Alignment

Align –Aligned -Alignment - Proper/precise adjustment of body parts and mental functions relative to each other.

One of the most critical functions and goals of “Seated meditation" is the ability to relax the body and mind and broaden and deepen our awareness in the moment... at will.

Take fifty quarters and stack them one atop another, you can stack them high in relaton to the base without the stack toppling. Because the mass of the coins is stacked/aligned with the pull of gravity – gravity is pulling through the stack… not against it. If you stack them at an angle “ off center of the base” it reduces the ability to stack the coins beyond a certain point – thus causing misalignment and tension, the effect being to tip, wobble or topple over.

Substitute the coins with the skull, vertebrae of the spine and neck and the natural organic curvature of the spine. Allowing the spine to dwell in a stable, relaxed and perpendicular alignment with the base and in line with gravity – the skull, spine and bones of the body will surrender to gravity without surrendering its uprightness, misalign these “pieces” of the body though and it won’t topple over because the mind and musculature will exert great effort/tension/activity to keep itself upright – this excessive muscular tension will hinder the body and mind from entering a state of relaxed awareness.

Proper alignment will negate any undue muscle/mind activity trying to keep the body upright/aligned within gravity.
When this activity is not needed to support the trunk, neck and skull, the muscles will relax completely – Mind and body may now enter a state of dynamic balance/equilibrium, allowing the mind then to concentrate on its practice… to be tranquil and quiet... so you can see, investigate and study...

“Whether sitting or standing release all tension - be completely aligned between heaven and earth… surrender the entire weight of your body to gravity - surrender your mind and body within space and time to awareness and the saturation by your Vital Essence – extend, remain tall, resilient, relaxed in body and alert in mind/awareness”

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