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Erect, relaxed, feet planted firmly on earth.

Stand like a mountain.

Can you stand it?

Standing meditation. Not doing anything else. Just standing.

Just doing what you’re doing, one hundred percent.

Just being. Standing firm in your truth.

What more could you ask for?

Natural breath, natural posture;

At ease and at home on earth.

Standing your ground. Just stand.

Now, take a small step backward. And another. And another. Inching backward. Turn on your taillights. Open your fourth eye in the back of your head, in your spine, behind your knees, in your heels. Project your awareness backward, but don’t turn your head. Project your awareness backward until it’s like a luminous sphere of awareness all around you. Walk very slowly backward. Follow a line if it helps, like a line on a tennis court, or a driveway, or a carpet, or the water’s edge on a beach or lake shore. Walking backward in a straight line, step by step, traveling the path to enlightenment. Undoing the habit of rushing forward. Undoing the habit of getting anywhere. Reversing. Walk backward slowly, mindfully, with total attention. One step after another. Walking Backward Meditation.

Now to further heighten your concentration and vigilant attentiveness, close your eyes, and keep inching backward as slowly as you need to. One step after another. Use intuitive awareness to feel your way backward. Notice how much more vigilant and attentive we instantly become when there is a little danger or fear involved. Pay attention. Keep walking backward. Slowly. Just walking. Just breathing. Notice what comes up for you, while treading the path of awakening. This is also a trust exercise.

Now, slowly come to a stop. Finish the last step. Keep your eyes closed. Stand still. Just standing. Stand your ground. Stand firm. Stand in truth. You can stand it. It’s easy to take. Take your stand. Stand up for yourself. Be outstanding in the field. Stand up and shout. Stand out from the crowd. Stand up for what you believe. Stand up for this very moment. This is it. When you are ready, open your eyes. Orient yourself slowly. Gently move your body, shake it out, relax. You deserve it. Stand up and smile.

By the way, this meditation is a great way to include children in your practice. See if they don’t enjoy it.

6. CHEWING MEDITATION/ CHEW THIS OVER.

Eating meditation is a marvelous way of putting ourselves in touch with nowness. This simple meditation with raisins can also be used with individual nuts or even tangerine sections. Later you can practice with all kinds of food, from a bowl of cereal to a plate of lasagna.

The first time I did this eating meditation, it tried my patience to the limit. I was accustomed to eating raisins by the handful, not one at a time. But I discovered that the chewing meditation can really slow us down and make us more aware of compulsive behavior. It helps you notice how your mind and body works. It helps us cultivate mindfulness and awareness in more varied situations. We start with individual raisins, but we can treat each forkful of food with the same care and reverence.

Start by taking three raisins in your right hand; one raisin for the Buddha, one for the Dharma, and one for the Sangha. Sit down, make yourself comfortable. Look at the raisins. Look at them as if you have never seen a raisin before. Turn them over. It’s said that infinite Buddhas reside in each pore of your body. How many Buddhas can fit within one raisin? We’re going to direct our total attention to these three raisins.

Pick up one raisin with your left hand. Examine it closely. Feel its texture. Notice its colors and whether it’s dry or moist. Notice any old associations you may have with raisins, such as like or dislike, or indifference. Smell it. Bring it to your lips. Notice any feelings of anticipation you may have about eating it.

Are you in a hurry? Do you wish perhaps that you could pop all these raisins in your mouth? Just notice whatever comes up in relation to this tiny little dried grape. Take the raisin in your mouth and chew it as slowly, as meticulously,