Introduction to Mindfulness - Dean Amory

naturally slow down and deepen, without you making any effort to do
so. Mindfulness, without you doing anything, brings a calmness to
your breathing, and in turn to your body and your mind.
Exercise 3: Paying attention to your posture
As you sit and enjoy your breathing in and breathing out, notice your
posture. It helps to embody in your posture the state of mind you are
trying to create through your practice. On the one hand you want to
find a posture that’s comfortable and restful; but you also want to
find a way of sitting that embodies a certain alertness and awareness.
In practicing mindful meditation, you are not trying to switch off
from or tune out reality. What you’re trying to do when you practice
mindfulness is to wake up to what is happening in your life, in the
present moment. And so it helps to sit comfortably, whether on a
chair, or a cushion, or a stool, but also to sit in a dignified and erect
position, which embodies this state of wakefulness.
Find a way of sitting that allows you to sit for whatever period of
time feels right to you. It might be 1 minute, it might be 45 minutes.
It is worth taking time to find a sitting or lying position that feels
comfortable and that allows you remain alert. A chair may be fine for
you, but it is usually recommended that you sit up straight with your
back away from the chair, to help you maintain a degree of alertness.
Be mindful of what muscles you need to engage to help you remain
alert and dignified, and see if you can relax all your other muscles.
For example, you may become aware of tension you are holding in
your shoulders. You don’t need this tension to remain alert, so allow
yourself to relax and drop your shoulders.
Notice also your facial muscles and be aware of any tension you may
be holding there. You have three hundred muscles in your face which
can both hold and express all that you feel. For now, just see if you
can notice any tension you are holding in your face and gently let it
go, by smiling.
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