by embodytrue | Nov 4, 2012 | Balance, CEB, happiness, Meditation
Throughout the emotional skills portion of the retreat, we spent most of our time in lecture , discussion and group work but got started on mindfulness of breathing which is the first method taught for shamatha meditation. When Alan finally arrived we shifted gears into more of a retreat setting. The suggested rule was to maintain some degree of silence , although there was some meaningful chat as we went on walks after the evening teachings. There was also a lot of material to cover in a short time. Our day was broken down into 2, 3 hour chunks where we would spend roughly 1.5 hours in guided meditation and 1.5 hours lecture / discussion. The rest of the day was left for us to practice on our own. I had the great opportunity to offer yoga classes each day at lunch where i would try to incorporate the meditation we were doing that day into a yoga practice.
The first week we would focus on Shamatha or focused attention meditation in the three modes that Alan teaches : Mindfulness of breathing, Settling the mind in its natural state and Awareness of awareness.
Week two would be focused on the four application of mindfulness: mindfulness of the body, mindfulness of feelings, mindfulness of the mind and mindfulness of phenomena.
The last week focusing on the 4 immeasurables: Loving Kindness, Compassion, Empathetic Joy, and Equanimity
Before i describe the practice ill outline the framework in which these are all used in order to cultivate emotional balance. First of all it is helpful to have an understanding of Genuine Happiness.
When we think of happiness we might be able to break it down into two categories: Hedonic Happiness and Genuine Happiness or Eudaimonia. When most of us think of happiness we are most likely focused on the hedonic form of happiness. Which is short is the happiness we get “from” the world. This includes the things out there that will make us happy: money, a nice house, nice car, the perfect job, a healthy good looking body, a partner, fame, power, the newest iphone etc … The problem with hedonic happiness is that ultimately it is unsatisfying because it doesn’t last and it is based on things that are out of your control. What ever material possessions you acquire, just as easy as you got it you can lose it. As we get older our bodies don’t work the way they used to, we have to deal with illness and decay. What ever person we thought was the source of our happiness, will most likely change and not fulfill our unrealistic expectation of being an endless source of happiness. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with enjoying the hedonic pleasures of the world but in so far as there is attachment to them and they are our only source of happiness, we put of self’s in a very vulnerable position. Because as much as we want to hold on to these things that we think are the sources of our happiness they are impermanent and its not a matter of if they will change, it is only a matter of when. All that being said there are certain forms of hedonic happiness that are critical such as , food , shelter/clothing, medical care, education etc .. having our basic needs met. A funny thing about people in the modern world is that once we have our basic needs met, we are not struggling to survive, we have a decent job , friends , family , a house , a car , some entertainment etc … we are not satisfied. When we are really doing OK and there is nothing we should be complaining about for some reason we are still not happy, we need more , we need better, always thinking there is something out there that will finally make us happy.
This is where genuine happiness can finally bring some clarity to the situation. genuine happiness or eudaimonia is a sense of well being, of being at peace, at ease, contentment. It is not a happiness that comes “from” the world , but it is a happiness that comes from what we “bring to” the world. A type of happiness that arises right from the nature of having a balanced mind that is stable, clear and sees reality as it is. A type of happiness that comes from living a life of ethics and virtue. It does not depend on any external stimulus, but comes from within. It is something no one or thing can give us and no one or thing can take away. Its source is unlimited and boundless. You can reflect on your own life and see for your self where most of your time energy and effort is spent. Towards the hunter gatherer approach of trying to seek out and hold on to hedonic happiness or towards the cultivator approach of developing genuine happiness. If you can imagine making the shift where your priorities are towards to cultivation of genuine happiness a source of well being that is always with you, then you can still enjoy hedonic happiness but without attachment because it is not your only true source of happiness. So when things changes, when hedonicly times are good and bad, your happiness does not lie out of your control.
The only way these concepts move from something that sounds good to something that actually transforms your life, is to have some taste, some direct experience that genuine happiness does exist and there is a way to cultivate it. The way to cultivate it, is Dharma. Not only buddhist dharma but jewish, hindu, christian, non religious etc.. By definition the practice of dharma is a practice that leads you closer to genuine happiness, call it by what ever name you like. These particular practices offer one such framework that i can say from my own experience has given me a taste of genuine happiness.
