Late February Report (15 minutes, daily)

My meditation practice has become consistent enough that logging it has started to become very tedious (and probably very tedious to read as well, for my one lone Google subscriber).

As it stands, I've moved to a 15 minute daily meditation, a combination of breath focus (to calm the mind and create a focus) and then Passage Meditation. I meditate in the morning, just prior to doing my yoga practice.

For the last few weeks, my meditation has been superb. Not perfect by any stretch, but calming and nurturing. It's always a challenge to keep my wandering brain in focus, but the challenge is part of the practice.

From now on, I'll write periodic summaries of my meditation practice every fortnight or so.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:50 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)/Breath Focus
Notes: I didn’t meditate much - mainly I sat there with thoughts streaming through my head and I was completely caught up in the stream.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:00 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)/Breath Focus
Notes: I tried to duplicate yesterday’s success, but this was another day. And I have cramps from my monthly cycle, so I was sleepy and in pain.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:10 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)/Breath Focus
Notes: Best meditation I’ve had in ages. I actually felt floaty and wonderfully calm! I experimented with mixing breath-focus meditation with passage meditation.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 7:30 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Very tired and distracted this morning. And COLD! Had to turn on the heater.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:10 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:10 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)
Notes: Much better today. I started with a breath focus meditation, then moved on to my passage meditation.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:40 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:00 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Much better today. I started with a breath focus meditation, then moved on to my passage meditation.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 10:20 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)
Notes: I’m tired of having a bad attitude about my meditation. To be honest, I’ve been going through the motions, but I haven’t been trying. That stops today. I was distracted, but I was trying.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:50 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)
Notes: Ack. Not a good start this morning. I was SO distracted. My brain was practically turning cartwheels. And yet I persevere. I sometimes read back in amazement at my November entries. How was I so focused?

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:20 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)
Notes: Great meditation today! That was a surprise. I felt calm and very focused. I think sleep may be playing a role here. I was absolutely exhausted yesterday.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:30 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)
Notes: My brain did not want to co-operate this morning. It was agonizing. Sometimes, I find that the passage meditation method just doesn’t work for me. I just stick with the breath. That’s what I ended up doing today.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:05 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)
Notes: Not bad today. My biggest accomplishment was bringing my attention back when it wandered. Need to keep my brain on a leash! One of my 2 intrepid Google Followers dropped off today. I’m not offended or anything - this is a really boring blog! I really don’t say much here. My last remaining follower get s a gold star!

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 6:10 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)
Notes: Very early meditation today and I was feeling a bit sleepy, but otherwise very calm and focused.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:10 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)
Notes: Not bad today! I spontaneously switched to a different (but not new) passage. Lots of emotional strife in my life at the moment, so I’m surprised that I was able to focus.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 10:15 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: This one was a write-off today. I was in the midst of job-related chaos this morning and couldn’t slow my mind down. In general, it’s been a very ‘pitta’ sort of day.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:40 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Pretty good meditation today, but again I was distracted by the candle. And I didn't even light it this morning! I like the way it smells (berries) and the smooth texture of the wax. Clearly, my mind is looking for thought-fodder (sense-objects, argh!)

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:20 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Very distracted this morning; thoughts of the past were intruding and fun flights of fancy. My brain likes to play!

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:00 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Ug. Didn’t feel well this morning. I was very sleepy during my meditation.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:10 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Not bad this morning, slightly distracted. I cleaned my altar yesterday, so everything is sparkly and dust-free.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:00 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Oo...lazy morning! I did my meditation much earlier than my yoga practice, which I put off until mid-day. I enjoyed my zen minutes of stillness.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:20 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: I really enjoyed my meditation this morning. The weekend has a slower pace, which helps me settle into my meditation practice.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:30 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: I left the candle alone this morning, had pretty good focus.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:10 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Okay, I’ve uped the ante for distraction tactics during meditation: this morning I started poking and playing around with the wax in my pillar candle. Easily entertained? Yup!

