10 Tibetan Ways to Chillax

It was last summer in Boulder that I was at the Trident Coffee House on Pearl St.  A quick soy and honey latte later, I was next door at the bookstore, browsing the self-help section: isn’t that section of the bookstore always a favorite?  I was able to come across several Tibetan Meditation books that have helped me throughout this past year; through the change of address, through the change of partners, through the change in student-status (back to school!).  Change is constant, as is life’s stresses.  I hope that these 10 Tibetan Techniques for Chillaxing (that is, chilling plus relaxing) find you well.

1. Have confidence in yourself.   Release your self-doubt, one day at a time.
2. Meditation is natural.  By closing your eyes, and allowing your body and mind to relax, you can experience inner stillness.  5 minutes is great, but so are three, deep breaths in and out with your eyes closed.
3. “The best water is rocky water.  As water flows over rocks, its quality improves and is purified.  So the best meditation is one that is flowing and free, with nothing to hold on to, for once we hold a position, we are brought to a standstill by our grasping.” –Tulku
4. Daily life, every bit of it, is a path to higher wisdom.  Look for the meaning within yourself, within your own heart.  To search external will create turbulence, problems, and drama.
5. What is your motivation?  What are your true intentions?  Other people will found out, one way or another.  So it’s always best just to be straight up and honest in the first place.
6. Inspiration can show you the map, but you need to take the initiative.
7. Release your culture, religion, career, and habits for 10 slow, deep breaths every day.  Release everything that you think that you are, to create space, truth and stillness.  This will help us to detach from problems that we “think” that we have.
8. Listen to your inner guidance.  The more you reject it, the harder it is to find again.
9. “Truth is like gold.  The more it is burned and beaten, the finer it’s quality becomes.” –Tulku
10. Emotions are contagious.  What are you spreading around?  Negativity and arrogance?  Or compliments and smiles? These are not goals for some later date.  They are for you, right here, right now.