Where the primary focus of the training was on Emotional balance, emotional balance its self isn’t directly achieved it arises as a symptom of cultivating conative balance , attentional balance and cognitive balance. Work on these other areas and you get emotional balance for free.
Conative balance has to do with our intention and motivation, a way of life that is rooted in ethics and virtue. We cant expect to be emotionally balanced our selves if we are living a life that creates emotional imbalance for others.
Attentional balance is making our mind serviceable. Being able to direct our attention at will. To think when you want and be able to keep the mind still when there is no need to think. To some extent we all suffer from what Alan calls OCDD ( Obsessive Compulsive Delusional Disorder ). We have a constant stream of thoughts running through our minds, we tend to identify with these thoughts and we think they are the truth and nothing but the truth. To attain attentional balance is to rid our self’s of this disorder and have a mind, instead of the mind having you.
Cognitive balance allows us to see reality as it actually is. By removing our cognitive bias and distinguishing what is actually being presented to our senses and what we are super imposing on that experience. To not identify with every thought or emotion that happens to us with out our asking. To see that all phenomena are impermanent, not intrinsically satisfying and not who we are.
More on meditation to come …
by embodytrue | Oct 27, 2012 | happiness, Meditation, Yoga
It has been some time now since my actual journey began, although before I go into detail it might be helpful to start from the beginning. What am I doing ? Where am I going ? What are my motivations and intentions ?
More than ever i am becoming a believer that everything happens for a reason. So many moments of my life leading me to where i am right now. Finally feeling that although i really no no idea what the future will bring that i am pointed in a direction, down a path that has meaning and value for me. Always having an interest in science, studying Electrical Engineering, taking a job with IBM in Vermont.
Vermont ! Was really where it all began. I am so grateful that these series of circumstances led me to a place where i would discover my true passion, even though it would mean leaving mostly everything i have been doing behind. As my time living in Vermont went by , my interest , study and practice of Yoga, Meditation, Mindfulness, the relationship with modern physics and science, etc … continued to grow exponentially. Inspired by so many wonderful teachers both locally and through books/media. I started to see the transformation of my own mind an body, subtle, slow and gradual, it was not sudden and dramatic. Noticeable enough that it was worth continuing to explore and push the limits.
Eventually beginning to teach Yoga and bring mindfulness practices into my work at IBM, it dawned upon me that this was really where my passion was, where i really saw there could be benefit to help and connect with other living beings. Something that is really needed in a world where we are driven by a fast paced, technology, consumerism driven culture. Sharing some great wisdom that i have learned from my teachers and resources that I have connected with the most, I was feeling as on some level I was more passing on things that logically sounded good to me , than totally coming from my own direct experience. If all that i was talking about was actually true, than wouldn’t it be nice to actually know so from my own direct experience. To see what the true potential of the mind and heart is. To approach it from radically empirical, scientific perspective, going deep into the practice and seeing what emerges. Not reading a whole bunch of interesting books and agreeing with the points that are made.
When certain circumstances is my life happened to occur, i knew the time was right to give this some honest effort. Extremely grateful for my Job and experiences that i had in Vermont, it was time for a change. So with out knowing exactly what will happen when i return, i downsized my life , quit my job and started to plan for a year long adventure through Thailand , Nepal and India. Although the aspect of travel and adventure is exciting and a wonderful experience, the specific purpose of this trip is not to travel for travel sake. But to spend most of my time in full time Meditation retreat or Yoga Immersion to deeply travel through the inner world as the outer world arises and passes around me. Therefore what i would like to share in this blog , is not the details of the places i have been, but the details of what i have learned about myself , the mind and meditation practice. Exploring the inner landscape instead of the outer. I am no travel writer and if you want to know about these countries I’m sure your time will be better spent reading someone else.
This is an extremely brief introduction, as there were many more details leading up to the start of this trip. Its good to set a little bit of context.
