Sitting Meditation is no joke!

Years ago, a lady teacher taught me walking and sitting meditation. I learned both at about the same time since I was supposed to practise walking meditation first for twenty minutes or so before doing sitting meditation. I would like to think that walking meditation paves the way to sitting meditation, the former calms and get the mind and mood ready for the harder task at hand - sitting meditation- that is! Choosing a quiet environment and the proper loose, comfortable attire to start with is rather easy. Sitting cross legged could be made easy too if you do not choose to sit full lotus position. You can sit in a half lotus position or if you do still find that difficult, you can just cross-legged in the most comfortable manner you could muster! Now that you are ready, place your palm in position and close your eyes and see with your mind eye. Look at your stomach. Is it rising? Is it falling? How does it rise? How does it fall? Does it rise quickly? Does it rise quickly initially, stop and then slow down? Does it rise like a whirlwind or a corkscrew? Does your stomach mushroom like the atomic bomb? etc. etc. Similarly take note on how the stomach fall. Does the falling begin immediately after the stomach has risen? Does it take some time to fall? Take note of all the characteristics of the fall. Your monkey mind is now straying. You are thinking. Take note. Say mentally: Thinking, thinking. You hear something, a car passes by, the fan swirling, etc. etc. Say mentally: Hearing, hearing. There is an itch on your head. Note that itch. Is it a scratching type of itch? Is the scratch boring a hole into your body? Take note. You can stand the itch any longer. You are going to give your leg a scratch. Take note: Hand is going to scratch the itchy head. Try to return to the rising and falling of the stomach. Take note of the characteristic of the rising and falling. Your monkey mind is thinking again. Take note. Try to return to the stomach. Your hand is itching. Take note. Now, there is a pain on your feet. Take note. Is the pain like needles piercing you? Is it like a ball pressing into you? Is it tingling? Is it warm? Always take note of the characteristic. And always return to the stomach. Note the characteristic of the rising and falling. Always draw back your distracted mind. Sitting meditation is no child play. You can sit for just half an hour and it could be like in a torture chamber. But it focuses your mind. It sharpens it. It calms it. Some people say you can even get mad because of it. Now, I don't know. You tell me! I can just tell you that this is Vipassana or Insight Meditation! It is no joke. You could start wishing you have no feet to begin with!

Half Lotus Position

Full Lotus Position
Maybe, you just want to sit this way!