Author: Mindful Frontiers

The article was originally published, July 11, 2024, in The Taos News.

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The Practice of Patience: Meditation Helps Navigate Uncertainty

One of the most important wisdom truths is that the only constant in life is change. We have all experienced chapters of uncertainty in our lives. How can we navigate these times of fear and confusion? I believe we can learn patience and acceptance as well as the compassion that comes from knowing we’ve made it through each time. In the words of Mark Nero, poet and teacher, “Fear wants us to act too soon. But patience, hard as it is, helps us outlast our preconceptions”. It is challenging to not get caught up in the chaos, make assumptions, and rush towards a solution. With patience comes the deep knowing of the heart-mind that things will change.

Meditation is a tool that helps to navigate uncertainty by showing us how to find the still, quiet heart center that knows all will work out. Oren Jay Sofer, author and meditation teacher, writes “When life feels out of control at home or beyond, sanity and clarity arrive not from trying to bring order to the chaos but from sitting down right in the middle of it … We find our way through the chaos not by frantically reacting, but by reestablishing our center in the midst of it. Here, in the still quiet space of the heart, we uncover the space to honor what’s true. Then something fresh and unexpected can emerge—an authentic, wise response to life.”

One way to tap into the heart’s ability to respond wisely to life is the meditation practices of grounding and connecting to nature. Noticing how nature continues to flow through the seasons even during uncertainty, helps us. As Sofer advises, “Close your eyes. Breathe. Feel the ground beneath you, the sky above. Sense the tender flutter of life that flows through you this very moment. Recognize the clear, spacious awareness that knows” all is well in the present moment.

The following meditation practice encourages us to ground ourselves through heart-mind awareness. Patience is the theme of this family practice that takes place in an outdoor setting and welcomes nature’s guidance.

Mindful Waiting: A grounding meditation practice to invite patience
• We begin by centering our attention on the breath. Start out with a couple deeper than usual breaths to relax the nervous system. Then, allow the breath to be normal as you notice where you sense the breath the most: nostrils, chest, or belly.
• Once you feel settled, choose something nearby that is pleasant to look at and rest your gaze on it. Keep your eyes soft and lightly focused on the object. This is your attention anchor for the practice.
• As you continue to gaze gently at your object, notice any changes in your surroundings (colors, sounds, changes in light). Gently notice any changes without losing focus on the stability of your anchor object.
• Sometimes thoughts will arise. When thoughts distract you, let them be. If you don’t fixate on them, they will drift away as clouds in the sky. When you notice that you’re distracted, that’s mindful awareness. Acknowledge that and kindly return to gazing softly at the object.
• You can choose to change the anchor to another object if you desire. Patience sometimes requires changing course. Just choose one object at a time and stay focused on it for as long as you can.
• When it seems time to bring the practice to an end, close your eyes and bring awareness back to the breath going in and out of the body. Then, when it feels right, open your eyes and smile.

If you have time, these discussion questions can be introduced: 1. What object did you focus on? 2. Did you notice any changes in the environment as you focused on your anchor? 3. Did the time pass slowly or quickly?

Anne-Marie Emanuelli is the founder and Creative Director at Mindful Frontiers LLC, a Benefit Corporation (BCorp) committed to Community Wellness by providing schools and organizations with mindfulness meditation tools that nurture positive social-emotional growth. With over two decades of meditation experience, Anne-Marie provides coaching for children, families, individuals, groups, and classrooms. She is a certified meditation leader and a certified labyrinth facilitator. Featured practices can be found on the ⁠Welcoming a Mindful Future⁠ podcast and Insight Timer app. The website is ⁠MindfulFrontiers.net⁠.

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Earth meditation and nonduality

Being absorbed in nature, one moment at a time

Meditation is to be truly present,

to look deeply,

and to recognize …

the wonders of life and the Earth all around you.
Thich Nhat Hanh from Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet

When life gets “muddy,” I clear my head by going for a walk, bike ride or swim. Movement and meditation are what sustain my mental and physical health. “We don’t need to wait until we die to return to the Earth. We need to learn how to take refuge in Mother Earth — it is the best way to heal and to nourish ourselves,” Thich Nhat Hanh writes in “Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet.”

Mother Earth provides what we need for a healthy body and mind. Meditating with nature can be as simple as listening to birds chirping in the trees or watching ants skitter by our feet — or it can be as grandiose as hiking to the top of a mountain and absorbing the view. For a walk or hike to be a form of meditation, the mind is encouraged to release its desire for control so we can allow Mother Earth to hold our body in hers and to breathe with us.

