Day 15

My parents woke up one morning, looked out of the window, and saw the driver's side of their car dented and scratched. My parents are the kind of people who quadruple check every aspect of the practicalities of the every day life just so things like that won't happen. They couldn't understand why it happened to them and they made sure to tell everyone they passed that day about it.

Things like that happen to everybody and living in an attempt trying to avoid what may or may not happen is useless, not to mention stressful. Here's an example of a similar situation just two days after my parents' incident. I went to a Dharma talk last night at Insight LA, a mindfulness center run by Trudy Goodman. She just came back from a two week silent retreat. The day after her retreat, her car was towed because she inadvertently parked in the wrong place. She resonated bliss and peace and still things like that happen. The difference being in her reaction to the situation. You know, "just another day on the planet earth."

The practices of breathing, being, and sitting in stillness are not intended to fix all our problems, but rather to stay rooted inside as they happen. Because these so called "problems" are never going to end. Even in the most ideal circumstances, situations arise. Although, in my experience and the experience of others who relax into a situation rather than resist it, tend to resolve things quicker and more harmoniously.

The Practice

Evening sitting and walking meditation at Insight LA - 40 minutes
          I used two zafu cushions to sit on in a kneeling position. At first, it felt more comfortable than any other position thus far, but at some point in the middle of the meditation, I began adjusting.
          Feeling my face tighten with seriousness, I remembered what the medicine man told Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray Love, "smile with your liver." I switched to smiling for the second-half of the sit.

Reflection

I'm still looking for a better sitting position for longer sits, but for all I know I may be looking forever. Maybe that's part of it. There is no perfect sitting position, just like there is no perfect life situation. We're always adjusting to make ourselves more comfortable. I keep coming back to everything is already perfect. It cannot be otherwise because it IS. Maybe when I stop adjusting I'll start sitting exactly how I'm meant to.

Smiling during my meditation yesterday did a 180 on my mood. I couldn't stop smiling the entire evening afterwards. Nothing changed externally, but just planting that smile upon my face planted a smile upon my heart. Even thoughts subsided. I'll definitely be incorporating a smile into my meditation practices.