An easy year....

Happy New Year!

2007 is here. Another chapter in our life. A theme has emerged with my clients this year which I would like to share.

If you need a suggestion for an Inner lIfe New Year's resolution, take this one: take it easy.

Everyone I know works really hard, maybe too hard. I don't mean they work too hard in their jobs. Even the unemplyed people I know work hard. The hard work I am talking about is much more pervasive and potentially destructive. People work hard at work, they work hard in their relationships, they work hard at the gym, they work hard on themselves.  This is especially true here in New York but I find it applies beyond the big Apple as well. Many people live in a very driven way. This includes easy going, lazy people, and yoga people. I am not saying that everyone is getting lots of work done. I am saying many people in 2006, learned how to be comfortable working all the time. Every spare moment is filled with some kind of work. Be it emailing, net surfing, socializing, exercising....

If you are not relating to this, that's good.  If you are relating, read on.

The (sometimes hard) work I have chosen is that of a meditation teacher. I work with people training them one-on-one in their meditation practice. More and more what I find people need is a break.

There are many good teachers that will tell you to work hard at your inner life -to be strict with your meditation and crack the whip on yourself to establish discipline. This tradition is an old and well-established one. It has its merits.  This said, I want to encourage you to take a different approach. If you are a meditator, or want to be a meditator, try to make your sitting practice a gentle one. Try to make your sitting time into an oasis. Try to leave your struggle behind when you take your seat. Make your practice one that you relish and that leaves your refreshed, renewed and softened.
 
Here are a few tips to help you make your practice into an oasis:

• Set the mood. Light candles, use aromas, play sweet music in the room where you sit.
  
• Use a comfortable seat. Be creative, create a love-nest for your practice.
• Make yourself your favorite hot drink. Drink it from your favorite mug as you prepare yourself to sit.
  
• Slouch. Well...don't slouch,but try to give yourself permission to relax your posture a little bit. Make your body really comfortable.
  
• Ask for help. Get a meditation buddy or reach out to a teacher to help you learn to meditate. Of course, we would love it if you reached out to us! Click here to visit the Banyan Education website.
  

Let us know what you think.
May 2007 be easeful, sweet and profound.

HEAD RUB!!!

Welcome to the after-the-holiday / back to work time! Most of us are now throwing  ourselves back into the fray of our regular life. For many of us - this means stress, fatigue and tension.

Here is a 30 second remedy to shift you into a more relaxed, expanded inner state:

• Take moment to close you eyes. Take off your glasses if you wear them. (read the rest of this first)
• Rub your hands together briefly and then bring your hands onto your head.
• Massage your temples and the space between your eyebrows.
• Rub the spaces in front of your ears.
• Massage your neck- especially the place where you head meets your neck.
  
• Finish off with your ears. Begin at the top and work your way downward to your lobes. 
• Keep your eyes closed for a moment and feel the bliss and ease that flows in.
• Return to your day more centered and relaxed.
  

If this sounds too simple- it is! But do it- this small action has the power to shift you into a completely different state of mind.

For more tips on de-stressing and living a richer inner life, visit the Banyan Education website. 

The Secret to Youth- Make Yourself Happy!

The other day, I saw something very funny: There was one of those kiddie trains walking down the sidewalk on the Upper East Side- New Yorkers know what I mean. When pre-schools or day cares want to take the kids to the park or transport them between buildings, they have them hold onto this long leash-like thing. One teacher holds the back and the other holds the front and the kids all stay in an easy-to-maintain line.

I was on my way into the children's hospital where I teach meditation and took the time to pause and look at each of the kids as I passed. There were about 20 kids. 10 pairs holding onto the leash side by side. They were about 4 or 5. The weather was not great, there was nothing going on- just walking down the sidewalk. For me, it was delightful. Each kid's face was sweeter than the last. They were singing, or looking up at the trees overhead, or chatting with their leash-make or hopping. Then I got to the front of the line and saw the teacher's face!

It was such a contrast to the kids. She was younger than me- maybe 25, but she had such an old, unhappy face. She was absentmindedly holding the leash and clearly thinking about something that was making her worry. The funny thing was how just behind her- there were 20 happiness gurus trying to show her something.

Few of us are excited about getting old. We don't look forward to wrinkles or sagging body parts or other inevitable outer symptoms of age. The one thing we do have a wonderful control of control over is our inner state. There is no force of nature putting wrinkles on our heart.

Whatever your age (and wherever you have wrinkles) do this: make yourself happy. Do whatever it takes to glow from the inside out. Play, draw, create, laugh, dance with yourself, jump on the bed, act silly, speak gibberish,  go to the zoo, hang out with kids, watch silly movies and laugh out loud.  Do whatever works for you.

Believe it or not- meditation is a great thing to add to your list. It may seem like a serious and somber practice, but it actually one of the best ways to cultivate joy and keep your heart and mind young. Oh- and It doesn't have to be a serious thing. In fact- please make sure its not too serious.

