Meditate to calm but not to empty.
Quiet and peaceful, relaxed, not empty. That is the state of mind we are after.
There are thousands of different ways, and each practitioner has his own set. Many have been used successfully for 2000 years. If you don’t meditate, here one way to get you started. Easy, no strain - and remember you can always stop whenever you want.
Sit comfortably, in a quiet room, eyes open, look gently at something quiet e.g. the flower. Breath through nose if possible. Don’t hold your breath. Don’t force. Keep it gentle. Stop if you feel uncomfortable. Don’t worry if you fall asleep but try to stay awake by attending to breath moving in and out through nose.
Count two breaths and start again: breathe in normally, breathe out normally count ‘One’ in your head as you breathe. Breathe in again, normally, breathe out when you want to, normally, through nose, count ‘Two’ in your head during breath out. Breathe in again, breathe out and count ‘Two’ and so on.
When you’re comfortable doing this, increase count to sets of four.
With more familiarity, become more aware of your breathing. Become aware of tiny movements in your body, some of them due to heart beating. If you can feel your heart beating, so much the better. If you already do meditation, carry on. You know you don’t need advanced meditation: all we’re after is to calm brain to allow freedom for creative activity, quietening the internal critic and blue-sky thinking.
Photograph by Tom Ang from his ‘Homescapes' collection
(All photographs in this collection were made at home or in a small room).
For further information about Tom Ang, his photography and his books please visit https://tomang.com