you some where you would rather not go, do as you would in meditation take another deep breath and start concentrating on your breath.

Guarding four directions.

What is that noise? Then the thought popped into my mind and I let it run. People just do not understand shouting will do no good; you have to reason with people. The thoughts came racing, some will not listen, they think they are right, no it is their ego that is stopping them, maybe it is they have been told not to listen, that is not reason, that is unreasonable, we will never learn anything if we do not listen.

Beautiful Jesus staned glass,

Some religious people are like that, they are extremists, bigots, fanatics. My mind is racing now. These people are fundamentalists that give a religion a bad name. Why do they disagree, argue, fight, go against all moral decency and kill?

The om syllable a Hyndu symbol for Brahman.

Stop, it is time to cool down, relax take a deep breath, do not get all excited. This is the danger of letting the monkey mind takeover. One needs to be mindful of those uncontrolled thoughts. I then thought music could sooth the situation. The song ‘Imagine” came to mind, then the boy cow herder playing his flute and Shiva doing her dance, Buddha, Lao Tzu,  Confucius and Jesus could sing along I think most religions like singing.

Chinese temple Darwin.

All the heavenly angels and the like could gather in the heavens to listen. Some gods might find this a bit below them. But we could have a copy of the Creation of Adam that Michelangelo painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel as a back drop. What a superb fantasy, everyone invited to the greatest concert of all time. Hold on! Let’s not get too carried away, focusback to the breathing meditation.

Muslim art represinting Allah.

It is one thing to dream up a picture like this. How do I achieve my dream picture? I will do it with the help of the Photoshop program, I have no picture of the Creation of Adam so will use Google and the snippet tool. Even if my photos are not the best I always use them. The montage is going to be difficult to bring them all together in reality, harder still to bring them all together. Well it is not a bad way to pass the time and it is exercising the 80 year old brain, just like the body needs a work out, so does the brain. I have found the saying “use it or lose it“to be true.

Picture in Chinese Temple.

Read Full Post »

Shadow on the Wall.

The shadow taking it easy.

 

Shadow on the wall.

Slow down to the movement of the shadow on the wall. This is how time was first measured and it is more in tune with the natural rhythm of our body. That prompts us to take a deep breath and exhale like a sigh that takes with it the tension in our body. To breathe in the life force to nourish our body and breathe out all the impurities built up in our blood. To become aware of our breath is to return to our inner being.

Sola time piece or smiling sun dile.

Who lives in tune with nature in the modern lifestyle today? Things are now measured in milliseconds. Our stressful way of doing things makes us huff and puff. It is no wonder we are more dissatisfied and no happier than in the past although we have more luxuries than a Roman Emperor. We have lost sight of the really important things in life. The close knit family life has broken down, other people care for our children. We are alone in a crowded city; communities live in isolation not knowing their neighbors.

Time and commercial progress.

Although you would die deprived of air you are conscious of your breath only when lacking in air. To be conscious of your breath is to return to a relaxed state of being and our racing thoughts slow down. We need to think, but most of our thoughts are unnecessary and can have a negative effect, making us worried and unhappy. We need control over our thoughts to be able to concentrate on what is important to us in life. This can be achieved by practicing meditation.

Taking a breather.

There are so many different ways to practice meditation and things to chose from and focus on to meditation. All the advice and rules about the correct way to meditate, what object to focus on and the when, where and how, confuses and deters the average person from practicing. If this is your problem there is an easier approach to meditate, it is the just do it method.

It is tough at the top.

You only have to become aware of that life giving force your breath. Not necessarily in a special place under ideal conditions, try it in a traffic jam, or anywhere you would become impatient or stressed by having to wait. All you have to do is take a deep breath in and a long exhale and concentrate on the relaxing feeling. Feel the air pump you up as you inhale and the tension flow out with the out breath.   Repeat this in, out aware breathing.

Haven in the city.

Of course this is only a basic way of using meditation to relieve stress and anxiety. To control those racing thoughts you will need to set-aside some time each day to practice this method. This will make you aware of how easily your irrelevant thoughts distract your concentration. With practice your thoughts will quieten down and you will find the habit, taking an aware deep breath, brings you back to a calm, natural, relaxed state of being.

smiling are infectious.

You will smile once more and look upon adversity as just one of life’s challenges. Your problems will become opportunities to practice patience, tolerance and serenity. It will be a case of less haste more efficiency, less futile effort more productive and more rewarding achievement.

Parked up in Seoul.

What are we hurrying for, are we not aware of our ultimate end? It is the joy and beauty on the path, not the destination. Let our travels on this one way journey not be rushed. Be patient take the time to do only good and your reward will be happy smiles everywhere you go.

Time marches on.

 

Read Full Post »