..续本文上一页its up in a balanced way without effort. Allow your head to balance freely on the spine, checking that it is not pulled back or fixed. Allow your chin to drop so that your eyes and ears are at about the same level with the face relaxed.

　　If sitting on the floor, use cushion(s) so that your knees are below your hips and in contact with the floor (otherwise your spine will collapse) or else use a chair with a firm base (not a sofa). Slumping only increases the pressure on the legs and discomfort in the back. Check that your breathing is free and easy - any restriction indicates a fixed posture. Turn your awareness to the parts of your body, which contact the cushion, floor or chair, softening onto the supporting surfaces. It is useful to spend five minutes scanning the entire body, part by part, in order to relax each inpidual region.

　　Note that there is no such thing as ”perfect posture”. Postural aches will come and go as a natural part of the unfolding practice. One”s posture will never be one hundred percent. It is more important to concentrate on the meditation process in hand rather than trying to achieve a perfect posture. If pain becomes overwhelming or is due to injury, mindfully adjust the posture after noting the various sensations. However, as concentration develops, sensations of hotness, stiffness and itchiness will arise, as part of the contemplation of feeling and sensation, and here it is important to note them mindfully without fidgeting.

　　It is sensible to attend to your posture with wisdom, not insensitive willpower. Posture will improve with time, but you need to work with the body, not use force against it. If you have a lot of pain during a period of sitting, change posture, sit on a chair or use a kneeling stool, or even stand up for a while. A preparatory session at the beginning of the sitting session is valuable, where you systematically relax and open up the body and check your sitting posture.

　　Checking your posture:

　　• Are the hips leaning back

　　 This will cause you to slump.

　　• The lower back should retain its natural, unforced curve so that the abdomen is forward and ”open”.

　　• Imagine that someone is gently pushing between the shoulder blades, but keep the muscles

　　relaxed.

　　• Note and gently release any tension in the neck and shoulder region.

　　Once you have settled into a comfortable, upright, balanced position then you are ready to begin meditating. Do not move the body during a formal sitting session unless you absolutely have to. If you do move, then note the movement and sensations as you move. Be clear what has caused you to move: is it the pain or discomfort of the posture or is it some agitation in the mind

　　 In this way, you will come to know cause and effect.

　　Tuning into the Primary Object

　　One needs to first establish the attention into the body. To do this, you connect with the predominant touch sensation of hardness or softness (earth element) from the body”s contact with the cushion or chair. This will anchor the attention to the body, especially when assisted by the mental label of ”touching”, ”touching”. Stay with the sitting touch point until it is well defined. Then from the sitting “touch point” allow the attention to move into the natural rising and falling movement of the abdomen, which then becomes the primary meditation focus. Having tuned into the movement make a mental note or label it as ”rising”, ”rising” concurrently with the upward movement and ”falling”, ”falling” with the downward movement.

　　Make sure when noting the rise and fall movement of the abdomen, that you are connecting with the airflow and not just the conceptual form and shape of the abdomen. When you have tuned into the specific characteristics in the movement, such as vibration, press…

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