Breathing: Calming, Generous, And Reciprocal (Jan 16, 26)

This 30 minute meditation will allow you plenty of time to settle in, with the first 7 minutes slowly guiding you into rest within your body, stable and free at the same time. Notice how your breath connects you to all beings, and how it connects you right back to the present moment. We'll also take time to remember how much we can learn from slowing down, from the nature around us, and from just simply breathing.

"...in Native ways of knowing, human people are often referred to as "the younger brothers of Creation." We say that humans have the least experience with how to live and thus the most to learn-we must look to our teachers among the other species for guidance. Their wisdom is apparent in the way that they live. They teach us by example. They've been on the earth far longer than we have been, and have had time to figure things out." ~Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

Transcript

We have an opportunity to practice for half an hour today.

Just take these first few moments to settle into your body.

The smallest little wiggle in your torso can sometimes allow you to sink a little deeper into your cushion,

Get a little more comfortable.

And reminder too that there is no posture that you need to maintain.

It's just choosing a posture that feels supportive.

And just because you sat a certain way or you positioned your body in a certain way yesterday doesn't mean that's exactly right today.

Familiarity is so helpful.

And at the same time,

You're just checking in on the present moment.

Maybe you're in your familiar posture,

But you can allow your chin to tuck just the smallest amount so the back of your neck feels a bit longer.

These little tiny modalities where you move forward a tiny bit or move backward a tiny bit make a difference.

And reminder too,

Sometimes a standing meditation is supportive.

Sometimes you're reclining.

Sometimes there's only one position that your body feels the best in.

So it's choosing.

It's beginning this meditation practice by choosing what feels supportive for me.

And that noticing of your body,

That's a touch point into our chosen focal point.

We choose a focal point so our mind doesn't just dart from place to place as it often does throughout the day.

Just choosing that gentle focus on your body,

Asking that question,

What feels good for me right now?

What feels the most supportive for me right now?

Just looking at your foundation,

Your stable base.

In this chosen focal point of your body,

Already take a note of your foundation,

That stability.

And from that stable place,

You can start to settle.

Just check in with your neck.

Is there any softening that might occur?

Notice your shoulders.

Very often our shoulders,

Our chest,

Start to move ever so slightly as we breathe.

If you notice your shoulders are rising as you inhale,

Can you allow a bit more expansion around your body as you inhale?

And then look for that softening as you exhale,

Especially in your shoulders,

Your neck,

Your neck,

And your jaw.

Notice your hands.

Is there any tension at all in your hands?

The smallest little noticing.

And just again,

Noticing your exhale.

Is there a space of ease to settle into?

Just 3%.

And never with force,

Just an invitation.

And then noticing your hips,

Your legs,

Your feet.

Depending on how you're positioned,

That's usually the place we're the most supported when we're in a seated position.

There's movement happening from your torso up as your breath moves your body,

As your heartbeat moves your body.

And then notice your hips,

Your legs,

Your feet.

The stability there.

And perhaps even feeling the heaviness of your bones.

Inviting that sensation.

Sometimes that word heavy will have almost a negative connotation.

But that heaviness of gravity is what keeps us here.

It's even the smallest and lightest of birds.

When they stop their action,

They just settle right back down to gravity.

It's this beautiful,

Heavy resource that holds us.

A reminder too that there is no good or bad.

To feel heavy might feel delightful in its steadiness.

And when we name a heavy emotion as difficult,

We can remember that not all heaviness is bad.

And as you feel that sturdiness beneath you,

Heaviness in your bones,

There's also a levity as your breath moves through you.

Can you just witness that wise balance that nature shows us?

It's heaviness and lightness at the same time.

Effort and ease at the same time.

We're just noticing all of this in our breath.

Spending a few moments here in silence,

Just noticing that movement of your breath.

Allow expansion and spaciousness as you inhale.

And invite in softness,

Settling,

Stability as you exhale.

Just one breath at a time.

So noticing this breath.

Allowing spaciousness as you inhale.

And noticing how your body softens as you exhale.

Especially when you allow it,

When you invite it in.

All of our breath is a giving and a receiving.

We receive the inhale as a gift.

We offer back the exhale as a gift to the earth.

With every breath we're also receiving,

We're receiving that spaciousness as we inhale.

Receiving this relaxive quality as we exhale.

And as we receive,

As we allow our bodies,

Our minds to be in a receptive place that allows us to give more spaciousness when we take action in the world.

More graciousness when we decide to move in the world.

There's nothing that needs to be done here in your meditation but just to receive this next breath in.

To trust everything that you're breathing out,

Offering back is a gift back to the world.

Quite literally,

What we breathe in is gift from the grasses,

The plants,

The greenery.

And the same happens in reverse.

This abundant cycle.

And I don't have to try hard,

I can just be here in my breath.

Witnessing again spaciousness,

Expansiveness as I inhale.

Inviting in that relaxive quality as I exhale.

How's my jaw?

How are my shoulders?

How are my hands?

Can they soften?

Taking in a brand new fresh breath.

Allowing your attention to be refreshed.

Never needing to force your concentration.

It's just the moment you notice a breath again,

Suddenly you're back present.

Oh yeah,

That's right,

I'm just noticing my breath.

Just bringing that gentleness with you.