The proposed plan is :
5 Week Cultivating Emotional Balance Teacher Training , with Eve Ekman and Alan Wallace in Phuket Thailand
8 Week Shamatha and the 4 application of mindfulness retreat with Alan Wallace in Phuket Thailand
1 Month Lam Rim / Introduction to the Gelupa school of Tibetan Buddhism at the Kopan Monastery in Nepal
1 Month of Solitary retreat in a retreat house in Baktapur Nepal
10 Day Discovering Buddhism at the Root , Root Institute , Bodhgaya India
2 Weeks at the Kryia Yoga Research Institute / Ashram During the Kumbh Mela
2 Week Insight Meditation retreat Root Institute , Bodhgaya India
1 Month in Rishikesh , Staying ind an Ashram or finding an authentic yogi to study and practice with
3 Week Iyengar Intensive in Deradun India
1 Month of retreat at the Songsten Library in Deradun India
2 More months of retreat in Dharamsala / Tso Pema , India
I will give an update and summary on each retreat experience as i go along. I hope to provide some valuable insights that will be inspiration and helpful for your own practice.
May we all find Happiness and its causes , free from suffering and its causes. In order to do so it would be nice to know what are the causes ? Let see if i can find out and share 🙂
by embodytrue | May 18, 2011 | Meditation, Yoga
What is your purpose of practicing yoga ? Why do you do it ? What does it do for you ?
On the surface Yoga practice is great exercise. Asana and Pranayama how ever you happen to practice them are great for the body and mind. Given that the body and mind are so interrelated keeping the body in good health will also help to keep the mind in good health. Some might also practice yoga for temporary stress relief, deep relaxation, getting into your body and out of the constant chatter of the mind. You come to your practice with all of the struggles from the day and hopefully leave rejuvenated ready to face what ever comes your way. Although when challenging situations come up, things don’t go as you expected or deep emotions bubble up where is that peaceful feeling that you left your practice with ?
Physical health, relaxation, and a few moments of peace are nothing to be taken lightly and if that’s what brings you to Yoga your still doing much better than many others struggling to find those things in life. Although with a deeper understanding of the practice there is an opportunity for more than just a temporary relief. How about liberation, happiness independent of conditions, insight into who you are, a sense of lasting peace that does not fade in the hard times as well as the good times.
Through my recent experience at a 10 day Vipassana course, during which we were encouraged not to practice yoga, a few things about my own practice and what Yoga means to me became a little more clear. It was apparent to me, that at some level i was indeed attached to yoga practice. That great feeling you get working the body, and the deep relaxation that comes when you are done. What an amazing feeling ! Who would not want to have that ? To what extent though is that useful ? Does yoga just become yet another thing in your life that you feel like you need to be happy ? Something outside of your self that is bringing you this happiness. If only i could practice yoga everyday , maybe a few times a week , ahhh then i would be really happy? That feeling of craving that might arise after a stressful day, “practicing some yoga would really make me feel better right now”. If you know anything about yoga philosophy you probability know that yoga is about being in the moment, allowing things to be as they are, contentment and non attachment. I make no claims to say that your not actually doing that, but really investigate your own experience especially when it comes to practicing yoga its self.
I really feel that the insight from Vipassana mediation has much to offer a Yoga practice. Turing it from a temporary relief to a real beginning of transformation and change. Here are the basics of Vipassana mediation and why it is useful:
Buddhism is primary based on what is called the four noble truths:
1) There is suffering
2) The origin of suffering is craving and aversion
3) There is a way to stop suffering
4) This is a path leading to the end of suffering ( Enlightenment )
You could go on in great detail about these four topics, but what is important for my purpose here is the second noble truth. Simply put the very root of our suffering is because we crave things that we like and avoid things we don’t like. If the world was a perfect place and we could always get what we want and completely avoid the thing we don’t want then there would be no problem here. Unfortunately at least from my own experience that is not the case, sometimes we don’t get what we want and sometimes we can not avoid situations we would not like to be in. What is interesting here is that we often attribute the cause of this suffering to outside factors. If only i could acquire some thing or have some experience then i would be happy. Even when we get that thing or experience we are still not satisfied looking for yet another external thing to bring us happiness. If only that person would change or act differently to me then i would be happy. We attribute our happiness outside of our self’s because we don’t understand what is going on at a deeper level. How do we maintain peace and balance of mind though all of life’s ups and downs ?
