Question: Why when you get present moment awareness do you wander off?
And it's again because you're not enjoying yourself!
It's not fun being in the present moment
'cause some other moment appears better; the fantasy, the plan, the old memories,
you think that's more enjoyable than the present moment.
But if you're really enjoying this moment,
having great fun,
you don't wander off.
Which is why when you get into the present moment at first
be kind to it!
There, present moment.. [pats his face] [laughter]
oh, I am sorry I keep sort of avoiding you.. but you're really nice..
There is an old trick.
I smile at you, and you smile back, don't you?
It's hard not to.
So you smile at the present moment, and the present moment smiles back.
That actually looks more beautiful.
It's easier to watch.
That's why in this moment see if you can smile at it, be kind to it,
and then this present moment is wonderful to be with.
We're developing the joy in this present moment!
However, because, you know, you stay in the present moment so often
sometimes you get bored.
And I've gotta watch the breath again...
watching the breath go in, watching the breath go out...
"How long do I have to do this? This sucks."
So, what you do is
like I said earlier, put some fun into the meditation!
Still, I mean, none of you have tried meditating backwards.
You're always facing this direction. Come on guys!
Turn around and do it a different way.
And, has anyone done the kangaroo walking meditation yet? [laughter]
Has anyone done it? Come on! Give it a try. [chuckles]
Because, you know, I was doing a lot of breath meditation,
and sometimes you need to sort of be a bit inventive,
so I developed another form of breath meditation
called "The Backwards Breath Meditation".
Makes it more interesting.
I'll now demonstrate the backwards breath meditation for you.
So I need your help here.
So, you don't need change your posture: When I say go,
I want you to close your eyes, breath in and out three times, you know,
just count the breath, and at the end of the third breath, open your eyes.
Is that clear? Don't change your posture. As you are,
ready, go! (everyone doing)
Just breathing in and out three times as mindfully as you can.
And open your eyes (everyone doing)
Very good
Now I guarantee that when you were watching those three breaths, you started with the in-breath.
In-out, in-out, in-out. 'Cause that's our conditioning.
Now I want you to do the same exercise.
When I say go, just close your eyes and watch three breaths, but now start with
the out-breath; out first and then in, Out-in, out-in,
and at the end of the third in-breath, open your eyes.
Ok? Go!
(breathing out and breathing in three times)
And you will notice that was totally different.
A totally different experience.
It should be the same!
But it is different.
And that is what we call, "the backwards breath meditation"
You breathe out first, and then in. Out-in, out-in, out-in.
And you'll find it is different.
It's just playing around, but it makes it much more fun.
So if you get very bored, and you can't be mindful watching your breath,
try reverse the order: out first and then in.
It actually is different and fun!
And if that doesn't work,
the other variation of the breath meditation, of anapanasati,
is the three in-breaths to the one out-breath! (Ajahn demonstrates) (laughter)
Give it a try! It actually works!
You know, instead being bored out of your skull, breathing in and breathing out,
have fun with it!
Or, with the breathing you can actually start to, get a little mantra going with the breath.
You know, like breathing in "peace"
breathing out "pain" (laughter)
'Cause you know sometimes you hurt.
Or, breathing in, sort of, er, breathing in "love"
breathing out "stress". "May all the stress go out"
Breathing in"love"...
And if you that with the breath, that makes it interesting.
And after a while you actually do feel like love or metta coming in
and all the stress and all the negativity going out!
It makes it INTERESTING.
And you can actually just make your own little words.
You don't have to follow what I do.
I think, somebody was, that's right, there's one person that had a great mantra.
They said "breathing in peace," "breathing out 'letting go'".
"Breathing in peace... Breathing out letting go.."
Had a wonderful time!
'cause it makes it interesting, therefore you can stay in the present moment
you don't get bored, you don't wander off, you don't go to sleep.
You're innovating, making this meditation, sort of,
many many different things you can do to give it that interest
and it all just moves to the same place in the end.
So that's why I often give lots and lots of different techniques
so you can use this one or that one, all over the place.
Backwards breath meditation,
kangaroo walking meditation, whatever, just to give yourself interest,
and then it's very wonderful to stay in the present moment.
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