It's a deep curiosity,

Where do I feel my breath?

Notice the expansive quality,

The action of the inhale.

That softening quality,

The rest of the exhale.

That wise balance of effort and ease,

Already happening.

So I'm just witnessing it.

Returning again to your breath as often as needed.

Inviting your mind to rest in the stable foundation of your body.

Just witness a breath moving through you,

Spacious and soft.

Effort and ease.

And deeply connected to every creature around us.

To every creature that's ever moved on this earth.

We all breathe.

Every human that's ever existed has taken a breath just like this.

And at the same time,

The breath you're taking right now has never been taken in this exact way before.

There's a connection,

A reminder of our inherent reciprocation with each other.

And at the same time,

Each breath is precious.

Each moment that you have to notice a breath is a moment that's never been experienced before.

So our breath teaches us everything.

Wonder and awe and deep simplicity and consistency.

Brilliant and unique in each breath.

And consistent and connecting and exactly the same as every human,

Both and.

Just allowing your breath to move through you,

Sharing all of its wisdom as you just notice.

Spacious inhale.

Invitation to soften with every single exhale.

One breath at a time.

Moment by moment,

Present awareness.

In these next couple of breaths I invite you just to linger in the space at the very bottom of your exhale.

Just letting your expansive breath come in.

Inviting in a little bit of slowness as you exhale.

Just slowing down your exhale a touch.

And then lingering in that empty space at the bottom of your exhale.

When you feel ready,

You just breathe in again.

The goal not being to hold your breath until you feel air hunger,

But just to witness that deep emptiness that heaviness in your bones.

You might notice the sensation of movement from your heartbeat at the very bottom of your exhale in that empty space.

What do you witness?

What do you notice as you breathe in fully?

As you slow down your exhale on purpose just allowing the moment of exhale to linger and that moment of spaciousness.

There's a quietude in that space between breaths.

We're not only inviting our calming systems to turn on as we slow down our exhale and then witness that space at the bottom of the exhale.

It not only turns on our calming systems but it shows us our capacity to be in stillness.

And that what often exists there is a simple steady presence.

But in the busyness of our world sometimes we fear we're not doing enough or other people aren't doing enough.

When we get to that still space we have phrases to name silent spaces like awkward silence very different than the cultivation of stillness.

And that space between breaths is a steady emptiness that we can contact at any time.

Slowly contacting the calming systems in your body quite literally physiologically is the simplest way to contact your calming system.

It's just to let your exhale linger and then land in that space at the very bottom of your exhale.

Let it linger a moment.

At any point just returning to your natural rhythm of breathing sometimes as you slow down your exhale you can witness your entire being slow down and your breath stays in that slow spaciousness.

Our breath yet again a wise reminder the steadiness of the trees outside your window.

No matter how deep their roots,

No matter how broad their trunk,

The trees always sway in the wind.

Just allowing yourself to remember both the steadiness and stability that we need but also movement and expression and freedom.

Notice your lower half again that heaviness in your bones as gravity holds you and the wisdom of the levity of your breath moving your upper half.

That gentle concentration on breath reminding us even the wisdom of a worker ant it's almost impossible to sway them from their path.

Focus is so strong.

We learn from the rhythms of nature.

Winter an opportunity to rest more.

Spring a reminder of the life that's inside of us.

Every seed that we've planted we nurture as we slow down in these still moments.

And then just returning to a breath.

This breath a reminder of your connection to every creature that's ever lived and yet unique like a snowflake this exact breath never taken before and you get to experience it.

I'll share here these words from Robin Wall Kimmerer this is from her book Braiding Sweetgrass She's an indigenous scientist a botanist from the Anishinaabe people specifically the Potawatomi tribe and she's talking about the wisdom of nature and remembering we can always connect with nature.

Every single breath we take is a reminder of that connection and she says in the western tradition there is a recognized hierarchy of beings with of course the human being on top the pinnacle the darling of creation and somehow plants at the bottom but in native ways of knowing human people are often referred to as the younger siblings of creation we say that humans have the least experience with how to live and thus we have the most to learn.

We must look to our teachers among the other species for guidance their wisdom is apparent in the way that they live they teach us by their example they've been on the earth far longer than we have and have had time to figure things out I see that as a beautiful reminder that I don't have to be in control of everything that I can slow down and watch a bird gathering seeds in winter I can watch an ant crawling wondering perhaps what its work is but trusting that it knows I can watch the strength of the trees blowing in the wind and remember I need both stability and freedom to move I invite you to place your hands over your heart perhaps your palms together in a symbol of gratitude any of your own closing habits or practices letting your hands contact your body a reminder that this body is nature and every moment I notice a breath is a connection back to my true nature I'll end with a few loving kindness phrases just repeating them back as they make sense for you may I remember the innate goodness of my breath may I give myself permission to receive when action is needed may I choose to move with ease and peace and may the merits of our practice ripple out to benefit all beings going slow if you can start to find a little movement in your body taking a moment to think a moment to thank yourself just for showing up and as always thank you each for being here for supporting each other in sangha

Reviews

Superb. Utterly superb. Outstanding guidance, lots of spaces of silence. I learned some helpful beautiful things doing this meditation today. Thank you so much 🥰