Isn’t this the human experience? When we human beings get tired, we sit to rest body and mind. Muscles relax. Eyes close or lose focus. Mind wanders.
And if the tiredness happens when our surroundings are too noisy or stressful, we seem to instinctively know to seek someplace quiet to sit or lie down, close our eyes, and “just be.” We seem to have the physical instinct to stop and “balance out”.
Similarly, moments of stopping, resting, and balancing appeal to us at other times of the day. Many of us cherish the mug-hugging warmth and aroma of morning coffee or another beverage, sipped thoughtfully while sitting for a few minutes in the quiet at the beginning, break time, or end of a day.
So “to sit” has a gentle, very human, very normal, even instinctual, body connotation —something anyone and everyone does easily with no training necessary.
But when we humans talk about what the mind does — or could do — during a sit, there’s controversy. How is the wandering mind different from the thinking mind different from the meditating mind different from the praying mind?
Thinking Honored in Fine Art
Many of us hear the word “think” and call up the image of Auguste Rodin’s bronze sculpture The Thinker/Le Penseur. It’s now exhibited at the Musee Rodin in Paris, but widely used in media of all kinds to represent the concept of thinking.
He’s not relaxed — his thinking looks like work and looks intense. But it’s an image detached from spiritual, especially religious, connotations, right?
Thinking Honored in Visual Art
Many movies also show thinking as detached from the spiritual, the religious, but as hard work as well — meant for people like philosophers, writers, poets.
For example, the 2012 Hannah Arendt film by German director Magarethe von Trotte shows the German-American philosopher of Jewish descent turned journalist, lying on her back in her living room for seven hours straight — smoking and thinking intensely, struggling with the upsetting and controversial issues arising in the trial of Nazi Adolph Eichmann in 1961.
Coining the phrase “the banality of evil,” her thinking broke new philosophical ground and its boldness angered millions on all sides of the issues, reminding us that thinking can have heavy and dangerous consequences even when it is a contribution to humanity’s development.
The Bad Reps for Thinking
Call what the mind does during a sit “meditation,” and there’s similar controversial historical baggage for us in the Euro-American/Western cultures.
A valued spiritual practice for thousands of years of human experience before the 1960s, the “New Age” of rock musicians linking up with gurus from India and urging their followers to do the same brought condemnation for “meditation” as dangerous and ungodly.
Similarly, call what the mind does during a sit “prayer”, and a whole other group objects. So-called secularists, agnostics, and atheists believe mainstream religions have sullied the connotation and practice of prayer by worshiping a God created in their own limited human image.
So in our time to suggest that someone “sit” as a practice for 15-20 minutes a day, many resist — even vociferously — though sitting and resting is a normal human experience.
Add the concepts of thinking, meditating, and/or praying, because of all of the connotations above, we hear: I don’t have time. I don’t know how to. I tried it and couldn’t do it (or felt uncomfortable and quit).

It’s just a hippy-dippy New Age trend (said with enormous disdain). It’s suspiciously non-Christian with Far Eastern mysterious roots and not for me. It’s just for those much more religious than I am. I don’t see the point —I have other things to do with that time.
Why do men and women of all ages balk at taking a few minutes daily to be in silence with themselves? Why do many of us find it so easy to skip a daily sit even when we say we believe in it?
Learn to Think
Why do so many fail to use to the best of our ability this key to the astonishing future our mind can give us, described by Luc Griffet in his blog, “You are Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent.”
The Master Key Experience just might have the answer. Created and developed over 15 years with participants from all over the world by Mark and Davene Januszewski, this six-month immersion into all aspects of why and how the mind works, easily ties the familiar human BODY experience of a sit to an effective MIND experience of a sit.
What we do daily in the course is simply called “a sit,” based on the lessons in The Master Key System by Charles Haanel, who brings forward 4000+ years of human experience for our skill training.
Simple, step-by-step instruction is untainted by words like “thinking,” “meditation,” and “prayer” though the individual can certainly incorporate those as they wish.
Lesson 1 from Week 1
“44. Now make the application: Select a room where you can be alone and undisturbed; sit erect, comfortably, but do not lounge; let your thoughts roam where they will but be perfectly still for from fifteen minutes to half an hour; continue this for three or four days or for a week until you secure full control of your physical being.”
“45. Many will find this extremely difficult; others will conquer with ease, but it is absolutely essential to secure complete control of the body before you are ready to progress. Next week you will receive instructions for the next step; in the meantime you must have mastered this one.”
Lesson 2 from Week 2
“29. Last week I gave you an exercise for the purpose of securing control of the physical body; if you have accomplished this you are ready to advance. This time you will begin to control your thought. Always take the same room, the same chair, and the same position, if possible.