One aspect of meditation that is inspiring and beneficial for releasing the mind is the concept of nonduality. A working definition of nonduality is that it is “pointing to the direct first-person experience … which reveals that the mind has no separate observer from its contents. The result is a feeling of unity and connection to the world,” according to FitMind. The concept of nonduality in everyday language is that we are one with everything around us; we are neither separate entities nor a different consciousness from our surroundings. “Mother Earth is not outside of you; she is inside. Mother Earth is not your environment; you are part of Mother Earth,” reads another quote from “Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet.” Indeed, meditation can bring intimacy to our relationship with nature.

To invite nonduality to meditation, we become one with Mother Earth in what is called “interbeing,” a mutual relationship with nature. “Allow yourself to be held by the Earth … Allow the Earth and Sun to be embracing you … [allowing] healing to take place,” Thich Nhat Hanh writes.

This month’s meditation practice will help us take refuge in Mother Earth to welcome a nondual experience. We intentionally choose an anchor for the mind and commune with our surroundings. Intended to be done solo, without the family, this practice should be done with plenty of time allowed — try to plan this when you are not in a hurry, with at least 30 minutes to honor your relationship with Mother Earth.

Nonduality relationship with Mother Earth: A meditation practice in nature

1. Begin by choosing a comfortable place outdoors. Under a tree, on your porch, on a park bench … Before settling into the practice, check your body for any areas of tension or discomfort. Stretch out these areas in any way that feels ok to you. Close your eyes if that is comfortable or just gaze on a neutral spot with eyelids relaxed.

2. Allow yourself to become aware of your breathing. Take a few deeper-than-usual breaths, noticing where the breath is most apparent (chest, belly, or nose area) to relax the nervous system and settle the mind.

3. Next, choose an anchor for the mind. This can be the sound of birds chirping, the swaying motion of tree branches in the breeze or the sound of a stream. Pay close attention to this anchor, noticing details that interest the mind and focus on them as they come into and out of awareness. There are often moments of silence between the sounds the mind takes extra pleasure in.

4. When settled, switch your attention to the body. Is the sun warming your skin? Can you feel the heaviness of your body into the earth? Do you need to change anything to be more comfortable? Can you encourage a sense of ease in your body?

5. You will notice your mind has wandered into thought at some point. This is expected so another meditation anchor may encourage your mind to let go.

6. As your practice progresses, allow yourself to notice sensations that are connected to your surroundings. Is there grass under your feet or something tickling your legs? Can you reach out your hands and feel the bark on a tree or gaze at a flower near you? Are there insects or an animal enjoying the space with you?

7. Keep going for as long as you can and are comfortable. Allowing ourselves plenty of time to get absorbed in nature helps us embrace nonduality and interbeing. Being with Mother Earth, breathing in and out, sensing your surroundings, and absorbing what’s here in the present moment for as long as you can.

8. When your practice is complete, it may be inspiring to journal or write a poem about the experience.

Anne-Marie Emanuelli is the founder and Creative Director at Mindful Frontiers LLC. Mindful Frontiers LLC is a Benefit Corporation (BCorp) committed to Community Wellness by providing schools and organizations with mindfulness meditation tools that nurture positive social-emotional growth. With over two decades of meditation experience, Anne-Marie provides coaching for children, families, individuals, groups, and classrooms. She is a certified meditation leader and a certified labyrinth facilitator. Guided meditation practices can be found on the ⁠Welcoming a Mindful Future⁠ podcast and the Insight Timer meditation app. Our website is ⁠MindfulFrontiers.net⁠.

Originally published in The Taos News, March 14, 2024

What Does Desire and Boredom Have in Common?

Understanding grasping and clinging through meditation.

Sometimes life can be boring, right? Boredom is a feeling we get when we wish things were different – more exciting or engaging – or as children say, more “fun”. Essentially, when we’re bored we have the desire for life to be different than it is right now. Buddhism calls this “grasping” and “clinging” and is said to be caused by thoughts (ideas) of how our mind wants things to be. In an article in LionsRoar, Brother Phap Linh writes, “There’s a popular take on wanting things, which is that if we don’t have what we want, it’s because we just don’t want it enough. According to the ‘law of attraction’ you can have whatever you want if you only want it enough. According to this way of thinking, you can manifest the life you want just by visualizing it clearly. This presupposes the idea that having what you want will satisfy you.” This is the proverbial, if only…then that we get caught up in when wishing for life to be other than it is.

