Non-Duality Breath & Bilateral Play

Alternating the use of the left and right side of the body via bilateral activation (example: squeezing the left fist, then the right fist), we activate both sides of the brain and connect with the breath.

Through this practice we recognize that the two-ness of the inhale and exhale can be encompassed by one larger whole- the breath cycle - just as our right and left sides can be held within the larger boundary of our singular body. We then move to practice the union of self and other, to Oneness.

Transcript

Let's begin in a comfortable posture,

Whatever that looks like for you in this moment.

Could be seated on the ground or a cushion or a chair or perhaps lying down.

Whatever position your body is taking up in space,

Just take an extra moment to get a little more comfortable.

And a way to be a little more easeful in your body.

If you are seated,

Root the base of the spine down into the ground,

Lifting the upper body.

Crown grows skywards.

Breathing in through the nose.

And as you exhale,

The shoulders melt down away from the earlobe,

Sides of the neck long.

Just inhale,

Chest fills,

Belly fills.

And exhale,

The body softens.

Inhaling belly first,

Then the chest now.

And exhale,

Let it out.

Inhaling and softening.

For the next several present moments,

We're going to seek out that which exists beyond the body.

That eternal quality of consciousness that resides within these cells.

That animates all of my human biology.

Breathing in,

Breathing out.

Let's take a moment to recognize and hold gratitude for the physical body that we exist inside.

Often we can get caught up in the things we don't love or the things we'd like different about it,

But at the root of its existence,

It facilitates your experience of being alive.

How perfect is that?

Breathing in and breathing out.

Let's begin by becoming aware of the left side of the body,

The whole left side.

This is connected to your right brain,

Your creative brain,

That intuitive side.

Awareness of the left side of the body,

Connecting to the lunar energy as well.

Breathing our left fist,

Take the hand,

Squeeze it into a fist and let go.

Breathing in,

Squeeze it into a fist and exhale,

Release.

Inhale squeezing it into a fist.

Exhale soften and release.

Next inhale,

Whole arm squeezes.

Exhale,

Left arm releases.

Inhale,

Squeeze the left arm,

Make it alive.

Exhale,

Release,

Find some rest.

Inhale left arm,

Squeeze it,

Squeeze the fist.

Exhale,

Soften and release the work.

Exhale,

Feeling that left energy moving into the trunk,

Into the torso.

Exhaling,

Inhaling squeezing the left fist and arm,

Sending that energy towards the core.

Exhale releasing.

Inhale,

Squeeze fist and arm.

Exhale and release.

Inhale,

Squeeze fist and whole arm comes alive.

Exhale,

Release and soften the body.

This time the foot,

Squeeze the foot,

Inhale and curl the toes inward.

And exhale,

Release the body,

Soften.

Inhale,

Squeeze the left foot,

Curl the toes,

Arch it.

Exhale,

Release any work and soften.

Inhale,

Squeezing the left foot.

Exhale,

Let go.

This time left foot,

Left fist,

Left arm,

Squeeze,

Squeeze.

Exhale.

Inhale,

Left side of the body,

Fist,

Foot,

Arm,

Leg.

Exhale,

Soften.

Inhale left side of the body and even the left side of the face,

Squeeze the eye,

Attention to the cheekbones.

Exhale,

Release.

Inhale,

Left side of the body.

Exhale release.

Inhale squeeze the left side of the body,

Awake.

Exhale release.

Moving to the right side,

Right fist,

Inhale squeeze.

Exhale release.

Inhale make a fist,

Squeeze the right fist.

Exhale soften and yield.

Inhale squeeze the right fist,

Right arm comes alive.

Exhale soften.

Inhale fist and arm,

Bind the energy towards your core.

Exhale release.

Inhale squeeze fist and arm.

Exhale release.

Inhale right foot this time,

Squeeze,

Curl the toes.

Exhale soften the foot and relax.

Inhale squeeze the foot from the inside.

Exhale soften.

Energy moving towards the core,

Inhale squeeze and the leg comes alive.

Exhale the whole leg and foot soften.

Inhale right foot,

Right leg,

Right fist,

Right arm.

Exhale soften.

Inhale right side of the body,

Wake it up.

Exhale and let go.

Inhale right side of the body,

Even your face,

Purse the right side of your lips and exhale.

Let the body go.

Inhale squeeze the whole right side and the eyes and the temples and the forehead too.

Exhale and let go.

Switching sides,

Inhale left side of the body,

Squeeze.

Exhale release.

Switching sides,

Inhale right side of the body and release.

Exhale squeeze the left side of the body,

Exhale release.

Inhale whole right side,

Squeeze it.

Exhale and release.

Inhale left side,

Let go.

Inhale right side and let go.

Perhaps out of sway if that feels good.

Left side,

Let go.

Inhale right side and release.

Squeezing only the fists now,

Squeeze left side and release.

Squeeze right side and release.

Inhale left side,

Exhale release.

Squeeze the right side.

Inhale left fist becomes alive.

Exhale right fist does the work.

