Sit somewhere you can be alone, silent and undisturbed. Wear loose, comfortable clothing, so you can be physically relaxed, while sitting straight and still: calm, alert, in control.
Close your eyes and dive into your life-breath. If we practise breathing regularly, then whenever we dive into our breath, we have the feeling of returning home, to where we belong. Nothing else exists, nothing else matters.
Now please imagine that what you are breathing in from the atmosphere around you is not air, but solid peace. And you are breathing in this peace not only through your nostrils, but through your eyes, your ears, through the very pores of your skin. It is as though inside, you are a dry sponge and you are just soaking up this peace directly into your very core. And slowly but surely this peace is circulating right throughout your being from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet to the very tips of your fingers.
And as you breathe out you will release anything within you which is not peace. If there is tension in your muscles, anywhere in your body, let that tension go, release it and breathe it out. Any restlessness in your nerves or emotions, soothe it and breathe it out. Any stress that is tying your mind in knots, unravel it, let it go and breathe it out.
Stress and tension are not our possessions. They are stolen goods. We have no right to hold onto anything which is not our possession. So all these stolen goods, this foreign stress and tension, let it go, let it flow out the window, up and out into the sky, where it dissipates and evaporates without a trace, never to return.
These days, everyone is an expert on meditation. Everyone has views, thoughts and opinions. Everyone, it seems, has read books on meditation; attended lectures, seminars and retreats; listened to podcasts; watched YouTube videos; listened to meditation music playlists; talked with their friends and thought a lot about meditation.
But how many actually meditate? How many yearn with intense longing to utterly silence the mind? How many shed streaming inner tears to fly into the bliss-flooded sunlit vastness of the heart?
Meditation will absolutely answer all our life’s questions; unfailingly solve all our life’s problems; and reliably help us fulfil all our life’s dreams and highest goals… on one condition: that we do it, we actually practise meditation, regularly, sincerely, ardently and devotedly. If we want meditation to give us everything – to answer all our questions, solve our problems and fulfil our dreams, then we must in turn be prepared to give all our heart to our meditation. We must take it seriously and soulfully. We must love it and live it.
Meditation is self-discovery. Discovering yourself can never be theoretical. You are not a theory. You are real.
Someone else’s advice can inspire you or guide you – but only you can walk the path within, to your own heart and soul. Only you can live your inner life; only you can survey your own unique inner landscape; only you can breathe the exquisite fragrance of your own heart-garden; only you can unveil the brilliance and clarity of your own soul’s light; only you can fulfill your life’s destiny; only you can come face to face with God in the form God has adopted just for you.
Knowledge and theories are useless, without practise. Only practise yields experience; only experience yields realisation; and only realisation is real.
A sheep could not eat meat even if it tried, while a lion would perish on a diet of grass. Each to their own.
Each of us is a unique soul, each with our own sacred mission, our own life’s purpose and divine destiny.
The pressure on us to conform, to adapt ourselves to fit in with the behaviour and expectations of others, comes both from around and within us.
Our family, friends and colleagues usually have their own ideas about what we should aspire for and how we should behave, according to their own worldview. It is inevitable that we feel influenced by the desires and opinions of others, especially when these come from people we admire, depend on or fear.
Yet until we know who we are, we can never be happy and fulfilled. What if we are not sure if we are lion or sheep? How should we behave?
Because we are not happy or fulfilled, we choose to conform with others’ expectations out of uncertainty, fear or insecurity, or we imitate others, especially those we perceive as being successful or popular, or we seek to define ourselves in rebellion against the family or society which has not gifted us happiness. Most often, rebellion brings us to the same destination as conformity: disappointment and frustration.
Because our soul is the source of happiness, only in fulfilling our soul’s purpose can we be happy.
Only in meditation can we discover the purpose of our soul and the path to fulfill our soul, the path to happiness.
In meditation, the brightness and clarity of our soul disperses the fog of our uncertainty and guides us out of the labyrinth of society’s expectations.
Only once we know ourselves, can we be true to ourselves. So – meditate.
You are focusing on your breath. Our planet earth is inside your heart, and your breath is entering into, sustaining and nourishing the planet.
Please feel that what you are breathing in is not only oxygen and energy. What you are breathing in is entering into the breath, the hearts and the lives of all beings. While breathing, you can choose what qualities you will inhale. Imagine one quality that you might breathe in now, that will flow into the hearts and lives of all, that might improve the conditions of life. Imagine one quality that you might breathe in to ease the world’s pain, one quality that you might breathe in to make our world more perfect.
