Four-step transition
This is my interpretation of the four-step transition introduced by Culadasa in "The Mind Illuminated"—a book I highly recommend.
Monkey Mind
At the beginning of your meditation session the mind can be very restless—attention is jumping all over the place. This restlessness is called the Monkey Mind.
We can imagine a monkey being locked up in a house. The monkey jumps all over the place, because at every window there is something else to see. During meditation, we want the monkey to sit still in front of a single window, calm and silently, watching the breath. The monkey doesn't like this at all. It is used to all its freedom.
Calming the Monkey Mind
Instead of forcing the monkey to stay at a single window, we slowly and gradually restrict the space it can move around in. First, we limit it to the lower floor. In the beginning the monkey won't like this, but eventually it will calm down. Then we restrict the space even further—we keep the monkey in a single room. The monkey gets restless again, but after a while it adepts to this new situation. Then we restrict the space even further, to the left side of the room. You get the point.
Step by step, we restrict the space until eventually the monkey is calm enough to look outside the window that faces the breath.
Bringing it into practice
Our meditation will be the same as before, but instead of going directly to the breath, we go through the four-step transition.
Don't rush through the steps, simply stay with a step until your attention calms down a little. Then, when your mind is calm enough, restrict the space that your attention can use even further.
Free attention: Let attention move freely between the senses, but whenever you find yourself being with a thought, bring your attention gently back to any other experience in the here and now.
Body: Restrict your attention to all the sensations that you can find in the body. This is a great place to do the seven-point relaxation exercise of week 1.
Breath: Restrict your attention to all the sensations that come with the breath.
Breath at the nose: Restrict your attention to all the sensations around the nostrils. This area is about the size of a 2 euro coin, covering the upper lip and the nostrils. You want to get your attention perfectly still—experiencing the ever-changing sensations in this area.
Once you're at the breath at the nose, then you've reached your final destination for the rest of the meditation session.
Stabilize: You can use labeling to stabilize your attention. Think "in" with the in-breath and "out" with the out-breath for a couple of breaths. You can come back to this technique whenever you're having difficulty staying with the breath.
Following the breath: You can play a little game to get yourself more engaged with the breath. It is very simple, just do the following during every breath cycle:
Try to find the exact moment the in-breath starts.
Try to find the exact moment the in-breath ends.
Try to find the exact moment the out-breath starts.
Try to find the exact moment the out-breath ends.
Things to keep in mind
Don't use too much effort: Try using only 25% of your maximum effort for your attention, while also using 25% of your maximum effort for your awareness. We don't want too much effort, but a calm and clear state of being present. These numbers are just an indicator, but they give you a good direction to aim towards.
Don't lose awareness: The area of your attention will get smaller and smaller, which often leads to people also restricting their awareness. See if you can prevent this from happening—you want awareness! Keeping your attention relaxed wil help with this.
Be mindful: It doesn't matter if your attention moves around within the designated area or that it seems to settle in a particular spot. Just be curious and see whatever you can experience within the designated area. As long as you know where your attention is—you're doing great.
Be kind: Whenever you find yourself outside your designated zone, don't get frustrated, this is why we meditate. Just as before, appreciate the fact that you noticed and return your attention with kindness.
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