Meditation helps us investigate our thoughts and by connecting to sensations in the body, we can investigate the true nature of these mind ideas. We can use our meditation practice “to look at the wanting itself, at the state of wanting”. Since meditation is a present-moment practice, we can observe our emotions relating to boredom to learn how these feelings are mixed up with clinging to the past or grasping towards the future. We may think that if only things were different, we’d be more happy or life would be more fun. There’s also a tendency to get caught up in the “how” of getting what we want. How can I make my life better, more interesting, more fun, more engaging?

In meditation traditions, we are asked to look at the grasping and clinging directly. What does it feel like? Where do I feel this in the body? How would I feel right now if I weren’t wishing things to be different? Can I just be present and grateful for what is already here? We practice letting go of expectations and accepting what is right here in this moment – the only reality there is – instead of wishing for things to be different. When we investigate grasping and clinging, we may realize that the discontent is a state of unrest and we can calm this through meditation which is being mindful of what is going on right now by following the breath that connects us to reality.

This month’s practice invites us to focus on the simplicity of the breath as a conduit for noticing what is going on right here, right now. Following the breath as it comes in and goes out of the body is a practice the entire family can do together and most children can do this as well. The instructions are pretty simple and remind us of what mindfulness means: being aware, on purpose, and without judgment of what’s going on through the grounding effect of the breath. A 15-minute timer is suggested for this practice.

Simplicity of Breath: a meditation that grounds us in the present moment.

Begin by choosing a comfortable sitting posture, on the floor, bed, or in a chair. Before settling into the practice, check your body for any areas of tension or discomfort. Stretch out these areas in any way that feels ok to you. Children can shake out their tension.
Gradually allow yourself to become aware of your breathing. On the in-breath, notice where the breath is most apparent (chest, bellow, or nose area). Then, follow the breath and visualize as it travels throughout the body before the out-breath. Be curious about the small details of your breath such as whether it feels deep or superficial, tight or relaxed.
Visualize the journey of the breath. Notice the in-breath and then do a quick body scan as if you are following the breath to the feet and fingers and then back to the lungs. Slowing down the breath may help this visualization.
At some point, you will notice that your mind has wandered into thought. This is expected so just notice the distraction and ask yourself if there are any thoughts of discontent or boredom. How might I feel right now if I weren’t wishing things to be different? Can I be present and grateful for just being here?
As your practice progresses, allow yourself to notice sensations in your body. This will help you understand where the feelings of boredom or unrest are coming from. Maybe thoughts will come up, or more body sensations or an inspiration. Keep going for as long as you can, following the breath and then noticing thoughts and sensations.
When your practice is complete, it may be inspiring to discuss the experience together, to journal, or write a poem about the experience.

Note: Adapting this practice to the very young: Observation of thoughts and following sensations through the body may be too much for the very young so they can be encouraged to follow the breath with a hand on their belly and watch it inflate and deflate as a balloon. They can assign their breath-balloon a color and size as well. And then, while the rest of the group is discussing or journaling, the children can draw.

Anne-Marie Emanuelli is the founder and Creative Director at Mindful Frontiers LLC. Mindful Frontiers LLC is a Benefit Corporation (BCorp) committed to Community Wellness by providing schools and organizations with mindfulness meditation tools that nurture positive social-emotional growth. With over two decades of meditation experience, Anne-Marie provides coaching for children, families, individuals, groups, and classrooms. She is a certified meditation leader and a certified labyrinth facilitator. Featured practices can be found on the⁠Welcoming a Mindful Future⁠ podcast and Insight Timer app. Our website is ⁠MindfulFrontiers.net⁠

This article was originally published in The Taos News on February 8, 2024

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Originally published in The Taos News, January 18, 2024

Inviting and Welcoming Silence:

Building the capacity to be fully present through listening.

Awaken to the mystery of being here

and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.

Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.

Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.
– John O’Donohue, poet

Have you ever just stopped what you were doing and listened? Deeply listened to the sounds and silence around you? Seems like an oxymoron to be encouraging silence and listening. The kind of silence I’m referring to is one where we are mindful of what is going on in the present moment, encouraging a deep awareness that comes from listening to what’s going on inside and outside the body. It is an invitation to put down electronics, the to-do lists, turn off social media engagement, and just be with our surroundings and our senses.

The first time a person tries to sit in meditation can be daunting. I’ve heard many times from those who say they’ve tried meditation and it “didn’t work” for them because they “couldn’t sit still” or they “couldn’t stop thinking.” Both of these expectations are myths to be debunked once and for all.