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:10 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Very distracted this morning.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:20 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: I’m all abuzz because I’m going to see Avatar later. Very difficult to still my mind.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:00 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Great meditation this morning. I was still and focused.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 10:20 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Emotional storms make huge waves - breakers - on the shore of my mind. Argh.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 7:50 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: My menstrual cycle started today. It tends to leave me very distracted and frazzled. In my meditation, I felt like my head was buzzing - it was almost like a ‘sound’. After about five minutes, this sensation receded and I felt much more relaxed.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:20 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: I was a tad bit sleepy this morning, but it makes sense since I was a bit short on sleep. I think it’s time to switch to a new passage, need to find one first though.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:10 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Nothing to report - perfectly ordinary meditation. Distracted a few times and also fascinated for some reason by my candle.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:20 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Late start because I slept in a bit. I was SO distracted today!

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 7:20 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Up early-early today and I meditated before yoga practice. I’m still amazed that I’m not falling asleep during my sit, even this early in the morning!

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:20 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Morning meditation is still going well for me - I never dread it like I used to at night. I find it easier to settle down and focus. A small addition to my meditation corner: I’m using my old Mysore rug, faded on one side, but still colourful on the other, as a Zabuton cover. It looks cheerful and pretty, really brightens up the corner.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:00 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: A little bit scatterbrained today. I’m all aflutter about candles these days. I got a nice pillar candle for the holidays and I’m prefering it to the tea lights I normally use. So pretty! I have others in storage, so I brought them out to be used eventually.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:00 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: I’ve decided not to extend my meditation just yet. 10 minutes really works for me. Maybe on weekends when I have more time. I’ll see. Today’s practice was good.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 7:30 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Up at 6:30 this morning and meditating by 7:30. My hip is no longer bothering me when I sit, which removes a huge barrier to expanding my practice to 15 or more minutes (the cramping is one reason I cut back)

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 7:30 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Earlier today and it was blissful. I’m so grateful to finally use the adjective again - I’ve been struggling so much with this practice! It might finally be time to bump myself up to 15 minutes.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:00 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: I’m enjoying morning meditation again. Maybe it’s just a change of routine, but I feel less pressured and more serene in the morning.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:00 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Morning meditation! I’m feeling all delighted about it because it really was an effort to sit down, but then it was easy. I meditated right before my yoga practice and my focus during yoga was great. Is there a connection? I’ll try this again tomorrow and let you know.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:00 p.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: I feel like I was on edge all through the holidays and I’m finally starting to relax again. It’s nice, and it makes this meditation thing easier.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 7:00 a.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Yes, you read that correctly. I managed to do my sit in the morning and it was great. All day long I kept thinking: I already did my meditation. It was such a relief! Need to do this more often.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 11:20 p.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: Set up my mobile cushion at the house and huddled under my electric blanket. The dog insisted on being on my lap for this one, so it was a dog-ear-scratching meditation.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 11:20 p.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: To be honest, I just wanted to get it out of the way so I could read my book. Once I was sitting, I kind of settled into it, found myself enjoying the moment, though.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 10:30 p.m.
How: Passage Meditation (Prayer of St. Francis)
Notes: So very tired tonight. My hip has been bothering me while sitting and it was particularly bad tonight. I spontaneously used the Prayer of St. Francis tonight for my Passage Meditation. I need some new material!

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:50 p.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)
Notes: I didn’t want to meditate tonight. This is a good reason to make time to meditate earlier in the day. At night, all I want to do is read my book or watch YouTube.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 8:40 p.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)
Notes: Very distracted. Sometimes, meditation isn’t very much fun. Yet, I persevere...

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 7:40 p.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)
Notes: Managed to get my meditation in before I played hockey. I’m usually too wired after hockey to really settle down and focus.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:50 p.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)
Notes: Right on schedule! I must have drifted off into day-dream-land sometime in the middle of this session because it ended earlier than I expected.

10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 9:30 p.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)
Notes: My mind was whizzing along at a million kilometres per hour, but I did manage to sit for 10 minutes.

5 minutes

Meditation: 5 minutes
Where: Zafu
When: 10:30 p.m.
How: Passage Meditation ('Twin Verses' from the Buddha, Dhamapada)
Notes: Was hoping to get a 10 minute session in, but I didn’t get home until late. Maybe tomorrow...