Meditation from the Inside–Out

In our beginning classes at Zen Center, we teach “meditation from the inside out”. When beginners think of meditation they may imagine someone sitting in full-lotus in some exotic place. This externalized, ideal image is not helpful, because meditation takes place where you are, in your domestic situation. It is not a vacation. It is not a luxury.

Meditation is an act of courage, where you commit to being with yourself for a period of time without allowing yourself to be distracted. Beginning meditation may emphasize taking a good posture and working with the breath, but it really begins before that. It begins with your willingness to be alone with yourself.

So at our Zen Center, the first meditation instruction we give is very simple. We ask that you generate an intention to be still, sit upright on a cushion or chair and watch what you do for ten minutes. That’s it. Simple. Not so simple. It’s not a technique. You can either do or or not do it.

Meditation is a way of attuning to yourself without reaching for the nearest shiny object. If you do this, you may be shocked to find your mind is busy all the time. With practice this will dampen down, but one of the commonest misconceptions about meditation is that it’s about not thinking. This is not helpful. It’s about not fully identifying with your thoughts. It’s about having a meta-awareness of your thoughts. As we say in our classes, you are not the voice in your head. You are the one who hears it.

There are many discoveries awaiting you. Take the plunge. Begin today. Meditation starts with kindness and patience toward your experience of yourself as it is, not how you would like it to be. If you can do this, you are on your way toward making meditation a regular part of your life.

Roshi Robert Joshin Althouse