Indeed, it is impossible to just sit down and stop thinking. Our minds are made to think and when we sit in meditation, there will be thoughts, lots of them. Sometimes, it can be quite challenging to calm the mental chatter, especially if it contains painful or fearful memories. In the beautiful book, “The Joy of Living”, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, a Tibetan monk, recounts how difficult meditation was for him as a child. “From earliest childhood, I was haunted by feelings of fear and anxiety… even after three years of sitting [in meditation] my anxiety increased…” After asking his father for meditation guidance his anxiety continued and his mind wouldn’t rest. “Years later, I would come to realize I … was simply becoming more aware of the constant stream of thoughts and sensations I’d never recognized before.” When we sit in meditation, there may be a period of hyperactivity as the body and mind learn to settle down and our awareness becomes more attuned to the silence.

Nonetheless, the benefits of sitting in meditation are well worth the effort. Some of these include positive mood and outlook, self-discipline and clear attention, healthy sleep patterns, and even increased pain tolerance. To reap these benefits, meditation practice must be consistent so I encourage families to carve out a daily mindfulness moment, and if it is at the same time each day, the body and mind will look forward to the break.

Rather than encouraging a purely Zen style of meditation (Zazen or Shikantaza) where we are supposed to “just sit, following the breath”, mindfulness of sound is something more attainable for beginning meditators, and especially for children. One of the great benefits of meditating on sound is that gradually we learn to detach from reacting to what we hear around us. This is called equanimity and is very helpful in dealing with life’s stresses and experiences. “You can simply listen to what other people say with a much more relaxed and balanced attitude, without being carried away by an emotional response.” (Rinpoche) We stop assigning meaning to sounds and we just notice them as basic content or just the stuff around us. Welcoming moments of silent awareness helps the body relax and be present. Mindfulness invites us to be at ease with all that is going on around us.

The following practice offers a way to bring mindfulness of sound into your family’s routine and I encourage you to set aside fifteen to twenty minutes for this practice since it may take family members a little time to settle down at first. And it would be especially nice to do this practice outdoors.

Meditating on Sound

Begin by just allowing your mind to rest for a few moments and for your body to relax into a comfortable posture. Take several deep, flowing breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth as you also stretch the shoulders and neck muscles. Also, notice the whole body and where it is in contact with your sitting area.
Gradually, allow yourself to become aware of things you hear. Start by noticing sounds close to your ear, such as your heartbeat or your breath, and then move your awareness to things that occur naturally in your immediate surroundings. We can also extend that area to sounds further and further away.
Cultivate a simple acknowledgment of sounds as you hear them. Just notice sounds and even find the pause or silence between the sounds you hear. It is easier to allow yourself to just be aware of everything around you, rather than to focus on a specific sound for too long so let yourself jump around a bit from sound to sound.
Avoid being too rigid with your attention. As with most meditation, you will probably find that you can focus on the sounds for only a few seconds at a time before your mind wanders off. That’s okay.
When you notice that your mind has wandered into thought, just bring your focus back to a relaxed state and then return to noticing sounds and the silence between them.
As your practice progresses, allow yourself to alternate between resting your attention on sounds and then allowing your mind to simply rest in a relaxed state. This is what is called open awareness practice. In time, the silence becomes more pronounced and our body and mind become more relaxed. We may even forget the sounds completely and just enjoy the whole experience with equanimity and complete presence.
Young children can be encouraged to sit and color or write about what they hear. This allows them to be a bit active since sitting still may be difficult for young meditators. In time, all ages can sit in silence and listen to sounds around them.

When your practice is complete, discuss what each person heard and how they felt about the sounds. Did they notice how to body responded to hearing these sounds? Journaling about the experience is also something that can be added to the practice.

Anne-Marie Emanuelli is the founder and Creative Director at Mindful Frontiers LLC. Mindful Frontiers LLC is a Benefit Corporation (BCorp) committed to Community Wellness by providing schools and organizations with mindfulness meditation tools that nurture positive social-emotional growth. With over two decades of meditation experience, Anne-Marie leads meditation workshops and provides coaching for children, families, individuals, groups, and classrooms. She is a certified meditation leader as well as a certified labyrinth facilitator. A full audio version of featured practices can be heard on the ⁠Welcoming a Mindful Future⁠ podcast. Our website can be accessed at ⁠MindfulFrontiers.net⁠.