Please choose three qualities which you feel our world needs most urgently right now. And as the world is inside your heart, please consciously, deliberately and carefully breathe in each of these qualities one after the other. As you breathe in these qualities, they flow with your breath into the breath of all, into the hearts of all, into the lives of all – and life on earth is gradually transformed.
Like the gradual unfolding of a flower from a closed bud, watch as each petal slowly unfurls to reveal its own unimaginable beauty and release its exquisite fragrance. Watch and observe, as little by little, breath after breath, this blossoming flower, our world inside your heart, is gradually beautified, brightened and perfected.
Only when we accept the world as our very own, on the strength of our inseparable oneness-breath with the world, can we eventually transform the world – starting in our hearts’ inner imagination, which must ultimately flow into our outer life as well, blossoming into ever more fragrant, ever more radiant, ever more perfect perfection.
Our atmosphere is a very thin, delicate film blanketing the surface of our planet. And from this thin, fragile film of atmosphere not only all the people, but all the animals, the birds, plants and trees, all are breathing their breaths, all are drawing their oxygen, their life-force. We are all together, one life, one living being breathing the same air, drinking the same water, basking in the same sunlight. We cannot separate ourselves from all other life forms – for we cannot separate ourselves from our own breath.
Now please imagine that the whole universe is inside your heart, and there in its very centre, sits our planet, our earth-home. This beautiful blue globe is slowly revolving in space in the silent depths of your being. Because the world is inside your heart, you are responsible for the world, it is in your care – so call forth all your heart’s love, protective concern and nurturing goodwill, as you would if you were given the care of an adorable, beautiful, innocent child.
The breath you are breathing is entering into the very heart, the very core of the planet inside your heart. With your breath you are nurturing and nourishing the world itself. As you breathe in, all the people, all the animals, the plants, the trees, the birds and the insects, all are breathing in together. And as you breathe out, all the people, the animals, the plants, the insects, the birds and the trees exhale as one.
Your breath is flowing into and becoming the life-breath, sustaining the life of all living beings.
You are breathing on behalf of life itself. So your every breath is supremely significant, for if you would stop breathing, all life on earth would cease.
Sit still, comfortably with your spine straight, in a quiet place where you can be undisturbed, preferably in silence.
Close your eyes. Bring all your attention to the simple, gentle slow dance rhythm which is your breath. Focus with all your being on that beautiful, subtle, delicate flow of air in and out through your nostrils. Make that flow so gentle, so calm, that if a tiny thread like a gossamer spider’s web, happened to be dangling in front of your nose, that thread would remain perfectly still, oblivious to the flow of breath passing on either side of it while breathing in, breathing out. Picture that thread now, and observe it closely, to be sure it is absolutely motionless.
Our breath represents our life. Our breath connects us with the cosmic energy, the universal force which sustains all life. And something more: our breath carries with it a profound spiritual message – the message of oneness.
In any room full of people, all together are breathing the same air. The air one person breathes out in one moment is the same air another will inhale the next moment, and vice versa.
No matter what are the differences, divergences and disagreements between all the individuals in a room, the air being breathed by all connects them, each to each and to all the others in the physical, tangible world, unavoidably. The people in the room are like one organism breathing one breath through many sets of lungs.
Now let us expand our vision beyond this room and include the entire world. All of us, in all of the countries on all of the continents, from all races, all languages, faiths and beliefs, rich and poor alike, are all breathing from the same atmosphere.
His young children call him Daddy, knowing him as the benevolent giver of gifts and indulgences. His grown-up children from his first marriage call him Dad or Pops, while their own children call him Grandad, or Ompee.
His siblings call him Flim, the mischievous child who was constantly playing pranks on them. His mother still calls him Benjie, the name she had wanted him to have, after her childhood dog.
His schoolfriends still know him as Brownsie, the brilliant football player who captained the championship winning team of ‘86. The players from opposing teams from those days had other names for him, which we shall not repeat.
His wife affectionately calls him Chittles, a name only she knows the meaning of. When not in an affectionate mood, she calls him Derek – only she and he know why. And in public, she calls him Eric Dear.
When he goes out for his morning jog, the kids who play skittles in the park mock him as “SlowJoe”.
Online, he is known by various names and handles, depending on the forum – punter68, E_C_Brown_MP, erik-dragonslayer, legend_of_86, to cite a few.
