Lost Coin – San Francisco Group
Meeting Notes
April 11, 2010

Right Sitting

The aim is to sit comfortably
Sitting shouldn’t be an experience of extended pain
Can sit in a chair too
Sitting is an act of letting go of body and mind

3 Sitting Postures

Full Lotus – both feet resting on opposite thigh
Half Lotus – one foot resting on opposite thigh, the other on the mat
Burmese – both feet on the mat, one foot laying in front of the other 
* In all positions, try to keep both knees touching the mat.

How to Sit

Back – Sit on the very edge of the pillow. Curve/arch your back slightly. The bottom of the spine should feel open, not closed. 

Hands – Your hands should form the symbol of the Cosmic Mudra: left fingers laying on top of right, palms up, thumbs lightly touching. Your hands will form an oval shape.

Head – Lean 45 degrees down toward floor. You can keep your eyes open but unfocused, or you can close your eyes, too. Act as if your head is being lifted from above by a string. Tuck your chin in slightly, and place your tongue lightly against your top front teeth. 

Then let go. When sitting properly, you should feel good. 

3 Forms of Sitting

Follow your breath

Count your in breath and out breath (or just out breath) up to 10. Then, go back to 1 and start again. If you lose count, go back to 1.

Shikantaza

“Just sitting” – This is done with a feeling that you are already a “realized being”. Allow whatever comes up to come up and pass away on its own. Pay attention to everything - all thoughts, sensations, etc.

Koan Practice

Koans are questions that cannot be answered by the logical mind. The answer lies in becoming the question itself. It is a practice of forgetting or letting go of the self and being something else.

All three forms are about letting go of the self. By practicing these forms, you build mental focus and power. It is a process of concentration, absorption and realization.

Before you sit you can say to yourself, “This is my time for sitting. I am going to forget my self.”

Be one in a group

As a member of Lost Coin, let yourself be one member of the group. Be a group, be there for one another. Listen when another is speaking. 

This Week’s Practice

Every time you notice you are “in your story”, drop it and return to the present moment. It can be helpful at that moment to say, “I am.” 


























