Just Sitting and Counting Breaths: The Cure

In the swirl of busyness and the dizzying-swing of emotions, this time of year shouts out to philosophy: HELP! Too much to do and too little time, lonely and sad, responsibilities tugging in all directions and no center within, awareness of blessing and surrounded by those living desperately on the margin, best-made plans and uncontrollable snow and rain that changes everything.... What to do?

Two basic Zen Buddhist practices come to the rescue.

Just sit. Stop. Be still. Allow the pieces of your life to fall back into place. Let's join Otis Redding as he sings his invitation to do some sittin' at the "Dock of the Bay." Only that, sit. Ah. Phew. Look out the window. Let it be. All of it. Energy's flow makes its own way back, if I let it.

Just breathe. Anywhere and everywhere, regardless of circumstance, be mindful of your breath. In line, in traffic, in chaos, in distress...breathe. Take a deep, rib-expanding inhale through the nose. Slowly, push stale air with a hearty exhale through the mouth. Feel the rhythm of counted breaths. Inhale and exhale, easy does it: one, two, three, four. What wise recycling! Stop. Focus on breath. Expand ribs and release. Ah.

Now, it's time to return to the world, to leave Otis and the dock for now. Is it possible to carry this balance brought by sitting and counting breaths with us? Is it possible that we can sustain this sense of steady calm? Absolutely. This cure takes practice, however, a lifetime of knowing the necessity of stopping and sitting every day. And the cure requires the ability to count, at least to four, breath in and breath out.