Joy and Meditation - Words from Mingyur Rinpoche

Rinpoche speaking on stress relief. Taken on April 16, 2011.This morning I volunteered to be the photographer for a lecture by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist known for his down-to-earth and humorous teaching on meditation. The talk was mainly for psychiatrists working at public hospitals in Hong Kong, so the content was not really about Buddhism but more related to daily life handling of stress.

He suggested a very simple meditation method towards the end of the one-hour sharing session. He called it "breathing meditation" or "sound meditation". The steps are simple and only take as short as a minute:

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Rinpoche has an influential smile. Taken on April 16, 2011.Step 1: Close your eyes and feel your breathe. Most people are not aware that they are breathing. This step help you to focus on your self.

Step 2: Now you should be able to listen your body. Move your attention to all the surrounding sounds you can hear, focus on your ears and make them sensitive... can you now here the sounds from your computer? Car engines on the street? Noise from your heater/ air conditioner, etc.?

Step 3: Your mind may run to somewhere else during the process. Don't oppress it. Let go of the grip and let your thoughts wander freely - but don't let it overwhelms you for more than a few seconds, refocus on listening to the sound and appreciate the rhythm of it.

One minute passes ...

Step 4: Open your eyes.

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That's it. You can practice it when you are traveling in the train, taking break in the office, etc. I can't explain why but it works very well for me. I feel tranquility from within and very relaxed. Give it a try and let me know your verdict!

If you want to know more about Mingyur Rinpoche, you can visit his the website of his meditation center and also read his book, "Joy of Living, Unlocking the Secret adn Science of Happiness".

A very good way to start my weekend indeed.