Chapter 2: The Stillness of the Body—A Gateway to Inner Peace

In Chapter 1, we pressed life’s pause button and had a brief first encounter with our inner selves. Now, we will learn an ancient and powerful method to create a stable and serene space for this encounter. This method is sitting meditation—not a rigid discipline, but an art of settling the body, thereby allowing the mind to settle.

The essence of sitting meditation is to establish an “unmoving” anchor for our inner world. When the body is stable and still, as calm as a mountain, the mind, which usually races and jumps, can slowly stop its frantic pace and return to its inherent clarity and peace.

1. Finding Your “Still Point”: The Wisdom of Settling the Body

To begin sitting meditation, the first step is to find a posture for your body that is both stable and comfortable. This posture isn’t about achieving a certain “standard”; it’s about allowing you to forget the existence of your body and fully enter your inner world.

1. Sitting on a Chair: Connecting with the Earth
   For beginners or those with physical limitations, a chair is an excellent companion.
   • Feet: Please place both feet flat on the ground, feeling the solid connection between the soles of your shoes and the earth. This is more than just an action; it’s a psychological suggestion—you are being steadily supported by the earth.
   • Spine: Imagine an invisible thread starting from your tailbone, moving up your spine vertebra by vertebra, gently lifting the crown of your head. Your back is straight, but not rigid, like a pendulum hanging naturally, full of balanced energy.
   • Hands: Place your hands gently on your thighs, palms facing down, which helps to guide energy downwards and brings a sense of stability. Alternatively, palms facing up can signify receptivity and openness.
2. Sitting on the Floor: Returning to a Natural Posture
   If you wish to try a more traditional sitting posture, you can prepare a cushion (zafu).
   • Center of Gravity: Place the cushion under your buttocks, allowing your knees to naturally rest below your hips. This effectively protects your lower back and helps your spine maintain an upright position with ease.
   • Legs: There’s no need to force a full lotus or half lotus. The simplest cross-legged position (feet crossed beneath opposite shins) is perfectly fine. The key is to find a posture that allows you to sit for an extended period without severe pain. Pain is the body’s signal, not a badge of spiritual achievement.
   • Core: Regardless of the sitting posture, the core principle is “relaxed alertness.” Shoulders are relaxed and dropped, chin slightly tucked, facial muscles relaxed, as if carrying a faint, subtle smile.
3. Placing Your Gaze: From “Seeing the World” to “Observing the Inner Self”
   The eyes are the windows to the soul. In sitting meditation, we choose to gently close these windows or withdraw our focus.
   • Gently Closed Eyes: This is the most direct way to minimize interference from external visual information.
   • Half-Closed Eyes (Soft Gaze): If you tend to feel drowsy, you can try keeping your eyes slightly open, with your gaze naturally falling about a meter in front of you on the floor, not focusing on any specific object. The gaze is “drawn inward,” not “projected outward.”

2. Breath and Mudra: Anchors Connecting Body and Mind

Once the body is settled, we need a tool to draw our wandering attention back. The breath is that most loyal and reliable anchor.

• Breath: The Natural Flow of Life
  We don’t “do” deep breathing, nor do we try to control it. All we do is “observe” it. Like a curious bystander, feel how the cool air enters your nostrils with each inhale, how your abdomen slightly rises; and how, with each exhale, it leaves warmly, carrying away the body’s waste and turbid thoughts.
  The breath is the eternal present. No matter how far your thoughts may wander, the rhythm of each inhale and exhale is always a home you can return to.
• Mudra: The Art of Finger Energy
  Specific hand gestures can help us concentrate and balance inner energy.
  • Dhyana Mudra (Meditation Mudra): This is the most commonly used mudra. Place your right hand palm up, resting it on your left hand, also palm up. The tips of your thumbs gently touch, forming a circle of energy. This posture is peaceful and stable, conducive to deep concentration.
  • Jnana Mudra (Wisdom Mudra): Gently touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your index finger, with the other three fingers naturally extended. Rest the back of your hands on your knees. It symbolizes the connection between individual consciousness and universal wisdom.

3. Your First Sitting Meditation: A Gentle Guide

1. The Compassion of Time: To start, 5 minutes is enough. This is a great victory! The key is to do it “daily,” not for a “long time” once in a while. Use a gentle alarm to remind you, allowing the end to be as graceful as the beginning.
2. Creating Space: Choose a quiet corner in your home. It doesn’t need to be luxurious, just tidy. Let this corner become your exclusive space for meeting yourself. Once you sit here, your body and mind will automatically switch to “meditation mode.”
3. Steps of Practice:
   • Settle: Take half a minute to adjust your sitting posture.
   • Observe: Gently place your attention on your breath, observing three to five complete breaths.
   • Expand: Then, expand your awareness from your breath to your entire body. Feel the stability of your posture, the contact of your skin with the air, and the inner pulse of life.
   • Return: When you notice your mind has wandered, there’s no need to blame yourself. This is perfectly normal. Simply say gently to yourself, “I’m back,” and then guide your attention back to your breath. Each “return” is an effective practice.

4. When Sitting Meditation Isn’t “Still”: Gently Coexisting with Challenges

On the path of sitting meditation, you will always encounter some “minor interruptions.” Please remember, these are not obstacles; they are part of the practice itself.

• Thoughts Scattering Like Wild Horses: The mind is naturally like an untamed horse. Sitting meditation isn’t about eliminating thoughts, but about seeing their coming and going clearly. You don’t need to chase them, nor do you need to drive them away. You simply sit there, watching them pass, and then gently, again and again, pull the reins back to the anchor of your breath.
• Drowsiness Like a Fog: If you feel drowsy, first check if your spine is still straight. You can try slightly opening your eyes to let a little light bring clarity. If it’s truly extreme physical fatigue, then allowing yourself a short nap is also an act of compassion.
• The Body’s “Protests”: Numbness, soreness, itching, pain—these are the body communicating with you in its own language. Please learn to listen. If it’s sharp, unbearable pain, adjust your posture immediately. If it’s mild numbness or soreness, you can try to “observe” this sensation using the breath observation method, seeing how it changes. But never force your body to endure.

5. Summary

Sitting meditation is about creating a silent harbor for the mind. By settling the body and observing the breath, we are not practicing “having no thoughts,” but rather the ability to “maintain awareness” amidst a flurry of thoughts. This is a gentle yet powerful strength.

Each time you sit, it is a commitment to yourself; each time you return, it is an act of care for your inner self. There’s no need to strive for perfection; just sit with patience and kindness. These moments of stillness will open the door to deeper awareness, laying the most solid foundation for subsequent emotional observation and wise insight.