Y'dig?

Most days, I’m waking up at 4.30 am or so. Still haven’t gotten over the miracle of the internet, and my waking response, as it once was to light a cigaretter, is now to see what’s in my inbox. My friend George is encouraging me to get up and meditate instead, and given one of the main benefits of meditation is to get some semblance of control over one’s ‘attention’ – not the best word, but the best I can come up with right now, I have been doing that.

Living in New York City, where you pick up all sorts of stuff during the day, I’ve been using a technique called footsoaking, which is really effective for me. Essentially, it’s this. Get a plastic washing up bowl or something similar. Put a handful of salt into it, and depending on the state of your subtle system, either warm, cool or lukewarm water. If you are not sure, make it lukewarm. Keep a small jug of warm water and a small towel beside you so you can rinse and dry your feet at the end. Then, meditate with your feet in the water, for ten minutes or so.

Everyone has their own definition of what meditation is, for me, it happens when I’m in mental silence, or ‘thoughtless awareness’ and I like to achieve about ten minutes or so in that state. Normally, it takes me a few minutes to get there. Another definition I like and aspire to is meditation is when your attentionis at my Lotus Feet.

Meditating at 4.30 am is really pleasant. You can feel that the earth is quiet, Mother Nature is still yet there’s a sense of the new day to come. Thanks to George’s advice, my days are starting well, and good start is often a prelude to a good day.

I used this technique of footsoaking while meditating this morning and also in the everning when I came home from an inspiring and uplifting evening at the National Museum in Harlem, where the inestimable Lauren Schoenberg gave an inspiring illustrated talk on jazz in the movies of the 1940s.