Fifth Class of Somatic Meditation
Please do not distribute further
*you can rewind by using cursor on the status bar
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
1. Three Types of Breath
2. Six Levels of Breath
1. The Three Types of Breath
I. External Breath - a normal breath that we breathe through our nostrils and which participates in the usual breathing processes. This is the most common understanding of the breath. It is a shell that conceals the internal breath. We work with the external breath at level 1 and then open this outer shell step by step until the full experience of the internal breath at level 5.
II. Internal Breath - is also called prana in Hindu and Buddhist yogas, and in Chinese systems it is called qi. Is identified with life force. In addition to the SixLevels of Breath Practice, we deal with it for example by breathing into the Hara/Dantian (the energy centre in the lower belly) or by breathing into our feet. What we can feel both in the case of the lower belly and the feet is this prana. Prana has a more subtle character and circulates our body. Its routes are called channels. We can influence the prana circulation in the body through visualization practices directing its flow. Prana follows the attention. Prana is not a descriptive anatomical term but rather a prescriptive somatic - this means that this term's function is not to explain the physiology of the body but rather help us communicate experiences and technique we work with in somatic and breathing practises.
III. Secret Breath - we discover this type of breath at level 6. It is undescribable in the sense that this experience goes beyond conceptual thinking. Trying to describe it to someone who hasn't had the experience is like trying to describe the taste of sweet to someone who has never tried sugar or anything sweet in their life.
2. Six Levels of Breath
Remember! When practicing without recording, we can devote as much time to each stage/level as we want. We can move to the next one when we feel ready. For example we can go through all six during one session or go through levels I-III or even focus solely on the first one. Either way this will help us to develop our concentration and access to the meditative state of mind. The key is to work at the level which is accessible but a little bit challenging to you.
0. Getting Started
We can do this lying down or sitting up (we can do this supported against the wall or the back of chair). We start by focusing on the breath at the tip of the nostrils and we retain the focus there (except specific instructions suggest we might do otherwise) - before starting we can initially devote some attention to relaxing the body. Before we go the first level we might work a little bit by just staying at the tip of the nostrils. The object of focus are the somatic sensations of the breath, such as a slightly warm feeling when breathing out and a cooler, fresh feeling during the inhalation. At first, we do not manipulate the pace of the breath, but we only are aware of the sensations staying with them.
I. Making the breath even.
We make the breath as even as possible. We work on making both inhalation and exhalation like a perfectly clear note made by a violinist who pulls the bow on the violin string in a completely even fashion . If we see that the inhalation or exhalation has something resembling cuts, indendations or is "jumping", we look more closely at the "places" or "points" where this seems to be happening. We pay special attention to these spots. In this way we smooth them out eliminating any roughness or unevenness. Note: we can slow down the breathing a little bit - this might make our work easier.
What we aim at: the breath is smooth and even
II. Folding everything into the breath.
We fold everything into the breath as if our whole experience was like a paper, which we fold into an origami flower. Everything, i.e. thoughts, sensations in the body, sounds, feelings even agitation or drowsiness or sleepiness - everything that distracts us, pulls us out. Instead of fighting the distractions, trying to make them go away or avoid them - we integrate the distraction with our meditation. Its as if the breath is sucking in our whole being or absorping our whole field of experience or concentrating it into this one spot at the tip of the nostrils. In this way, our entire being is being folded into the inhalation and then we exhalate it. The more distracting the phenomenon that integrate in this fashion - the stronger our concentration becomes in proportion to the energy of the distraction. Note: we can slow down the breathing a little bit so it's easier to integrate everything with the breath.
What we aim at: integrating our experience with the breath at the tip of the nostrils.
III. Counting the breaths up to four.
We count up to 4 breaths. The goal is to stay on the tip of the nostrils for 4 breaths without being distracted and while focusing completely on the breath. At this level, you should continue folding everything into the breath. After 4 breaths, you can loosen the attention, relax for a moment and then you should return to intense concentration and do the next cycle of counting up to 4 and then maybe repeat several cycles with short breaks/pauses. Note: make your counting subtle and quiet if possible. If you loose track of it then just pause and repeat again counting up to 4.