Inhale squeezing left fist.

Exhale find a swoop into the right fist.

Inhale slide to the left.

Inhale awareness moves to the right.

Good.

Left and right.

Back and forth like a pendulum.

Good.

Back and forth.

Feel the breath as the swaying of a pendulum.

You can keep the activation in the body if that feels good or you can release it at any point.

But whatever you've got going on,

Let it be in awareness to the left side and then the right side.

To the left side and to the right side.

Very good.

Left side,

Right side.

Yes.

And feel that sway start to become just a little bit circular.

A little bit more spiral.

Left side,

Right side.

Left side,

Right side.

Good.

Left side,

Right side.

Left side,

Right side.

And from this spiraling circular energy feel as though you're rotating in space.

Because you are.

Seek out that which exists beyond the body.

That eternal quality that fills my cells with the wisdom of what it means to be a human being,

To exist as a human body with a consciousness residing inside it.

We're going to go to the source of that.

So we have to get beyond the thinking mind,

Beyond the memories and beyond the emotions and the thoughts.

Get behind any judgment that may arise and instead look for the pure witness.

The pure witness being the place inside where you can sit with what is and not wish that it were any different.

Being at ease and comfortable.

The witness as that childlike quality of wonder and awe at the natural world.

Where it is though pure light is shining through your perspective,

Observing the world and seeing only light,

The pure bliss of being.

You exist as radiant and luminous,

As shining rays pouring out from your center,

Expanding outward in every direction.

Get to this place inside your body where it feels as though you are light.

Get to the root of that.

You can use the spiral of the breath to take you deeper if you need it,

Pulling you closer and closer to the one true reality of the present moment.

Get to that place.

Get to that place behind the light.

The light is born of darkness,

The great void,

The great mystery.

Imagine this left and right,

Left and right in case you forgot.

Imagine this left and right as light and dark.

Left and right.

And in any moment you can sway from light to dark.

You can occupy both left and right.

On a single inhale,

The darkness is the great void,

The mystery,

The expanse of space.

That void is the source of everything that is.

That darkness has given way to every bit of light.

The nothing creates the something.

What is behind the light is knowing that you are both the light and the dark.

Feel them swirl,

Spiral within you as left and right,

Light to dark,

Left and right,

Light to dark.

Feel as though this energy is wrapping you,

Spinning you,

Binding that which is you,

Binding your consciousness closer and closer to your true center.

Imagine this feeling as though it was an effect,

A force on the body.

This circular energy breathing in left side,

Breathing out the right side.

In squeeze the left side,

Exhale squeeze the right side,

Inhale left side squeezes,

Exhale right side squeezes,

Spiral energy,

Left side,

Right side,

Binding you closer and closer to your center.

Feel it as though it is a centripetal force,

The breath moving through the body on a circular path directed towards its center.

Imagine what this force feels like as you exist in space right now.

What is at your center?

Spotless reality,

Perfection and acceptance of the duality of life and death,

Of creation and destruction as you exist in space right now,

Pure potential.

Not only are you bad,

You are the source of that.

You came of it and then you create inside of the world.

You are the source of the void and you are what fills it.

Your core central truth bound to your center is that you are both and there is no separation between one or the other.

And they are both acceptable ways to exist in the human experience.

Wherever you're at,

Let's breathe together.

Getting all the air out of your lungs first and inhaling for 4,

3,

2,

1.

Exhale 4,

3,

2,

1.

In 4,

3,

2,

1.

Out 4,

3,

2,

1.

In 4,

3,

2,

1.

Out 4,

3,

2,

1.

In 4,

3,

2,

1.

Out 4,

3,

2,

1.

Deepen the breath.

4,

3,

2,

1.

Out 4,

3,

2,

1.

In 4,

3,

2,

1.

Out 4,

3,

2,

1.

Let your natural breath rhythm come to the surface.

Observe it.

As lightly as a butterfly lands on a flower,

As soon as you turn towards it to watch it,

It changes.

This is the great practice of the witness,

To watch it change,

To observe that part of me that feels like the other.

This duality existing in me,

To observe me as though I am an external perspective.

Coming back to the breath.

Left,

Right.

Inhale,

Exhale.

Back and forth.

Self and other.

Coming back to the body,

Back to this physical vessel,

Back to your body in space,

In this room.

Deepening the breath and fill the edges of your physical body.

Inhale and release.

Inhale deeply,

Fill the edges.

Exhale,

Feel at ease.

Whatever position your body is in right now,

Let it grow a little longer.

Using an inhale,

Find length from the crown of the head to the tip of the tailbone.

Maybe a stretch or a wiggle or a squeeze.

Take a final moment to offer gratitude to this container.

An embodiment,

The physical body and the witness inside.

What a gift,

What a perfect gift.

Thank you for breathing and playing with non-duality with me.

It is though I am the self and you are the other,

But really we are the same.

There is no separation.

Reviews

Excellent! A beautiful, transcendent journey, voiced with compassion and crazy wisdom.