With a PhD in political science, he is sometimes called Dr Brown.
Most of his staff call him Sir, though those who have been with him since the beginning, use Eric.
In Parliament, Mr Brown is called The Honourable Member for Pickworth South, except when Opposition members are hurling insults at him, and then he is called many names, which are also seen on placards and heard in chants at protests and rallies.
Senior public servants secretly call him Dr Dolittle.
Outside Parliament, most respectful people call him Prime Minister.
So many names and personae – real, presumed, suspected and projected – yet Mr Brown – like God – is one.
Running and meditation are the simplest, most natural of activities. We are born with everything needed: other than running shoes and a mat, neither require any equipment, talent, cost, travel, study, qualifications or rules. Both can be done alone, virtually anywhere and anytime. Both test and develop our inner sincerity, concentration, determination, humility, confidence, dedication, discipline, eagerness, faith, fortitude and surrender. There is no way in either running or meditation to bend the rules or fudge the results; they are the most egalitarian and honest of pursuits. The satisfaction we gain from them is not dependent on results or outer criteria. We derive from each, according to how much of ourselves we offer.
Running can be meditation if we want and need it to be, and if we bring all our focus and concentration to the process of running. The rhythms of running can be mantras in themselves – the cadences of our heartbeat, breathing, footfalls, the swing of our arms and stride. While running, we are microcosms of the macrocosm, our rhythms mirroring the eternal cycles of Nature, the rise and fall of the waves, the turn of the tides, the diurnal, lunar and seasonal cycles, all the way to the evolution and dissolution of our universe. Running offers a perfect opportunity to meditate on and attune ourselves with these deeper realities, easily drawing us out of our habitual petty preoccupations.
Meditation is a spiritual experience of running; while running is a physical expression of meditation.
We cry for self-transcendence: so, we both run and meditate. Transcendence means not just improving our performance or deepening our experience, but also improving our attitudes, our ability to deal with challenges and situations, expanding our hearts and broadening our minds, deepening our understanding of ourselves, our universe and God.
Use meditation to help your running. Use running to help your meditation.
Meditation is not a static state. It is a search, a constant quest for something deeper or higher, within. In our search, we discover, and in our discovery, we become that which we have sought. While meditating, we must always feel a sense of movement, of progression towards a destination, a race to outpace thoughts and distractions, a flow into the ocean’s vastness or flight beyond the horizon’s bounds. While meditating, picture yourself as a runner, an inner runner effortlessly and joyfully running, with one-pointed intensity and focused eagerness always towards your goal.
Running need not be an agitated or stressed state. We run at our best when we are physically poised, with efficient form and rhythm, mentally focussed and emotionally calm. Just as flailing our limbs in all directions slows and tires us; allowing our mind to wander and our emotions to run riot, drains our energy and inspiration, and brings us rapidly to a halt. While running, picture yourself inwardly still, meditating on a mountain top or by a flowing river.
Just as one doesn’t need to read any books or attend any class or seminar, or believe in anything or anyone or pay any fee in order to pray or meditate effectively – for prayer and meditation come most naturally, perfectly and spontaneously from within – so also, running connects us most effectively with our innate spirituality through its own simple, pure and spontaneous expression. No analysis, no practise, no instruction, understanding, structure, equipment, preparation, beliefs or catechisms are needed. To find meditation through running, strip away all the paraphernalia, the headphones, monitoring and measuring devices, the theories, the technique, the plan, the training program, the jargon, and all expectation. Just run …
We are all evolving: each of us, personally and collectively, socially, economically, culturally, historically, along with all species, our planet Earth, our solar system, galaxy and universe, every particle, light, time and space, all knowledge and understanding. We are all flowing with the current of time, the river of progress, the inexorable sweep of evolution. We may have no idea where we have come from and no concept of where we are heading, but that we are evolving – somehow and towards some destination – is unquestionable.
Evolution implies a journey towards a goal. Thus, the notion of traveling, journeying, progressing – running – towards a goal is intrinsic to our very being.
Running, then, is not just a metaphor for life – running is life and life is running. Inwardly and spiritually, we are constantly running towards a goal whether we know it or not. Unless and until you can stop the wheel of evolution turning, meditation is running, and running is meditation.
