How to actually do it

Enough philosophy — here’s the sit itself, in the teacher’s own four movements. Read it once now; the full step-by-step is in the appendix at the back.

1. Sit, and settle the body

There’s a “proper” posture — cross-legged, right leg over left, right hand over left, right index finger touching the left thumb, spine upright. But he’s refreshingly relaxed about it:

Then scan for tension and let it go. Close the eyes softly, only about two-thirds shut, the way they drift as you’re falling asleep — never squeezing the lids or pressing the eyeballs. This detail, he insists, is more important than it sounds.

2. Place the mind — a picture and a word

Bring your attention gently to the center of the body, with a faint smile coming from the inside. He wants the touch feather-light:

Picture a clear crystal ball, bright and flawless, resting at that center. And, quietly, on repeat, a two-word phrase to keep the mind company: Samma Araham. Don’t force the picture; coax it.

3. The four S’s

His pocket checklist, four Thai words that happen to start with the same sound: sati (a light awareness), sabai (stay comfortable), samámáe (keep at it, consistently), and sangkét (gently notice what’s happening). Aware, easy, regular, observant. That’s the whole discipline.

4. Whatever shows up, just watch

Something will eventually appear — lights, images, a sense of spaciousness, or nothing much. His rule is the same for all of it: don’t grab, don’t flinch, don’t chase. Just watch, neutral, and keep still. The mind that’s fit for this, he says, is a mind that has let go of everything — clean and open, like a small child before the world got complicated.