“In some cases it is not convenient to take the same room, in this case simply make the best use of such conditions as may be available.
“Now be perfectly still as before, but inhibit all thought; this will give you control over all thoughts of care, worry and fear, and will enable you to entertain only the kind of thoughts you desire. Continue this exercise until you gain complete mastery.”
“30. You will not be able to do this for more than a few moments at a time, but the exercise is valuable, because it will be a very practical demonstration of the great number of thoughts which are constantly trying to gain access to your mental world.”
“31. Next week you will receive instructions for an exercise which may be a little more interesting, but it is necessary that you master this one first.”
“Cause and effect is as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things. Mind is the master weaver, both of the interior garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance.”
— James Allen
Lesson 3 from Week 3
“29. For your exercise this week, I will ask you to go one step further. I want you to not only be perfectly still, and inhibit all thought as far as possible, but relax, let go, let the muscles take their normal condition; this will remove all pressure from the nerves, and eliminate that tension which so frequently produces physical exhaustion.”
“30. Physical relaxation is a voluntary exercise of the will and the exercise will be found to be of great value, as it enables the blood to circulate freely to and from the brain and body.”
“31. Tensions lead to mental unrest and abnormal mental activity of the mind; it produces worry, care, fear and anxiety. Relaxation is therefore an absolute necessity in order to allow the mental faculties to exercise the greatest freedom.”
“32. Make this exercise as thorough and complete as possible, mentally determine that you will relax every muscle and nerve, until you feel quiet and restful and at peace with yourself and the world.”
“33. The Solar Plexus will then be ready to function and you will be surprised at the result.”
The lessons about how and why to sit continue week to week, building on the skills acquired in previous weeks. These are just the first 3 weeks of 28. Imagine how far the rest of the progression will take you.
How to Make Thinking Your Powerful Tool
The sit is considered the most important component of the Master Key Experience. Participants are cautioned to “do the sit” even if they cannot do the daily assigned readings and practices. Why?
The Master Key Experience is above all a progression, building acquired skill on acquired skill. The founders and guides in the program constantly encourage us to take the time it takes for each of us, even if we have to start over.
We’re all different. So what if someone has to start over for whatever reason? It takes as long as it takes. The payoff is TREMENDOUS.
After decades of searching, I’m so grateful to be part of the Master Key Experience where we learn from others and 4000 years of wisdom all the ways to enrich our lives through the sit.
We use week by week skill training to take advantage of all that humanity has learned about why and how the mind really works so we can use it to our highest and best thought, masterminding with others about what’s working for them, and creating effective sit habits.
I understand if up till now you’ve not had something like this and have been missing out. I skimmed life, too. So if you’re ready to stop skimming and to join a powerful Master Mind of like spirits, we can help.
On this website, put your name on the waiting list for the next Master Key Experience course, and then download and try one of our powerful tools: the 7-Day Mental Diet.
While you’re thinking about it, do two things now. (1) Put the MKE on your calendar for the last Sunday of September. (2) Start the 7-Day Mental Diet.
You know what they say — if not now, when? If not you, who? Enriching your life by a daily EFFECTIVE sit is a key, and no one can get the key to YOUR experience but YOU.
No one can get through what’s locking that door to your total effectiveness but YOU–it’s a YOU-shaped key. No one can make it work except YOU. And MKE can help you turn it in the lock!
Shirley, yes, “The Sit” along with Silence is one of the best tools for our spiritual and personal journey to self discovery, self development and the powerful life you are meant to live. Thank you for taking time to thoroughly explain what “The Sit” is, how to start and the introduction to MKE journey. I have been thoroughly enjoying my own journey in MKE community!
Thank you Shirley for sharing your thoughts and knowledge of the sit. It gave me a lot of insight and review of what I have learned so far. Before starting MKE, I would often wake up in the morning stressed due to clenching my jaw during the night. Once I started doing the sit, I noticed I was much more relaxed at night. Over the past couple of weeks, I have not performed the sit. I am back clenching my jaw. Your blog has given me insight on the importance of the sit and how necessary it is each day. Thank you so much for the reminder. It is greatly appreciated!
The sit is a fascinating practice and you show beautifully its importance in the process of reconnecting with our own power. I suspect many students do not consider the sit as a real challenge when they are first asked to do it; if they did, they would soon realize why they are failing to achieve their most ambitious projects in life, which are requiring them to overcome much greater challenges than simply sitting in stillness for 15 minutes a day…It’s always a matter of perspective! Thank you Shirley for your inspired and inspiring post!