Running is the simplest self-expression, the purest revelation, the most natural manifestation in the physical realm of our very essence, an eternal, unquenchable yearning for progress through self-transcendence. We were runners before we ever ran; we are runners while sleeping, standing and sitting still; we shall forever remain runners after all our running is done…
We are all runners, whether or not we call ourselves “runners”, and we are all meditators, whether or not we imagine ourselves as “meditators”: as we are running towards our ever-elusive goal, so are we meditating below the surface of life with every breath and step. On a deep, intuitive level, we love running, for to run is to be one with our most natural state of being. While running, we can be and become truly ourselves, the very definition of meditation.
“Run and become.
Become and run.
Run to succeed in the outer world.
Become to proceed in the inner world.”
– Sri Chinmoy
Running and meditation are two of mankind’s oldest, most enduring, yet ever-new and ever-fulfilling pursuits.
In their essence, running and meditation are one, inseparable. They are parallel and identical quests: for truth, meaning, peace, happiness, satisfaction, self-discovery and transcendence.
Why is the connection between running and meditation so deep? Both go to the very core of our identity, our purpose, our aspiration, our being. We are spiritual seekers, eternally running.
It is common to imagine we are primarily physical and mental beings with a spiritual dimension somewhere in the background, as though spirituality comes as an optional add-on or bonus pack with our existence, something we can opt into or out of. Yet precisely the opposite is true: we are souls, spiritual beings first and foremost, living in and experiencing, perhaps transiting through this material, temporal world.
Running and meditation both access, explore and reveal our spiritual self. They complement each other.
Try meditating before you run; try running before you meditate. To focus yourself before running, meditate for a few minutes with utmost intensity and clarity. You will be more present while you run and gain more from the effort and experience. Running – especially running with full intensity – is also a most effective way to clear the mind, focus our vital energy and surcharge the body; an ideal preparation for a deep and fulfilling meditation. We may imagine that running will tire us out; yet ironically, going for a short, brisk run is a wonderful way to awaken and energise ourselves in preparation for meditation – far better than stimulants.
Run always with the poise of meditation; meditate with the flowing progress of running.
Though our breath brings us life, and sustains us, we have really no idea how it does this, or where it has come from. Our breath is an absolute miracle and eternal mystery, and it is here, within us, always. We do not have to go to a temple, to a church, to a monastery, we do not have to climb a mountain, go into the forest or ascend to the Himalayas, to find the sacred and the divine, for there is nothing more sacred in this universe than the miracle of our breath. As Sri Chinmoy wrote in one of his poems:
“Each breathing moment
Is a miracle.”
– and we are that miracle.
So while breathing, feel that you are in the presence not only of something wonderful, something special, something loveable but also, you are in the presence of something most sacred, the source of life itself, that spirit which infuses the entire creation. Feel not only love and gratitude for your breath: something more, feel reverence for your breath. Then you will be eager to spend time each day in silent communion with your breath.
They say in the martial arts, that whoever can control their breath perfectly, is in control of their life’s destiny. And it is absolutely true. Practising this exercise for five minutes a day will gradually improve the control of your breath, while simultaneously increasing your control over your thoughts and emotions, while deepening your self-awareness and furthering your self-discovery.
This simple exercise is supremely powerful, for it is the solid foundation of our meditation practise, the gateway to the infinite realms of self-discovery. As we enter these realms, we gain access to the infinite, eternal, immortal treasures that await.
You do not have any other duties or responsibilities – no study, no work, no family. Your only task is to breathe and count, and you are going to perform this task to the absolute pinnacle of your capacity.
Your breath is everything. Your breath is your life, your source, your nourishment, your breath is your most intimate friend, your favourite hobby, your art, your song, your child, your creation.
Some people express themselves through painting, poetry or music: you are an artist of the breath. Each breath is a new poem, a new song, a new painting; into each breath, pour all your heart’s love, your joy, your creative ingenuity. Strive to make each breath something absolutely perfect, and then make each next breath, more perfect.
You do not even have a name, or a form: you are a being who breathes. That is all you need, that is all you want. To breathe and to count is the sum of your happiness. You are full, you are complete, for you have your breath, you are your breath.
Feel inside yourself: “I’m so grateful to have this rare opportunity to spend time alone with that force which has given me life, that force which sustains me, that force which loves me more than anything, which sacrifices itself for me, my breath. In silent solitude I honour my breath, I respect, I give it my attention, my concern, my love, and above all, my gratitude. I’m so grateful to my breath, for all that it has given me, for through my breath I am able to experience life, I’m able to experience the world, all its beauty, all its colour, its vibrancy, its splendour, its love, its joy, its intimacy, its perfection – all thanks to my breath.”
