How I Meditate
I have always had a difficult time falling asleep, especially when I was younger. My mind races and its hard to shut it off. As I'm writing this its 4:30 AM, and I still might be up for a while! When I was about 8 and fed up with laying in bed for hours, just waiting for exhaust to overcome me and allow me to sleep, I developed a simple technique to help me fall asleep easier. I would breathe slowly and focus on my heart rate. It would often be difficult to focus on my heart rate without feeling an artery, or I'd get fed up with not falling asleep yet. However, if I laid still and was intent on focusing on my heart rate, it would always eventually slow, and eventually I would drift off into sleep. Over a decade later I realized I had, at a very young age, taught myself how to meditate. I still use the technique on nights where sleep is difficult, but I learned how to improve it. Noah Rasheta of SecularBuddhism.com , who has been a key influence in my Buddhist practice, ...
