Meditate on this, I will.
The Jedi meditate, so why not you?
Sitting meditation, or zazen—if you prefer not to use the M-word (it being so heaped with misperception and judgment)—is the core practice of Buddhism and apparently a vital art of the Jedi. Sitting meditation is not intended to lead us away from life, enter a trance and bliss out on some fluffy cloud of otherworldly happiness. It is not an escape from the realities of life or a way to lift us above the vulgar vagaries of existence. Sitting meditation is simply the act of sitting and observing. We observe our mind and body in this moment. As thoughts, feelings and sensations change, we observe the changes without clinging to anything or anticipating anything. We simply sit and observe without judgment or expectations. With sitting meditation we are learning to slow down and become more aware of ourselves. This awareness naturally leads to insight and understanding about the habits and patterns that make up our life. We don’t intentionally think about these habits and patterns—we aren’t trying to figure things out intellectually—we just come to recognize them as we simply sit and observe our mind and body. As we come to see these patterns more clearly, we develop a kind of freedom that is greater than any political liberty Luke Skywalker and his rebel friends fought for.
If you are new to sitting meditation, you may wish to use your breath as a means of keeping your mind from wondering into daydreams or planning sessions. When you notice you have drifted away from the present moment and lost yourself in the Dagobah-like tangles of your thinking mind, come back to your breath. Follow the inhalation all the way through its process, then stay with the exhalation all the way through until it again becomes the inhalation. Focus on the breath as it goes in and as it goes out. Let your breath be natural.
There are many different positions people employ to practice sitting meditation. Yoda sits in a modified lotus position (see top pic), Darth Vader sits in a chair, Qui-Gon Jinn rests on his knees, Anakin stands and Mace Windu…well, I’m not sure what you would call this:
The position is not so very important so long as the back is straight and balanced (so you may want to avoid Mace’s awkward sitting style). A straight back helps keep you from becoming sleepy and daydreaming, but more importantly, a straight back helps keep your mind balanced. Mind and body are one, if the body is balanced, the mind is balanced. Developing this balanced state is an essential part of Buddhist practice and one that leads to understanding and steady, calm happiness.
Please give sitting meditation a try. I recommend you sit twice a day, five minutes in the morning, five minutes in the evening. Don’t try for anything more than that at first. It’s not important that you sit for thirty minutes or more, just so long as you sit twice a day, everyday. If you miss a day don’t sweat it, just go back to your practice the next day. Don’t look for results, don’t expect to have profound insights, don’t hope for enlightenment. Let go of the judgments that arise, let go of expectations. Just sit and observe—I think you’ll be glad you did.