Just like you move your body into a certain position to make meditation more effective, so too can you position your thoughts to slide more easily into the Zen zone. Here are 13 statements that help me:
- The day is done. Let it go. The day is done. Thank you.
- I was not born. I will not die.
- I do not want enlightenment. Nor do I not not want it. I want to see.
- Where am I? Here. Where is here? In a room. In a house. In a neighborhood. In a city. In a state. In a nation. On a continent. On the planet Earth. In the Solar System. In the Milky Way. In the universe. In the Mystery.
- When am I? Now.
- Just 2,640 years ago, Buddha breathed the same air that nurtures me.
- The universe contracts and expands, breathing as I do.
- Everything goes to dust and comes back again.
- Sit with the inexplicable without trying to explain it or putting it into words or images. Just experience it.
- I am perfect. I accept all of myself. I can now let myself go.
- “I” is a story. “I” is an instrument to interact with others and guide this momentary life. “I” is not life.
- One life is a leaf on a tree that is all life.
I often say these aloud, focusing on the sound as much as the words. I don’t go on too long, though — just the first minute or two of a sit. You want to be letting go of thoughts, even these. Give them a try. Let me know how it goes in the comments, or share some of your own tips for zooming into the Zen zone.