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How To Meditate or How I Decided On My New Zafu

Tsogyaling Board Member and Friday night meditation student Laura Dorfman shares her inside experience of a sitting session.

By Laura Dorfman

It’s a funny balance. From everything I know about Buddhism, everyone I can think of and everyone I know would smile and maybe giggle when they heard this story. Then they would say very gently "try again" and maybe gently, maybe not so gently, I would.

As I sat down today to a fairly new meditation area outside my home, it couldn't have been more conducive for a good, deep "sit" with perfect conditions all around. The weather was beautiful. I had time and it was fairly quiet, although that doesn't usually matter to me.

I sat down, looked at the Buddha. I put my hands together, crossed my legs and straightened my spine. I thought about how nice the new stand looked. I took a deep breath and began. Breathing in, breathing out. Breathing in, breathing out. I forgot my clock, no problem, I'll go without it. Breathing in, breathing out. Breathing in, breathing out. The Buddha looks nice, maybe he should be higher so I'm not so above him. Breathe. Be here, be present. I wonder if my friend is right and he shouldn't sit on the glass; maybe he should be on a rock, much more natural. I wonder if he thought about the tree while he was sitting under it. Should the flowers next to him be less or more. Breathe Laura, redecorate later. I am breathing in, I am breathing out. Breathe the wonder of it all. Present. Those purple and white flowers look great. I wonder if I should move the blue pot further away and just have it be the one pot next to him. Less is more you know. I think the blue. Thinking not breathing. Focus on the breath. Big sky, open sky. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathing in a long breath, breathing out a long breath. Maybe I am too high above the Buddha, maybe this stand is too low and maybe he shouldn't be sitting on glass. It should be a rock, he should sit on a rock that's higher. OK but now breathing, stay with your breath. Breathe in, wonder what the Buddha was thinking under that tree? Breathe out. Breathe in, I need a new zafu, I'm definitely going to get that new one I saw at the store yesterday. It's a perfect height. Breathe out. I think I'll get it in blue. I like the blue one.

Standing up feeling refreshed I giggle. Many people wonder about meditation and worry that they can't do it. I do it, sometimes well, and sometimes I redecorate. I almost always stand up refreshed. Do I worry? No. Why do you think they call it practice?