Chapter 39 Warm link: sit quietly

Meditation is the most recommended way of nourishing the mind.When sitting in meditation, one's mind is clear, but the mind is still and there are no distracting thoughts; the body will enter a state similar to deep sleep at this time: the breathing becomes slow and deep, the heartbeat slows down, and the body temperature drops.Well-practiced meditation can replace sleep, so the Buddhist health regimen advocates "sit more and lie less". Some eminent monks can completely replace sleep with meditation. When you are tired, just meditate for a while to restore your spirit. Meditation is an exercise that can be practiced regularly to strengthen the mind and body at the same time.Mr. Qian Mu, a famous scholar in my country, has the habit of meditating. Once, he met an old man on a boat. When the old man saw him, he said, "I see your eyes are bright, so you must be meditating often." The fact that he lived to be more than ninety years old has something to do with his meditation skills.

To practice meditation, it is best to have a well-ventilated environment with comfortable seats, preferably on a bed. If you are in autumn and winter, you need to wear more clothes and cover your legs with mattresses to prevent wind and cold.When sitting in meditation, you should try to choose comfortable and loose clothing, so that the whole body's Qi movement can be adjusted smoothly, and the muscles are not restrained. The sitting posture is best to put the legs up: first put the left calf on the right thigh, and then turn the right calf up and press it on the left thigh. This kind of cross-legged is called "double cross".For beginners, fatter or older people, it is often difficult to do the double set. Even if the set is good, it will not last long, but there is no need to force it.There is a second method: single disc.That is to say, the legs don't need to be crossed, just one up and one down.Of course, some people are not used to sitting cross-legged, and their waists and legs still hurt after sitting for a long time. You can sit however you want, and you can even sit upright on a chair as usual. In short, as long as it is comfortable , which is good for meditation.Of course, beginners should also prevent sitting too comfortably and falling asleep.

After sitting down, start to adjust your breathing, that is, choose slow, thin, quiet, and long abdominal breathing, and promote breathing through the expansion and contraction of the abdomen. When inhaling, the abdomen swells up to fully inhale the air into the lungs.When exhaling, the lower abdomen contracts, and the air in the body is exhaled as much as possible.So repeatedly, the whole breathing process must be soothing.When the breathing is adjusted, the Qi is upright, and the heart is upright. When sitting in meditation, our thoughts should first focus on breathing. When inhaling, feel the air enter from the nostrils, pass through the chest cavity, and sink into the dantian, which is the lower abdomen; The abdomen, passes through the chest cavity, and finally dissipates in the nostrils.Try to keep your mind on your breath and don't think about anything else.In the end, even the thought of paying attention to breathing was let go, and all thoughts in our hearts became silent, as peaceful, peaceful, ethereal and clear as the surface of the river under the breeze and bright moon!

When you are about to stand up after sitting, you can visualize the pores of the whole body slowly opening, and the turbid air is released from the pores. You are in a happy mood. First, stretch your arms, rub your hands together to warm them up, and caress your face. Then stretch your legs and rub the soles of your feet. Get up slowly.