The Experience
You may find this uncomfortable. Relax. Old conceptions are losing their grip.
Stop moving. Stop breathing. Close your eyes.
Pay attention to the remaining sensations. Thoughts will arise — don’t bother trying to get rid of them. To the extent cessation is possible, you won’t achieve it by forcing silence upon your mind.
You’re breathing again. That’s ok, no one’s asking that you suffocate. Can you notice the breath in an unfamiliar part of your body — maybe the lower back? You’ve probably moved by now, without intending to. Try to notice that before it happens, and restrain yourself.
How can you tell that you’re thinking? What’s giving it away? For most people, sounds and visuals arise in the mind despite having no basis in the present. You hear a train and see its steam rising into the air. But there’s no train around…
Infinite phenomena parade through your mind, pretending that they’re now. They’re not! But you are, and you can tell the difference.
The Explanation
The paragraphs above attempt to guide you through experiencing meditation. Now let’s dig into why I chose those words.
Meditation trains awareness. With awareness, you can see the conditions that precede your behavior. You can discern between thoughts and present perceptions. That’s important because thoughts don’t move the world — your actions do. And actions are always present perceptions.