Here is a practice that will cultivate
meditative awareness. It is an extension of the practice outlined in
the chapter "Meditation through Breath". There it was suggested that
you make your own recording on a cassette to guide yourself through the
practice. This extension could be added to the recording, as
appropriate.
Many have found that the regular practice of this exercise leads to a
transformation of the conditions of their daily life - so do try it
out. To begin, make sure that you will not be disturbed. Take the
telephone off the hook and disconnect the doorbell.
Now adopt the "corpse posture" familiar to students of yoga. Here you
lie on your back, making sure your head, neck and spine are in a
straight line. It may be good to support your head with a low pillow.
The principle is that the body should be still, comfortable and
relaxed. The arms should be slightly separated from the body, with the
palms turned upwards and the legs should be spread apart.
The main criterion here is your own ease, so find a position in which
you can be sure there will be no inconvenience or distraction.
Focus your attention at the point where the bridge of the nose meets
the upper lip and be in touch with the feel of the air entering and
leaving your body. Make sure that you are in touch. Intelligent
observation at this point will reveal that the breath, with no effort
on your part, becomes smooth, without any jerkiness. Extraneous noises
in the breath will disappear, and, again without any contrivance on
your part, the breathing will become even, so that exhalation and
inhalation are the same. Now pay attention to the point where
inhalation becomes exhalation, and vice versa. Without any interference
on our part there is no pause or gap at this point. Naturally breathing
is one unbroken cycle, encompassing these two functions of inhalation
and exhalation. Simply observe this to be so.
Now move your awareness around the 61 energy points in the body as
indicated earlier, coordinating mind with the flow of energy, getting
in touch with the entire energy field of your body. Focusing again
where the bridge of the nose meets the upper lip, concentrate on the
energy field of the body from the crown of the head to the tips of the
toes. Observe that, as you exhale, you are emptying yourself of all
that is stale, all fatigue, stress and strain; as you inhale, the
entire energy field is receiving life and vitality from the atmosphere
around you. Exhale from the crown of the head right down to the tips of
the toes and, as you inhale from the tips of the toes to the crown of
the head, acknowledge the life, light and energy filling your energy
field. Observe this for a few breaths.
Now we are gradually going to contract the field of awareness, so for a
few breaths exhale from the crown of the head down to the ankles, and
then inhale from the ankles to the crown of the head. Just be aware of
the movements of energy between these two points.
Now exhale from the crown of the head down to the knee joints and
inhale from the knee joints to the crown of the head, for a few
breaths. Exhale from the crown of the head down to the hip joints and
inhale from the hip joints to the crown of the head for a few breaths.
Exhale from the base of the spine to the crown of the head and inhale
from the crown of the head back to the base of the spine for a few
breaths. This simply means that the mind focuses only on the feeling of
energy between these two points.
Now exhale from the navel centre, in the spine behind the belly button,
behind the solar plexus, to the crown of the head and inhale from the
crown of the head down to the navel centre for a few breaths.
Exhale from the heart centre to the crown of the head and inhale from
the crown of the head down to the heart centre for a few breaths.
Now exhale from your throat centre, in the larynx, to the crown of the
head and exhale from the crown of the head down to the throat centre
for a few breaths.
Exhale from the point where the bridge of the nose meets the upper lip
to the crown of the head and inhale from the crown of the head to the
point where the bridge of the nose meets the upper lip. Let your
awareness focus only between these two points for a few breaths.
Now bring the focus of awareness to the space between the two eyebrows
and the crown of the head. Observe the movements of energy in this
space as you breathe in and out. Now the entire energy field of the
body is at rest.
Systematically expand the field of awareness again. Inhale from the
bridge of the nose to the crown of the head for a few breaths.
Now focus on the energy field, in due order:
From the crown of the head down to the throat centre (larynx);
From the crown of the head down to the heart centre;
From the crown of the head down to the navel centre;
From the crown of the head down to the base of the spine;
From the crown of the head down to the hip joints;
From the crown of the head down to the knee joints;
From the crown of the head down to the ankles.
Now be aware of the entire energy field of the body - without limits as
to its extent. Observe the rhythmic, natural expansion and contraction
of the energy field.
Now turn your awareness to sound and space. Simply desire to hear. Do
not name the sounds you hear, just hear them as sound. Acknowledge how
the sounds arise out of silence, reverberate through the silence and
then dissolve back into silence. Focus your awareness on the silence.
Now, as you exhale, hear the sound SO carried on the breath and, as you
inhale, hear the sound HUM. Let these sounds pervade the breath and
fill the mind as you breath. There is no effort required - just hear
the mantra of the breath. So-Hum, So-Hum, So-Hum, So-Hum. This ancient
mantra has been proven over the centuries - it can link the individual
breath to the pattern of universal breath, bringing harmony to all the
energy systems of the body.
Now you will be aware of the fact that all you experiences are
illumined by one light of awareness. This light of awareness is
entirely free of agitation. Life the silver screen of the cinema, it is
totally unaffected by the objects it brings to light. Come fully to
rest in this unagitated light of your own awareness.
Bathe in the light of Being. Now acknowledge the joy which is the very
essence of your experience. Be in touch with this joy throughout the
energy field of your body, then allow your awareness to flow out again
to the sounds, sights and smells of your room and return to your daily
business.
This practice, like all the others suggested in this thread, is
entirely natural, approved by a long tradition and harmless since it is
within the capacity of each individual. It is designed to re-unite you
with your birthright of meditative awareness.
