Hello friends,
Welcome back.
Thank you for continuing this journey as we are reading the mindfulness meditation instructions.
This is part four,
The four elements.
This is from the Refuge Recovery book written by Noah Levine,
Picking up on page 197.
As we direct mindfulness to the body,
We begin to understand that all that is being experienced here in the body are the four elements.
With each breath,
We experience the air element.
Warmth or coolness in the body directs us to the experience of the fire element.
Saliva in the mouth,
Blinking of the eyes,
And beating of the heart are the water element.
And the contact with the chair,
Cushions,
Or footstep draws our attention to the earth element.
This body we've investigated shows us that the skeleton is earth.
The skeleton is surrounded by water-based muscles and organs.
The muscles and organs are warm.
We have a natural fire inside.
And the body is a porous breathing organism.
Not only is air entering and exiting through the nose and mouth,
The skin itself is constantly breathing.
Sit in meditation and observe closely all aspects of this body.
Name what element you are being mindful of in each moment.
See if you can find any part of the body that is not of the four elements.
Perhaps you will speculate about the experience of thought or emotion being non-material.
And although from one perspective this is true,
It is through the four elements that we have a brain and heart to give rise to thoughts and emotions.
So technically they are part of the four elements too.
This is what it is like when all four elements come together in the form of a living human body.
The body experiences emotions,
The mind experiences thoughts,
And they both experience pleasure and pain.
And this concludes this portion of the reading.
We'll get back together for part 5,
Corpse,
The Death Meditation.
Stay well friends.