It is said that there are five things that make up our experience:
1) Physical Matter
2) Consciousness
3) Perception / Evaluation
4) Feeling / Sensation
5) Reaction / Mental Conditioning
With everything that we experience through any of the 6 sense doors ( Sound, Sight, Smell, Taste, Touch, Mind), anything we experience outside or that we generate inside with our own minds:
We first are aware of it through Consciousness. We then perceive it through the lens of our past experience and conditioning, evaluating the raw data and making logical sense out of it. That evaluation results in a positive, negative or neutral sensation arising somewhere in the body (regardless if we are able to detect it). We then react to that sensation with craving or aversion. Wanting to hold on the the pleasant sensations and get rid of the negative ones. This is not something we are normally directly aware of, when very strong emotions or sensations come up we are very aware of them. When very subtle emotions or sensations come up we are not aware but the deepest level of the mind is always aware and reacting to sensations on the body. We think that things outside our of selves are making us feel good or bad, where we are recognizing the object, evaluating it and then reacting to the sensation that was produced. Mind and Body are interconnected, with an experience in the mind manifests a sensation in the body. It is in fact our reaction to the sensations that we are holding on to or pushing away, not any person , experience or material object that is the root of our habitual reactions.
Through the practice of Vipassana you first focus your attention on the breath to calm the thoughts and focus the mind. You do this in a very specific way concentrating on the very small area right underneath your nostrils. Simply observing the breath as it passes through the gateway of your nose, in and out. You begin to become aware of the very subtle sensation that the touch of the breath has as the inhale and exhale come and go. As the breath becomes more subtle the sensations become more subtle and your mind becomes more subtle maintaining awareness of the increasingly subtle sensations. Eventually your mind becomes so focused that you are constantly aware of this subtle level of sensation that is always there, right under the threshold of ordinary awareness, even if the breath is flowing or not. At that point you are ready to begin to scan your entire body , bringing this focused mind, becoming aware of the subtle sensations that are present through out the entire body. These sensations will manifest in many ways, some times pleasant, some times unpleasant, some times you don’t notice anything, sometimes extremely blissful, sometimes painful or horrific. Just like life sometimes good , some times bad. What will become very clear is that all of these sensations are impermanent, constantly changing, pulsing, vibrating. They come and the go, stay for a little while and then dissipate, arise and pass almost instantaneous. When you get to this very subtle level, nothing is solid that you can hold on to, even a very solidified pain when probed deeper is changing and pulsing. If all these sensations are impermanent and constantly changing what is the purpose of clinging to or avoiding them ? As soon as you reacted it has already come and gone. The practice now is to simply, objectively observe the sensations with equanimity. Meaning seeing them for exactly what they are, not identifying with them, not reacting to them, allow them to be and pass through you. To the extent you can be aware of sensations and have equanimity towards them, the process of purification and liberation has begun.
Understanding this how do we relate it to Yoga practice. In Yoga you are already slowing down the mind, focusing on the breath, you are already aware of sensations in your body. What may be missing is this concept of equanimity. Balance, non reactivity, freedom from attachment or aversion. On the surface we all understand this, but it can be really hard to do, speaking for my self at least. It can also be a fine line, for instance how can you approach a pose with complete non attachment yet still exert some effort. If your in a simple forward fold, you get in there and reach your edge. Some craving may arise to want to go a little bit deeper, you almost have your chest on your thighs but not just yet. At this point what is really the goal ? Is it to get as deep as you possibly can in the pose, get your chest flat against your legs ? Or is it to bring your self to your edge, where you need to be in that moment and let go. Become aware of the sensations in your body and observe them with equanimity. If there is a pleasant sensation that arises because maybe the stretch feels good, maybe your deeper than you have ever been before, don’t become attached to it just observe it knowing that it is impermanent and will change. If there is an unpleasant sensation that arises because maybe there is a little bit of strain, or something in that moment triggered an emotional response, don’t push it away just observe it knowing that this too will pass.
