I recently joined my weekly meditation class. The dharma talk as it is called or lesson, was centered around the topic, Samadhi; the Pali and Sanskrit word in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and yogic schools that refer to a state of the highest mental concentration. 

As I listened to the dharma talk, I discovered why some of my sits (what we call it when we sit in silence for meditation) hadn’t felt so successful in recent times. I learned that what I used to do to start each sit, I’d begun to let go of as part of my practice. I hadn’t been faithful to what I knew to be true. I’ve been meditating for many years and I’d begun to cut corners and ultimately, cheat myself out of a truly fulfilling sit.

What caused me to feel as though I was a deer in the headlights is when I was reminded how important it is to begin my meditation with a body scan. I often ask my clients to note physical sensations in the body. Only I was failing to do so myself! By starting with a body scan, my accomplishment was three-pronged. 

First, the act of starting at the top of my head and working down, or beginning with the soles of my feet and working up, provides me an opportunity to note any physical sensations in the body that may need my attention by way of concentration thus allowing me to become fully present; the meaning of Samadhi. 

Second, by concentrating on physical sensations I’m alerted  to any tension in my body that I can release by using my breathing to relax aches, pains, and tightness that can prevent my body from fully relaxing into the meditative state. 

Third, by beginning with a full body scan, I more easily focus on my breath without overdoing it, which can lead to tension in the body due to hyper focusing  or concentrating too intensely.

As the dharma talk came to an end, my meditation teachers commented on how I was grinning from ear to ear throughout the session as they wondered what was going on for me that caused me to be so enthusiastic about my practice that day. It was an enlightening experience for me and a reminder that cutting corners accomplishes little in helping me to succeed at meditating. 

Lesson Learned: I realize as an executive coach that it can seem tedious and a waste of time to do the very thing we need to do for the sake of gaining the very result for why so many of my clients come to me for support. In short, you have to be willing to do the work to receive the benefits. It’s all in service to what a colleague once shared with me; show up, pay attention, and do the work!

Read about how Trauma and Stress are Prevalent and how to incorporate Somatic Abolitionism into your life