Do you have other enabling practices for people new to the state of living mindfully? Movement meditation is a good place to start; if you’re walking somewhere, try to be more present and feel your feet against the ground. Also, just focus on one thing at a time; instead of multi- tasking, just drink the cup of tea. We can also use breath to focus


concentration. The breath is a tremen- dous tool, it’s always with us. If you’re in a contentious meeting and tempers flare, you don’t have to pull out a medi- tation cushion and sit in a funny posi- tion; you can work with your breath right where you are.


How can meditation help to ease suffering?


Sometimes, we think we can ease suf- fering by only having pleasant feelings and beautiful thoughts. Rather, we can ease suffering by changing the way we relate to our thoughts and feelings. If something unpleasant is happening, most of us flip into an internal mono- logue about how, “Bad things always happen to me,” or “This is my fault,” or “I shouldn’t feel this.” We compound our suffering by adding judgment and by pushing away discomfort. Instead, we can learn to observe our reactions and release them. We also tend not to feel pleasure fully or think that something else or more should be happening instead of simply enjoying the moment. We wait for some sense of intensity in order to feel alive, rather than experiencing the ordinary to the utmost. Meditation trains us to be present with pleasant, unpleasant and neutral experiences and stay connected, no matter what’s going on.


Reach freelance writer April Thompson, of Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.


Sharon Salzberg will be appearing at the Garrison Institute in Garrison, NY for the retreat: People Who Care for People, from March 4-6, 2016. For more information, call 845.424.4800 or visit garrisoninstitute.org/peoplecare.


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