Combining the insight of Vipassana meditation with Yoga practice may be able to transform and not just bring temporary relief. Don’t believe me because logically this all makes sense, experiment, practice, know for your self through your own direct experience. Go to the level where the subtle mind is reacting with attachment or aversion to the sensations throughout the body. Our mind has been trained to react, to cling to the things we like , avoid the things we don’t. Not recognizing the impermanent nature of all these sensations we try so hard to control but never can. It’s not too late, this pattern can be changed with time and practice. Practice patiently with determination. Bring this awareness into your yoga practice. What ever sensation arises observe it, as it is, with equanimity. Bring this awareness into your meditation, what ever arises observe it, as it is, with equanimity. Free your self from the habit of reacting and just observe, allow sensations to be, allow your self to be. Be Liberated !
by embodytrue | Jan 3, 2011 | Emptiness, Meditation, Yoga
Here is a little insight i had about finding the right amount of effort in your yoga or meditation practice. To be a little more clear its really all about releasing any conceptual basis for what effort is all together and finding that place in the middle.
Now when it comes to yoga and meditation you often come up against a paradox that does not appear logically possible. Although if you let go of what you think you may know and allow your self to just experience you will understand the meaning of the paradox. A frequent teaching is; “find the place in the middle”, “not too tight, not too loose”, “effortless effort”, “Stay active but remain relaxed”, “go to your edge but no farther.” It comes in many different sayings but what do they mean ?
Lets consider the concept of effort. Since everything is relative and a concept only really makes sense in relationship to something, (Yin and Yang , Positive and Negative) the concept of effort has no meaning unless there is something to compare it to. Thus we have effort and non effort, in order to intellectualize this concept we must separate it into opposites. The amount of effort or non effort you may be experiencing is a subjective amount. No one else but you really knows how much you may be or may not be exercising effort. We draw arbitrary lines for ourselves for what we consider too much effort , not enough effort or just enough effort. The idea is not to create the concept for some arbitrary point of “just enough effort” but it is too let go of any concept of effort what so ever, with out grasping and with out aversion.
Imagine a number line -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5. Lets say this is our effort scale. The positive numbers are effort and the negative numbers are non effort. At any point you may be able to rate your self on this arbitrary scale, telling your self how much effort or non effort you are exerting. When you continue to hold on to this dualistic concept, on one side effort on the other side non effort, you are in a constant battle either grasping on to where you think you should be or avoiding where you think you should not be. How do you find the place in the middle ? What is in the middle ? That’s right “Zero”. What does zero mean here ? It is nothing at all or does it have some kind of quality. In math zero is not simply nothingness it has attributes and its own nature. In meditation or yoga zero pertains to the concept of emptiness, a concept not having an intrinsic value with out a relative nature(Non-dual realization).
So in order to find “Zero”, the place in the middle, effortless effort, you must let go of dualistic concepts such as effort or non effort. Experience your current state fully allowing your self to be as you are without intentionally holding back or pushing. It is this thought, that we need to be at a place other than where we already are, that places us on the relative scale. When you can dissolve the concept of effort all together with out falling into the positive or negative range you will experience the solution to this paradox.
by embodytrue | Jun 28, 2010 | Live Music, Meditation, Yoga
This Practice has been inspired by my own yoga and meditation practice as well as many live music experiences over the years. For those of you who have your own yoga practice and love to experience live music there is a great opportunity to extend your practice to your concert experience as well as take something back to yoga. As my own practice grows over time there is no other band that allows me to go deeper than Phish. I recently attended the Phish weekend festivities at SPAC on 6/19 and 6/20 for two amazing shows where i both lost my self to the jam and found my self within it.
What is it about Phish that draws so many fans and also is a great opportunity for deepening your meditation practice ? 1) Tension and Release – the ability to build the energy of a song, slowly release that energy just to come right back and go even higher. It is a full body experience, the band, the intensity, the sound, the crowd, smiling faces, dancing! It is a constant flow of your own energy as it rises and falls with each song throughout the entire show. 2) Extended Jam – The ability for the entire band to improvise together taking any song as a base, turning it into something unexpected and then somehow bringing you back. Jams lasting anywhere from 1 min to 20 min , a complete journey with many ups and downs. (Many other band also utilize these qualities and they are in no way limited to Phish alone)
If your at a Phish show or enjoying any live music experience, here is a practice of live music meditation:
You have two options for posture and i would encourage that you alternate between them spontaneously.