If you'd like some help creating a regular and joyful meditation practice- please drop me a line or visit the Banyan Education website. Our specialty is offering high quality meditation lessons in New York. But wherever you are, we can work something out. Let us know!

Oh- and come check out my new treatment space in Soho. We're having an Open House at the Healing Room on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, Jan 19-20. Meet the other great healers I share my space with and say hi (and have food, wine and tea!) 73 Spring St. Suite 201 5-7pm Friday, 1-3pm Saturday.

Bask in the Glow

I know of a boarding school in India where, at the end of each school day, the entire school- students and teachers-  dress in comfortable meditation clothes, go up on a high hill, and watch the sunset together in silence. What a beautiful image. It makes me think of the most simple, powerful benefit of sitting meditation practice.

The question that I get more than any other is: What is meditation?  Its funny having a job that no one can really see. I mean, you could come to my office and watch me sitting there speaking with a client or watch us quietly sitting with our eyes closed, but you can't see what's really going on.

Most Zaadzters will have experienced some kind of meditation practice. So- maybe this is rudimentary. But I like to define meditation very simply.

Meditation is the practice of turning your attention inward and enjoying the pulsation of your inner essential energy.

The approach I use does not focus on stilling the mind or "concentration" in the usual sense. It is more about developing an ever-deepening sensitivity to this inner pulsation. At first, it may be difficult to connect to- there are many other energies vying for our attention. I have a whole tool box of techniques that I use to help people get through the distraction. Then, soon,  with a little practice and training, you can learn to tune into the pulsation and go deeply into it. Once you've learned the basic method- you can really rest in the energy. You can bask in the glow of your own innate power. Some people do this for up to an hour and a half. Some get great benefit from ten minutes per day. That's the goal- to give you a place where you can go every day for this deep inner bath. To give you that high, silent hill for sunset watching.

If you are in or around New York City, give us a call or send us an email. I would love to speak with you about helping you set up a meditation practice. We are currently offering a special rate for intro sessions. If you are further away- we can still connect. I have begun to work with people over the phone! The sessions are very powerful and we are getting amazing results from people.

Any questions? Just ask. Have a wonderful week!

The Most Forgiving Teacher.

Some of you know that I have been setting up a meditation and stress management program at a charter high-school in New York City. I have truly enjoyed the experience. Sometimes it  is VERY challenging but it is always rewarding. It feels funny for me- the kid who terrorized his school teachers- to stand there in front of a group of rowdy kids and try to teach them anything.

There are many fine teachers at the school and it has made me think a lot about teachers, teaching, and education. I have been truly blessed over the years to have amazing teachers in my life. Before I was a seeker, I was an art student, before that I always had my share of mentors that blessed me with their generous vision of me and their amazing patience. Surely, this has influenced my teaching style. It has also made me learn something about my Supreme Teacher, Meditation.

When I say meditation, I mean the practice, but I also mean the whole "inner garden" that becomes illumined through the practice. It's the whole awakened inner experience.

Meditation is the most generous, patient, and forgiving teacher.

The people who study meditation with me are constantly going through a kind of "pulsation" with their practice. They practice, then they slack off, then the practice again, then they slow down, etc... This is a very natural part of the practice. Even among the hardcore, there is a pulsation coming in and out of deeper states of consciousness and intensity of practice. The point here is that the practice ALWAYS welcomes you back. No matter how long you stay away- no matter how much you rebel against the practice, the practice welcomes you back. It  will wait days. It will wait years. I know for me, my meditation seat (which lives in  my bedroom) sits there so quietly, always waiting to embrace me. And when I sit- really when anyone does- the practice is ready to SHOWER me with reward for my efforts.

Don't be mislead when you hear that meditation is "not about reward". Teachers say that to minimize student's expectations and frustration. There are HUGE rewards that come from meditation practice. Especially after making a 'little' investment. If you are sincere- even a tiny bit of practice will yield a tremendous sense of inner peace and presence of mind.

I see it happen again and again in my practice and in countless other people's practice. They will be in a terrible state of mind or their life is crashing down around them or their bodies are going through crisis. And then they remember meditation.

We hear so many stories of people who are in some kind of dire straits- and then they decide to just stop what they're doing and close their eyes for a moment. They remember their meditation technique, or their mantra, or they say some kind of  sincere prayer. They watch their breath. They relax their body for a moment. 

Invariably, like magic, a shift happens.

Meditation is such a generous teacher- like your favorite inner mentor. It is always there ready to reward you heavily. Try it- see what happens. Give yourself five minutes and watch the flow of your breath. Take the time to step out of the flow of your outer life and invest just a few seconds in your inner life. Do it right now. Take your hand off of your mouse. Close your eyes and just retreat into yourself for 10 breaths.

Imagine what happens when those 10 wonderful breaths become one hundred.

Wow- our twentieth blog entry! I know some of you have been following Under the Banyan tree since the beginning. Thanks- and PLEASE leave comments. Sometimes people email me with comments but only I get to enjoy them.