Shake the Head, Empty the Head

Dori dori, the side-to-side head shake Korean grandparents teach babies, becomes a meditation. Set up a comfortable seated posture, loosen the shoulders, let the head drop, and shake it gently with the eyes closed and the breath flowing out through the mouth. Notice where you have been holding tension, let the rhythm find its own pace as thoughts scatter, then tap the lower belly to bring the rising energy down: a cool head and a warm belly. The heart of the practice is the stillness after you stop, when the body is quiet and the thoughts have gone quiet too.