- Mountain Pose – Stand with your feet hip distance apart. Feel your feet root into the ground. Thighs reach back as tailbone scoops engaging Mula Bundha. Reaching out of your hips as your spine grows tall. Side body long, inner body bright. Shoulders reach back and apart then relax.
- Mindful Dancing – This is a dynamic pose that will be unique for every person. How ever you feel moved and what ever the music is asking of your body, Dance ! Begin to flow with the music. Follow its energy and rhythm, when the music is slow and soft move slow and soft, when the music is fast and raging move fast and raging. Allow there to be no judgment or comments on your movement, allow your self to dance as if no one were watching and you could care less even if they were. Be aware of every movement your body makes, staying present with your body not lost in your mind.
Normally while experiencing live music you would send your energy outward; screaming , clapping , throwing your hands in the air, singing, dancing (in a subtly different way than used in this practice), taking in the energy from the music and releasing it into the crowd. You also may come in and out of moments with mindfulness; one moment enjoying the full experience of the music, one moment internally judging if you are having a good time or not, one moment recalling an event from the past or daydreaming about the future. These moments happen very fast jumping from one thing to the next melding together creating your entire perceived experience.
In this practice you will take this energy and send it inward stabilizing it with mindfulness.
Begin in Mountain Pose. Bring your awareness to your physical body feeling a sense of relaxation comfort and ease. Let you body and breath settle in its natural state. Now bring your awareness to the sound of the music, let your eyes close and be completely engulfed in the sound. Open your eyes adapt to your surroundings , there may be hundreds of other people around you, stay calm and focused. Allow the external sound to merge with your physical body becoming aware of the music and the sensations that the music produces in your body. Naturally feel the music build on your inhale and fall on your exhale. Allow your breath to ride on the rhythm of the song. This experience will be the object of your meditation, the combination of the external sound and the internal physical sensations. Apply mindfulness to this object, as your mind begins to wander and comment or judge your experience notice that this is happening and bring your attention back. Allowing your thoughts to be in the background without grasping or aversion deepen your concentration on sound and sensation. As the energy begins to rise and fall notice what this does to your body with out actively “doing” anything. In the music let there just be the music. Where you normally would send your energy outward with a yell or motion notice this urge and contain the energy inward as you subtly begin to build inside. While the band is jamming follow the jam note by note staying mindful of every sound and every sensation that sound produces in your body. As the tension builds around you feel the stillness within as your energy also rises. When you reach a point where you spontaneously need to move break out of stillness into mindful dance.
As you finally begin to release some of your energy make sure that you stay mindful of your actions. Notice how easy it is to allow your body to dance but allow your mind to be bouncing from thought to thought. Once you are comfortable dancing and have your “home moves” which require no effort from your body to remember how to do, it is easy to be lost in thought. Notice when you are no longer mindful of your movement and bring your attention back to your physical body. Be aware of the position of your hands and feet in space. Break out of your pre-programmed “home moves” and allow your body to have a unique movement with every note that is played. Pick a instrument that is improvising in the jam, Guitar, Bass, Piano, Drums, etc …. Focus your attention on that one instrument and allow your body to follow its every movement. Begin to improvise the dance its self as if you were just another instrument adding to the jam. Let the intensity of your movements flow with the intensity of the song. When you feel your energy reaching a low mindfully transition back to mountain pose recharging for the next jam. When the song is over as every one is clapping and screaming stand strong in mountain pose and soak in the experience and energy of the crowd.
Experiment with the flow from mountain to dance and back. Notice what it is like to fully experience the music with out losing focus, no judgment no comments. Bare sound and sensation facilitated by the band and the crowd. This is not so different from a yoga practice. Allowing your body to move and flow staying mindful of your actions and the quality of your thoughts. As with the dance practice, it is very easy to learn a yoga pose so well your body requires very little effort to maintain it. This is where your mind can begin to wander even though you are fully in the pose. When this happens become mindful, bring your attention back to the physical sensations of your body. Be aware of the position of your hands and feet in space. Send you energy inward, go deeper, one pointed awareness.
