In the tradition of Tantric Buddhism,
There is the notion that we each have a subtle body.
The subtle body is the body's energetic layer.
It is like a bridge between the physical body and the mind.
In meditation,
We can discover our subtle body as a felt experience.
This is the feeling of all over-aliveness of the body.
When we direct attention to that aliveness,
The body's layer of subtle energy,
It becomes a powerful doorway over time to calm,
Clarity,
And insight.
Attention to the subtle body helps you enter the here and now,
Present moment awareness,
While remaining grounded and embodied.
What follows is a simple version of this practice.
To begin,
First turn attention to your posture.
Sit with the back straight,
But not rigid.
Now take three deep cleansing breaths.
Inhale deep into your belly,
And then exhale fully and completely.
At the end of your exhale,
Keep going beyond where you would normally stop,
And exhale out every last drop of air.
With each exhale,
Release tension in the neck and back.
Release any stale energy in the body.
Release anything you're holding onto with the mind or emotions.
After your third exhale,
Let your breath return to its natural rhythm.
Let the body and mind settle into a relaxed and natural state of just being.
Now turn your attention to the subtle feeling of the air on your skin.
This might be most easily felt where some skin is exposed,
On your face,
Your hands,
Or your feet.
If you are wearing short sleeves,
You might be able to feel the air on your arms.
This sensation is a slightly cool,
Bright feeling.
Even if there is no breeze in the room,
You will be able to feel a subtle,
Vibrant sensation wherever your skin is open to the air.
Let your attention settle there and stay with that feeling.
It is almost as if the feeling had a magnetic quality that holds your mind there.
Let this settling be permission to release involvement with the thinking mind.
Lay down the burden of thinking and just be present with sensation.
You will now stay with sensation for a minute or two.
You will notice that to stay here,
Your attention needs to be gently focused on the sensation,
Not tightly focused.
There is a balance between focus and relaxation that allows you to stay here with this feeling.
You will notice that thoughts still dance around the periphery of your attention.
These thoughts that dance around the periphery are fine.
They are energy events arising out of the subtle body.
If you become involved in the content of a thought,
It turns into distraction.
When you notice that you are hooked by a thought,
Just that noticing can be enough to allow the mind to draw back to the sensation of the air on your skin.
Once again,
Settle on this subtle sensation of coolness,
Brightness,
Or aliveness.
The sensation of your feeling body.
Now gradually,
Let your attention widen out to include the entire body.
In order to do this,
It helps to think of your mind as a handful of salt and your body as a vase of warm water.
Place the handful of salt into the water,
Letting your mind's attention dissolve all over the feeling body.
This is a diffuse sensation.
It is the all-over,
Subtle,
Energetic,
Uplifting,
Vibratory sense of aliveness throughout your body.
It is like a quiet hum in the background of your experience.
You are now resting in the subtle body as a felt sense.
To stay with the subtle body,
Keep your attention sustained on this all-over body aliveness,
Relaxed and open,
Awareness mixed inseparably with the body.
Remembering the image of the salt dissolved in water can help.
You will also notice that there is a pervasive sense of well-being in the subtle body.
This is called natural sukkha,
Or natural bliss,
In the language of Buddhist tantra.
Rest at ease in the body's all-over aliveness with this felt quality of natural bliss.
You will still notice thoughts dancing at the periphery of your awareness,
As if they were trying to grab your attention.
But now you do not have to redirect your attention from them.
Instead look vividly at a thought and recognize it for what it is,
An energy event.
The thoughts arise out of the subtle body like small tsunamis.
They also dissolve back into the subtle body.
If you can avoid getting enmeshed in the content of a thought,
Its energy truth is revealed.
It then dissolves naturally back into the subtle body.
Sit for a while with this all-over aliveness of the subtle body,
Letting thoughts arise,
Abide,
And dissolve naturally as the manifestation of the body's energy.
Body-mind as one.
Now,
Reaching the end of the practice session,
We conclude with a phase called release.
For the phase of release,
Let go of effortful meditation and enter a state of naturalness.
To support this,
On a deep out-breath,
Let go of any sense of effort or focus.
Let your awareness widen out to become all-encompassing.
Let the mind and body be free,
Open,
Effortless,
And panoramic.
Just being present as you are is enough,
With senses open,
Mind open,
Heart open,
Breath open.
Finally,
It is time to end the meditation.
In Buddhist practice,
We often end with a short prayer,
An intention to pay forward whatever benefit we have accrued for the good of others and the good of the world.
You may take a moment now to formulate your prayer.
May the blessings of wisdom and compassion be with you.
Thank you for your practice.
