There Are Only 7 Ways to Meditate

Why Relax into Meditation?

When I first learned to meditate, I was told to relax. But I thought it was an optional task - for just the beginning of the meditation. I now know it is a crucial part of the practice and is for the full meditation. However, when I relaxed, I fell asleep. I could relate to the comment from the Monk, "Sleep deprivation is a big issue in our society, so for the first few days in retreat, many people are just catching up on that instead of meditating." After meditating for a little while, I found my mind was less groggy (sleepy). I could stay with my meditation - while surrendering into a nurturing Restful Absorption. As with most meditation practice, there is an initial period of experimentation and adjustment. I was discerning the fine-line between groggy, and absorbed but more conscious. Now, my main job is to help students to stop pushing, pulling, or controlling. Instead, relax and allow the process of meditation to do it's job. The following terms are defined and discussed in the book: an object of meditation; absorption; Engrossed Attention (EA).