To learn more please join me at Liberate Music and Yoga Festival Aug 20 & 21 Live Music Meditation at Liberate
Feel the groove flow inwards and outwards and truly be free,
Danny
by embodytrue | Jun 10, 2010 | Meditation, Savasana
Here is an exercise that i thought of, that may be useful to do during savasana along with some theory as to why it may be useful.
Each of these steps should build upon each other, they involve bringing your awareness to something and then adding the next piece while continuing each step prior. If at any point you loose your focus on any of the parts. Start over from the beginning and build it up again. Do not be discouraged if your attention drops, quickly just start over with no additional thought of how good you are doing.
1) Start by bringing awareness to your breath and feel the rise and fall of your belly and chest.
2) Next Center your visual focus on your third eye or the spot right in between your eye brows. Make sure internally you are not drifting to one side or the other. Stay steady in the center and begin to notice any patterns of light and color that may arise. If there are patterns intersecting with each other see if you can center this intersection at the third eye point where you are focusing your attention.
3) Next bring your awareness to your heart beat. Follow it for a few breaths and feel its rhythm. Try to sync up your breath with your heart beat. Inhaling for certain number of beats and then exhaling for the same number of beats. Depending on your rhythm of breath and the speed at which your heart is beating the number of beats per inhale and exhale will vary from person to person and time to time. Just listen to your body let it tell you how many beats its is comfortable with and then just follow instead of trying to fix your self to a set number. Make sure the inhales and exhales begin exactly on the rising edge of your heart beat. As you inhale for how ever many heart beats feels right try to keep the amount of air you are taking in the same for each beat. Over time adjust this amount so that you hit the maximum point of air you can take in right before its time to start exhaling. Do the same thing when letting the air go during exhale, letting the same amount of air out of your body per heart beat, reaching a completely empty chest when its time to start inhaling again. Again, time everything so that every action is in sync with both the breath and heart beat.
4) Next you have two options, either begin to count each heart beat or chant the sound of OHM for each heart beat ( do this in your mind not out loud). If you choose to count , instead of progressing in numbers 1 , 2 ,3 ,4….. count each beat as 1, 1 ,1 ,1 …. This will keep you focused in the present moment by realizing that each beat is happening now and therefore should be designated as the first beat of now.
5) Next begin to listen so sounds around you that may fall within the same rhythm as your breath and heart beat. Find sounds that begin on your inhale and end on you exhale. Or sounds that occur every time your heart beats.
6) If you have manged to bring full awareness to every one of these items, with out giving any one more attention than the other. Then you can begin to bring awareness to other sensations that fall with in this same rhythm. Or just see how long you can maintain with out getting out of sync.
The theory around this exercise stems from harmonic energy balancing. As postulated by quantum physics and elements of string theory elementary particles (the stuff that every thing is made out of) can be represented as a wave of energy vibrating with a certain frequency and phase. On a larger scale our bodies also produce forms of energy that vibrate with a certain frequency and phase. When multiple forms of energy interact with one another they have the option to be synchronized (in phase) or unsynchronized (out of phase). When they are in phase the energy adds to from a greater overall energy. When they are out of phase some of the energy is canceled out producing lesser overall energy. If we can synchronize various forms of energy in our bodies ( Prana-Breath, Mental Consciousness, Heart beat-Blood flow) the result will be harmony in the interactions and an overall greater life force. You are not only synchronizing the energy flowing through your body, but also allowing both sides of the brain to work together equally producing brain wave frequency’s that are also in sync with the energy of your body. As you move through each step, you bring your concentration to what you are trying to do, then as if you were writing a computer program to focus on a specific aspect of your awareness you train your brain to lock in on an action. Once the program is written, you can then run the program, while you begin to write the next one. Running each program on top of each other to bring awareness to each piece. As you lie there, just feel the power and life energy that flows through your body and how it builds as the various components become synchronized creating harmony in your body and mind.
