Keep this balanced state of mind, this balanced sense of the breath being nourishing, open, refreshing inside and doing other things at the same time.
"And that sense of balance and stillness: That’s your gift. So learn how
to protect it. At first it’s going to be a little awkward, but over
time you find that it is possible to keep this balanced state of mind,
this balanced sense of the breath being nourishing, open, refreshing
inside and doing other things at the same time.
This is one of
the reasons why we do walking meditation: to learn how to maintain that
sense of balance and stillness even though the body is moving. And then
from there you can add other activities on top of that. But always think
of this as your foundation. It’s not just one more ball to keep in the
air as you’re juggling all kinds of things. It’s the spot where you’re
standing as you juggle. In other words, it’s an essential foundation for
everything else you want to do. When you’ve started getting used to
having this sense of the center, you wonder how you functioned before
you had it. And although simply concentrating the mind is not going to
solve all your problems, it makes the problems a lot easier.
So
don’t abandon the center. Learn how to keep it going in all your
activities, in all your sitting, standing, walking, lying down,
whatever. Give this first priority, and it will spread its good
influence around."
~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "A Gift of Stillness"
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