Copyright 2012 Ellis-Jones Enterprises Pty Limited. All Rights Reserved.

1. A SIMPLE FORM OF MINDFULNESS SITTING MEDITATION
By Dr Ian Ellis-Jones
Mindfulness is simply the presence of a calm, alert, steady, open, deliberate, ‘curious’ but
choiceless (that is, accepting, non-judgmental and imperturbable) awareness of, and bare
attention to, the action of the present moment---that is, one’s body, body functions and
sensations, the content of one’s consciousness (thoughts, feelings, images, memories, etc) and
consciousness itself. Mindfulness is not just awareness; it is awareness of awareness.
Although most, if not all, mindfulness instructors and practitioners advocate some individual,
personalised tuition and guidance in the beginning---for very good (and not self-serving)
reasons---what follows is a very simple or basic form of mindfulness sitting meditation for use at
home, in the office ... or anywhere for that matter.
Sit up in a chair (alternatively, sit on the floor Burmese style, cross-legged, or in a half-
lotus or full lotus position) … straight back … feet flat on the floor (if seated on a chair).
Gently hold your hands in your lap or lay your palms up (or down) on your thighs. Feel,
without any resistance, the weight of your body on the chair or floor.
Close your eyes lightly, and take several deep cleansing breaths. Turn your mind
‘inwardly’ and silently.
Start breathing in an even pattern, and continue this pattern throughout the period of
your meditation. Let your breath go slow and deep---right into the centre of your being.
Let your awareness gradually fill your body. Notice where your breath is most vivid.
Be mindful of and follow the rise/expansion and fall/contraction of your lower abdomen.
Alternatively, you may wish to be mindful of the ‘point of touch’ of the breath (as
described below). I find that works best for me---a mouth breather---is to fix my attention
on the upper lip as the ‘point of touch’ against which the breathing air strikes. Many
others fix their attention on the nostril tip as the relevant ‘point of touch’. Whatever you
do, it is strongly suggested that you do not follow the breath---that is, the so-called
‘breath-body’---on its way down the body and back again, nor count the ‘entrances’ and
‘exits’, nor take note of the ‘area of touch’ of the breath. Your awareness should only be
of the sensation of touch of breath at the relevant ‘point of touch’.
Whatever is your ‘point of touch’, that is your ‘anchor’ for meditation. Your anchor helps
you to remain fixed and focused in, and to be mindful of, the moment at times when
things arise in consciousness that might otherwise deflect you. We need an anchor
because we can’t---or at least don’t want to---focus our mind on every changing moment
without a certain degree of concentration to keep pace with the moment. Please keep in
mind that mindfulness meditation is not a breathing meditation per se. The breath as an
anchor for meditation arises naturally in the mind. We are talking about mindfulness with
breathing as opposed to mindfulness of breathing. Buddhists refer to this as ‘right
mindfulness’.
Keep your mindfulness at its post of observation---that is, choiceless awareness and
bare attention---even if, as will ordinarily be the case, you are aware (mindful) to a
variable extent of the breath's passage through the body. Do not follow the journey of the
breath through the body. Just give the latter bare attention at most. That means you
should never anticipate sensation nor reflect upon it.
Be with the moment. Be and remain embodied in the moment. Whenever a body
sensation, sense perception, thought, feeling, emotion, image, plan, memory, reflection
or commentary arises, do not resist it or try to expel, drive it away or change it. Simply
be mindful of the sensation, etc, in the immediacy of its arising or vanishing---that is, in

2. the now. (Remember and practise the ‘law of non-resistance’: ‘Whatever you resist,
persists’.) Don’t try to actively bring thoughts or feelings up.
Simply observe and notice, with passive detachment, and without attitude, comment or
judgment, what your body (including your mind) is experiencing - label it if you feel you
must - and immediately return to your anchor ... that is, return to following either your
abdominal movement or your breath (as per above). Wait and see what comes up next.
Let your mind penetrate whatever sensation, etc, arises---or whatever be your
predominant experience---in the moment ... from one moment to the next.
Rest in choiceless awareness ... moment by moment ... that is, keep your mind at the
level of bare attention, without judgment, evaluation, self-criticism or condemnation. Let
it be. (You must first ‘let be’ before you can successfully ‘let go’ all over.) Observe
directly and objectively---with ‘effortless effort’. Let your mind be peaceful ... undisturbed
... not restless. Maintain a ‘soft’ acceptance of whatever is.
Avoid ‘noting’ or ‘labelling’. Although some mindfulness instructors and practitioners
teach and advocate ‘noting’ and ‘labelling’, my own view---which is not an original one of
mine---is that making a mental note of, or labelling, what is occurring tends to result in
the formation and arising of thoughts, ideas, concepts and images ... that is, mental
phenomena ... which prevent you from having an immediate and direct access to reality,
that is, to what is occurring in the moment from one moment to the next. How? Because
the consciousness which tends to arise from the act of noting or labelling is one of an
event in the past, which has gone, but which is nevertheless re-experienced as an after-
thought or a memory. Please remember this fundamental principle: your mindfulness
should be simultaneous with the occurrence of touch or sensation. Dwell in the
sensation of the moment. Watch that sensation---without thinking any thought connected
with the sensation---that is, without judgment, evaluation, self-criticism or condemnation.
(Having said that, I do not altogether eschew noting and labelling. At times, noting or
labelling can assist where a sensation is particularly persistent or troublesome, but it is
not, in my view, something to be done routinely. Indeed, it should, in my view, be done
very rarely, if at all.)
Continue as above throughout the period of meditation. Remain poised and relaxed at all
times. A deeply relaxed person breathes about 5-8 times a minute---at the very most.
Don’t rush off immediately at the end of the meditation session. Evaluate the experience.
Practise meditation gently---but steadily---and regularly. Meditate, mindfully, preferably
twice daily---for about 15 minutes on each occasion. As with all things, practice makes
perfect ... and meditation practice is just that---practice.
Mindfulness meditation is not about stopping the mind or stopping thoughts. Mindfulness
meditation is about allowing thoughts to be present but not letting them run you.
One final, most important, matter. Mindfulness meditation needs to be brought into every aspect
of one's daily life. In the words of Lama Yeshe, ‘Whether you are walking, talking, working,
eating ... whatever you do, be conscious of the actions of your body, speech and mind.’
Copyright © 2012 Ellis-Jones Enterprises Pty Limited (ABN 38 088 534 141). All Rights Reserved. The information
contained in this document is for educational purposes only. The information is not medical advice, is not intended to
be a replacement for professional medical advice, and is not to be used to treat or diagnose any medical condition. If
needed, such advice should be obtained from the services of a competent health care professional. No liability is
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