The Wondrous Utility of Sesame Oil
International 4-Day Retreat, Washington D. C., U.S.A. (December 25, 1997) (Originally in English)
When you meditate, don't worry about the energy. You should not pay attention to any part of your body, because when you think like that, you stop the energy. Let it flow freely.
Sit with about one third of your buttocks on a cushion. Then you can sit straight like this. If you sit like this or like that, (Master slumps forward with Her shoulders, from right to left, then leans far back against the chair cushions) then sometimes the energy doesn't flow correctly. If you sit long, and if you don't sit correctly, the blood circulation cannot flow. Then it causes some blockage in the body, and then it causes pain. Also if it's cold, you must keep yourself warm. Sometimes it is rheumatism. Next time, before you sit, maybe you should put something warm on your back first; keep warm from the shoulder on down. If that doesn't help, you should put on sesame oil. That should help.