I love Kung Fu Hustle, have you seen it? In the final reel of the film the protagonist has found his inner martial arts master and as such, he does not focus directly upon his would-be assailants. Instead he seems to gaze around them, across them, through them. For, in so doing, he shed the limits of foveal vision, concentration, as well as rigidity and instead accessed peripheral vison, mindfulness, flexibility, spontaneity, and flow; elegantly whooping ass.

But what has this to do with meditation? Let us not make the newbie mistake of actively CONCENTRATING upon all that we perceive, emote, intend, reason, recall, or imagine. Instead, setting aside our perfectionistic tendencies (rigid, fearful, and controlling) we can give ourselves permission to be sloppy, imperfect, and imprecise. Surfing our innate potential to be flexible, loving, and laid-back, we exchange the compression of concentration for the vast expanse of diffused awareness.

Each inhalation is wired to access our sympathetic nervous system, empowering us to perceive vulnerably, passively, viscerally, and spontaneously. With each IN-breath, therefore, mentally recite the slogan “Notice this…”.

Every exhalation is wired to access our parasympathetic nervous system: supporting our physical relaxation and our mental release. During each OUT-breath mentally recite the slogan “accepting!” as you surf the momentum of ease. Practice thusly for five minutes, every twelve hours or so, and you too could meditate like a Jedi. _/\_