Our days are filled with activity.
Unwittingly we rush from one activity to another without pausing to
"take stock". This not only results in a very unmeasured use of
energy (observe the effort we put into closing a car door, for
example), but it also sets in motion a kind of flywheel effect which
gathers increasing momentum throughout the day, leaving us exhausted
and stressed in the evening and unable to relax. The remedy to
this state of affairs is to acknowledge that the day is, in fact, made
up of a series of individual activities, each of which requires our due
care and attention. To enable this to be given to each activity -
as in the example of eating discussed prior - it makes sense to start
each activity from a position of stillness and silent awareness; to
maintain this awareness throughout the activity to the best of our
ability; and to finalise the activity with a return to rest before
moving on. In the same way that sleep at night refreshes us and
recharges our energy, such a practice followed throughout the day will
reduce stress and exhaustion and maintain our levels of alertness and
enthusiasm. We would be well on the way to meditation in action.
To give an example of this returning to stillness, consider another
activity most will be familiar with - driving a car. Before
starting the car, relax in the seat. Focus your awareness on the
moving air entering and leaving the nostrils at the point where the
bridge of the nose meets the upper lip. Simply observe the flow
of breath at this point for a short while. This has the effect of
putting us in touch. Now acknowledge the entire energy field of
your body from the crown of the head to the toes. Acknowledge the
weight of your body on the car seat and the play of air on your face
and hands. Be in touch with yourself. Now let you
hearing extend into the space all around you, just hearing the sounds
without naming them or liking and disliking them.
Return to your centre, your still point, and from this point of
enhanced awareness and alertness start the engine and proceed safely on
your way. At the end of the journey, during which you will no
doubt have been less inclined to impatience, more relaxed and polite to
your fellow road-users, as you turn off the ignition and the engine
stops running, return yourself to your natural stillness and leave
behind all the motion and noise of the journey before moving on to the
next activity.
In this way we can measure out our days by the natural rhythm of
movement and rest and, with practice, the stillness and silence of
meditative awareness will pervade even our most strenuous exertions.
