Magazine Premier issue
The TRUE ESCAPE: Meditation 101
By Heather Lilleston
Whether you’re a year round resident adjusting to the increasing influx or someone who has tried to escape the intensity of the city only to realize that the rest of your borough had the same idea, summer weekends can provide their own flavor of frustration. The first “truth” one learns when studying Buddhism, is that everything changes. Impermanence was the initial realization that prompted the Buddha to leave his home life in search of the truth. Essentially, looking to “getaway” from the pain of the impermanence of the things of this world – a dynamic to which we can all relate. Though the quiet fishing town of Montauk is different than what it used to be (impermanence rearing it’s devious head at us again), we’re lucky to be here in this special spot and a little meditation can help us enjoy it more fully, despite its changes. Start building your inner space where there is a sense of quietude inside all of us. Instead of needing the outer circumstances to be of a certain measure, make the place you can take comfort in, inside your own mind. The way to begin this practice is to try to sit still for 15 minutes. Physically still, while watching the movements of the mind. For those who have been sitting for 15 minutes, it’s now time to practice for 30 minutes. Just as the Buddha did, there will come a moment when we sit down, wherever we are, and look in. It’s where all roads were leading to in the end anyways.
ESCAPE:
Meditation Instructions: 1. Set up a comfortable and supportive seat. Put in earplugs and set a timer. 2. Close your eyes, make any final changes to your chosen seat, start the timer, and commit to sitting physically still for the duration of the meditation practice. 3.Mentally lean into the back of your skull, the back of your mind, and from this place, watch your breath. 4. Rest your attention on the natural movements of the breath as a point from which you can watch the movements of the mind. 5. Do NOT try to stop the mind from thinking, do not try to “getaway” from the mind. Instead, let the mind think, but you, lean back, and watch. Let it carry on ahead, as you hang back.
6. When your attention wanders, pull it back to the breath and the practice of observation. 7. When the timer goes off, gradually blink your eyes open. 8. Dedicate your efforts to close your practice. Suggested Reading on Meditation & Topics Above: “The Untethered Soul” by Michael Singer “The Wisdom of No Escape” by Pema Chodron “Tao te Ching” translation by Stephen Mitchell Follow Heather on Instagram @heatherlilleston Photo by Zak Bush