How to Train a Wild Elephant_ And Other Adventures in Mindfulness - Jan Chozen Bays [15]
Japanese people bow many, many times each day. Often old people there are bent over and cannot straighten up. They do not mind this, saying that it helps them to keep on bowing to life and to be grateful for whatever it brings them.
DEEPER LESSONS
Buddhist monk and teacher Ajahn Chah said, “Wisdom comes from being mindful in all postures. Your practice should begin as you awaken in the morning. It should continue until you fall asleep. What is important is that you keep watchful, whether you are working or sitting or going to the bathroom.”
Posture and concentration are related. Often drowsiness (in meditation or at any time) is a clue that your posture has slipped and that your lungs are not able to fill fully with each breath. In such instances, quietly adjust, rolling up from the base of the spine in order to lengthen it and maximize room for breathing. Then take a few deep breaths. The goal is to create maximum room for breath to flow unimpeded. Posture and mood are related as well. When you notice that your mood is sour, try changing your posture.
The word upright can refer to posture, but it can also describe how we live our life. “Upright” implies living with integrity, virtue, and steadfastness. Whatever life brings to us, we are not knocked off our foundation. Our life is aligned in all its aspects. The Buddha is often called the Noble One, not because he was born a prince but because he practiced meditation and mindfulness diligently, becoming a person who lived in full alignment with underlying Truth. Through practice we, too, can be infused with this Truth and let it inspire, support, and guide our lives.
When we focus on our breath, we uncover our inherent equanimity. When we allow the churning thoughts in our mind to settle, we discover our inherent wisdom. When we relax and open our hearts, our innate kindness emerges. When we have practiced long enough to be able to access these qualities at any time, we will move through life with confidence, upright and unshakeable.
Final Words: Body and mind are not two—they are deeply connected and interdependent. When the mind or mood slumps, try adjusting the body’s posture.
8
Gratitude at the End of the Day
The Exercise: At the end of the day, write a list of at least five things that happened during the day that you are grateful for. At the end of the week, read it out loud to a friend, partner, or mindfulness companion.
REMINDING YOURSELF
Keep a notepad and pencil or pen beside your bed or on your pillow. When you get into bed at night, write your list before you lie down and fall asleep.
DISCOVERIES
When people first do this practice, they often think that they will have trouble making a list of at least five things they are grateful for. However, they are surprised to find that when they start, the list often grows longer. It is as if a long-neglected faucet were turned on, and the flow doesn’t shut off. During the day you may find yourself taking mental notes of “things to add to the list.” This encourages a lovely transformation into a mind-state of ongoing gratitude.
Research conducted by Lywbomirsky shows that 40 percent of happiness is determined by our intentional activities. People who keep a daily “gratitude journal” or who regularly express gratitude to people who have been kind to them show a significant increase in happiness and decrease in depression.
We may know people who are naturally grateful. To be around them lifts our spirits and brightens the day. The Buddha spoke of “cultivating” the mind, letting unwholesome emotions and thoughts wither away while strengthening wholesome ones. How is this possible? It is an energetic