Let Your Body Do the Sitting

Sean guides us through the classical mindfulness of breathing instructions from the Pali Canon. This simple sequence goes through 3 steps: 1) Know the breath as short, long, in, and out; 2) Breathe into the whole body; and 3) Try to relax.

Transcript

And bring the body into a comfortable, Tall posture. Connecting with the movement of the breath, You might begin taking a few full breaths. Breathing for a few moments in a way that's as pleasurable, Delicious as possible. If breathing a little deeper brings in some pleasure or ease doing that. Relaxing the breath, Broadening the breath. Adjust the breath so it feels good. And then enjoying that pleasure. Turning the attention fully toward the experience of breathing without letting go of the sense of the whole body and its posture. Wherever you track the breath, Whether at the nose tip or the chest or the belly or through the whole body, You can hold in your awareness the gentle sense of the whole body as a field of sensation and presence. The classical instructions on mindfulness of breathing begin with a simple awareness that knows the physical details of the breath. It knows whether the breath is long or short. This is in a way a very simple mindfulness. And you can use a kind of naming. When there's a short breath, Just thinking short breath. The longer breath, Just thinking long breath or using any words that work for you. But this is mindfulness at its simplest. Just knowing what's happening. No analysis, No extra metaphysics. Just long breath. And with this, Knowing that the breath is coming in or going out. And again, You can use a simple label. Breathing in or breathing out. Breathing in long, Breathing out long. Breathing in short, Breathing out short. And the next instructions deal with the whole body. Breathing in, Sensing the whole body. Feeling the full length of the breath and how the breath moves through the whole body. Feel the opening of the breath out into the arms and hands, Legs and feet. Down to the root of the pelvic bowl, Up to the dome of the head. Filling the cathedral of the ribs, The lungs. Breathing into the whole body. Here's where the instruction toward pleasure can really flower. Can we breathe in a way where we can feel it through the whole body and enjoy it through the whole body? If the mind is racing or troubled or finds it difficult to land with the breath, You might open the eyes to keep attention here in the room. Or use more words in your mind. Sometimes I'll just talk to myself about the breath. Like this. Breathing in, In, In, In. Pausing, Breathing out, Out, Out. That was a long breath. In, In, Out, Out. That was a short breath. Breathing in, Breathing in, Feeling the whole body. Breath in the arms. Breathing out. However, You need to train the mind to stay interested. Usually we only need to do this for a few moments and then we get the connection, We get plugged into the cycle. And then you can use fewer words in the mind. But it's better to use more words than to be lost in distraction. If it's difficult to connect with the pleasure of breathing, You might again let the eyes open, Connect with the body and its sitting posture and connect with the pleasure of something else. The beauty of the space you're in or the people you're with. The relief at finally sitting still after a long day of running around. Or a little pleasurable hum in the hands or feet. Pathway into the body is through ease, Through pleasure, Through appreciation. Enjoy the breath through the whole body. And the last of the initial classical instructions for the breath, After noting the lengths of the breath and the in and out breath, And then bringing the breath to the whole body, Is then the encouragement to relax the body. So that breath and calm work together, Softening through the whole body, Relaxing the face, Shoulders, Ribs and belly. This is where having a really stable, Comfortable posture shows up for you. Here's where you get to begin to let go of the effort, Soften through the musculature. Let your body do the sitting, The breathing, And the mind simply delighting in the breath, Delighting in the feeling of the breath and the whole body, Relaxing, Calming the whole body. This is in a way also an antidote to the anxious or spinning or worried mind. If the attention is fully with the body, Relaxing in the present, Not allowing the mind to leap into story, And even if there's pain or the kind of restlessness that becomes anxiety in the mind, If the body is buzzing, It's still going to be calmer to bring attention into a spacious breath being with that vibration, Or with something else pleasurable, Again, The room, The people, The beauty around you, The temperature of the air, Then to fall into the whirlpool of story that only amplifies the discomfort of the anxious body-mind. Come out of story and into the full body breath, And at the very least, Come out of the past and future, And into the here and now in the space where you're sitting. Notice something beautiful, Or at least neutral, And relax the breath and body around that perception. From here, We just spiral into these basic instructions, Knowing the breath, Bringing the breath to the full body, Calming the body, Knowing the breath, Bringing the breath to the full body, Relaxing the whole body. This is the pathway toward the sweet ease of samadhi. Stay with pleasure, And if you lose pleasure, Start again. Open the eyes, Move a little, Reset, Find ease, And then reconnect.