What we aim at: staying completely with the breath for four consecutive inhalations and exhalations
IV. Entering inside the sensations of the breath
Continuing the counting up to 4, we try to get inside the breath. We do look at it from the outside, but we enter inside and feel the sensations from the inside. It's not some magical trick - actually the crux of this level is just to get even more in tune with the breath and more aware of the subtlest sensations. At level 0 we are pretty removed from the sensations of the breath - progressively we make the distance shorter and shorter and we get closer and closer to our breath. Here we just take a step further. It's no use trying to think our way through - it's a matter of simply doing it and going fully into the sensations. Note: Slowing down might help ;)
What we aim at: entering inside the breath.
V. Breathing in space
We let go of the coarse experience of breathe and we focus on breathing space. We perceive what we breathe as space - we tune into the spacious quality on this subtle level. We do not visualise the whole space nor place awareness on the space around us but rather we go even deeper into the breath where we discover that the breath is actually spaciousness. We need to trust the process and tune in to it.
When we have the experience of inhaling space we examine it. It is empty but at the same time it also has this quality of lucidity, luminosity, bright. It's the light of awareness. We examine it to see for ourselves how it is. This is the inner breath in its bare form.
Note:There is a helpful the trick with moving the attention one or two inches backwards. It is worth checking out because it might help with really feeling the above in a completely somatic way.
What we aim at: experiencing the spacious and luminous quality of the inner breath
VI. Looking for the essence
We check if we can find the essence of this space. We do not think about it, we do not try to capture it with imagination, but we are looking directly into the essence of the experience of this luminous space. What is the essence of this space? What lies at the heart of it? What's the very core? We look into it.
What we aim at: discovery of the secret breath (you will know ;) - this is a glimpse of emptiness meditation found in Buddhism
1. Three Types of Breath
2. Six Levels of Breath
1. The Three Types of Breath
I. External Breath - a normal breath that we breathe through our nostrils and which participates in the usual breathing processes. This is the most common understanding of the breath. It is a shell that conceals the internal breath. We work with the external breath at level 1 and then open this outer shell step by step until the full experience of the internal breath at level 5.
II. Internal Breath - is also called prana in Hindu and Buddhist yogas, and in Chinese systems it is called qi. Is identified with life force. In addition to the SixLevels of Breath Practice, we deal with it for example by breathing into the Hara/Dantian (the energy centre in the lower belly) or by breathing into our feet. What we can feel both in the case of the lower belly and the feet is this prana. Prana has a more subtle character and circulates our body. Its routes are called channels. We can influence the prana circulation in the body through visualization practices directing its flow. Prana follows the attention. Prana is not a descriptive anatomical term but rather a prescriptive somatic - this means that this term's function is not to explain the physiology of the body but rather help us communicate experiences and technique we work with in somatic and breathing practises.
III. Secret Breath - we discover this type of breath at level 6. It is undescribable in the sense that this experience goes beyond conceptual thinking. Trying to describe it to someone who hasn't had the experience is like trying to describe the taste of sweet to someone who has never tried sugar or anything sweet in their life.
2. Six Levels of Breath
Remember! When practicing without recording, we can devote as much time to each stage/level as we want. We can move to the next one when we feel ready. For example we can go through all six during one session or go through levels I-III or even focus solely on the first one. Either way this will help us to develop our concentration and access to the meditative state of mind. The key is to work at the level which is accessible but a little bit challenging to you.
