08 Aug Norman Fisher: Getting A Meditation Practice Started
Norman Fisher’s years of meditating and guiding others to meditate shows up in this Shambhala Sun article Getting Started: A two week trial run to get your meditation started. I thought this would be a support to you as you consider started a practice. It’s also inspiring for those who have long term practices. Norman writes,
In my tradition, the Soto Zen tradition, meditation is not considered a skill that we are supposed to master. It is a practice that we devote ourselves to….
Developing that devotion to ourselves, no matter what our internal or external state is, can provide the necessary field in which we can flourish.
He provides a very practical suggestion on how to start: start the night before by setting the alarm for 1/2 hour earlier. Then set the intention that you’ll get up early and sit for a bit. Then ask yourself if you really mean it. Norman tells us to take ourselves seriously. If we don’t really mean to do it, then save ourselves the trouble. If we do mean it though, the rewards can be steady.