0. Getting Started
We can do this lying down or sitting up (we can do this supported against the wall or the back of chair). We start by focusing on the breath at the tip of the nostrils and we retain the focus there (except specific instructions suggest we might do otherwise) - before starting we can initially devote some attention to relaxing the body. Before we go the first level we might work a little bit by just staying at the tip of the nostrils. The object of focus are the somatic sensations of the breath, such as a slightly warm feeling when breathing out and a cooler, fresh feeling during the inhalation. At first, we do not manipulate the pace of the breath, but we only are aware of the sensations staying with them.
I. Making the breath even.
We make the breath as even as possible. We work on making both inhalation and exhalation like a perfectly clear note made by a violinist who pulls the bow on the violin string in a completely even fashion . If we see that the inhalation or exhalation has something resembling cuts, indendations or is "jumping", we look more closely at the "places" or "points" where this seems to be happening. We pay special attention to these spots. In this way we smooth them out eliminating any roughness or unevenness. Note: we can slow down the breathing a little bit - this might make our work easier.
What we aim at: the breath is smooth and even
II. Folding everything into the breath.
We fold everything into the breath as if our whole experience was like a paper, which we fold into an origami flower. Everything, i.e. thoughts, sensations in the body, sounds, feelings even agitation or drowsiness or sleepiness - everything that distracts us, pulls us out. Instead of fighting the distractions, trying to make them go away or avoid them - we integrate the distraction with our meditation. Its as if the breath is sucking in our whole being or absorping our whole field of experience or concentrating it into this one spot at the tip of the nostrils. In this way, our entire being is being folded into the inhalation and then we exhalate it. The more distracting the phenomenon that integrate in this fashion - the stronger our concentration becomes in proportion to the energy of the distraction. Note: we can slow down the breathing a little bit so it's easier to integrate everything with the breath.
What we aim at: integrating our experience with the breath at the tip of the nostrils.
III. Counting the breaths up to four.
We count up to 4 breaths. The goal is to stay on the tip of the nostrils for 4 breaths without being distracted and while focusing completely on the breath. At this level, you should continue folding everything into the breath. After 4 breaths, you can loosen the attention, relax for a moment and then you should return to intense concentration and do the next cycle of counting up to 4 and then maybe repeat several cycles with short breaks/pauses. Note: make your counting subtle and quiet if possible. If you loose track of it then just pause and repeat again counting up to 4.
What we aim at: staying completely with the breath for four consecutive inhalations and exhalations
IV. Entering inside the sensations of the breath
Continuing the counting up to 4, we try to get inside the breath. We do look at it from the outside, but we enter inside and feel the sensations from the inside. It's not some magical trick - actually the crux of this level is just to get even more in tune with the breath and more aware of the subtlest sensations. At level 0 we are pretty removed from the sensations of the breath - progressively we make the distance shorter and shorter and we get closer and closer to our breath. Here we just take a step further. It's no use trying to think our way through - it's a matter of simply doing it and going fully into the sensations. Note: Slowing down might help ;)
What we aim at: entering inside the breath.
V. Breathing in space
We let go of the coarse experience of breathe and we focus on breathing space. We perceive what we breathe as space - we tune into the spacious quality on this subtle level. We do not visualise the whole space nor place awareness on the space around us but rather we go even deeper into the breath where we discover that the breath is actually spaciousness. We need to trust the process and tune in to it.
When we have the experience of inhaling space we examine it. It is empty but at the same time it also has this quality of lucidity, luminosity, bright. It's the light of awareness. We examine it to see for ourselves how it is. This is the inner breath in its bare form.
Note:There is a helpful the trick with moving the attention one or two inches backwards. It is worth checking out because it might help with really feeling the above in a completely somatic way.
What we aim at: experiencing the spacious and luminous quality of the inner breath
VI. Looking for the essence
We check if we can find the essence of this space. We do not think about it, we do not try to capture it with imagination, but we are looking directly into the essence of the experience of this luminous space. What is the essence of this space? What lies at the heart of it? What's the very core? We look into it.
What we aim at: discovery of the secret breath (you will know ;) - this is a glimpse of emptiness meditation found in Buddhism
