Breath device

The breath is the primary physical device used in sitting meditation to focus, investigate, realize and fully engage true and temporary mind, while facilitating the ability to relax mind and body.

Mind yoga - “Brain aerobics/mind calisthenics/grey matter exercise” - Mental practices to develop, clarify and focus basic mind activities: Maneuvers, operations, or drills carried out for managing thoughts, training and discipline of mind and by extension the body and being.

“These “drills” are synchronous with “Centering”
and maintaining the physical posture of zazen”.

Mind posture one - Counting inhalations and exhalations
On the exhale count “One”… On the inhale count “Two”.
“Voice” the counting in the throat without making a sound – extending the count for the duration of the cycle - maintain the cycle to “ten” then begin again. Pay attention - If a thought, any thought arises in the process of the count see it fully and its content-acknowledge it-let it go and begin again at “one”. Ideally we want to be able to count to ten with no thoughts interrupting, and if they do we are aware of them and restart from “one” (the process is always the goal and the goal always the process) - relax, pay attention and concentrate.

Mind posture two - Counting exhalations only
Inhale then exhale “wonnnnn” “voice” the count in the throat and mind without making a sound, simultaneously extend the exhalation longer than the inhalation – do not count the inhalations – but be aware of them – continue to “tennnnn” – repeat.
Synchronize the count with the breath – start of the exhale/start the count, end of the exhale/end of the count – expel all the air out of the lungs comfortably to the end of the exhalation. Relax, pay attention and concentrate.

Mind posture three – Counting the inhalations only
Exhale then inhale count “wonnnnn” “voice” the count in the throat and mind without making a sound, extend the exhalation longer than the inhalation – do not count the exhalations – but be aware of them – continue to “tennnnn” – repeat.
Synchronize the count with the breath – start of the inhale/start the count, end of the inhale/end of the count – expel all the air out of the lungs comfortably to the end of the exhalation. Relax, pay attention and concentrate.

Mind posture four - Following the breath
Following your inhale and exhale with the maximum concentrative power of your attention, gently extend the exhalation a little longer than the inhalation – extending the out-breath through space and time…

At the end of the intake pause for the briefest moment… for 1/64th of a second… pay attention to this point in time and space concentrating your attention and awareness – feeling the air start to leave the lungs of its own accord actively relax and extend body - let the breath gently initiate its movement out of the body – mentally be aware and engage the Center point and the sensations of body and breath in the exhale, pay attention as it deflates the abdomen, through the chest/lungs into the throat and out the nose – feel it, be with it as it makes its journey.

At the end of the exhalation the air naturally enters the nose, through the throat into and filling the lungs – watch/pay attention/be aware of the lower abdomen, sides and lower back expanding like a balloon as the breath enters the body – The Vital essence is guided by your awareness and intention as it flows down into your Center point simultaneously with the in-breath… relax, pay attention and concentrate… repeat.

Mind posture five - Being the breath…
“The breath and you are not two” let the breath be intricately entwined within body and mind – let it support and permeate your attention, awareness and being… “Mind is not privy to this”

“Nothing else exists but the breath within the posture of body and mind… yet the phenomenal world is still present…”

“Its as if you are in a boat, eyes gazing at the water as you drift down river –
Feel the movements of the ship and the river, linked yet different.
All other phenomena are by themselves, vivid and unprocessed.”

Mind posture six - Sitting in active stillness
Assume zazen posture, be aware of thoughts and sensations as if you were watching a movie, or sitting on the bank of a river watching ships go by, or gazing into a bonfire but not being mesmerized by the flames. See thoughts enter and pass away without incident – refrain from engaging them, see them feel them - watch as they rise and pass away… Do not engage the thoughts with intellect or emotion – just see/watch them come and go – let your senses function of their own accord without reactive processing by the mind – do not block or hinder their purest functions nor engage them beyond their input to your awareness; eyes are aware of eye things, ears are aware of ear things, nose aware of nose things, taste aware of taste things, skin aware of skin things.

Be aware of and maintain the posture of mind and body keeping absolutely still yet resilient within the subtle movements of a body alive… relax, pay attention and concentrate.

“Gathering without movement of mind or body.
Only sitting in serene intensity of awareness –
Dwell in resilient stillness of body and mind…
The five senses by themselves”.

Thinking and practice – When doing zazen, any thought that arises other than the practice at hand, should be noticed/seen as a thought, mentally recognized/acknowledged and gently let it go, and begin again at “one” or “wonnnnn”, if following the breath see/acknowledge/let go of the thought then consciously deliberately return to and resume following the breath, being aware, concentrate and relax.

Verification of the stage less stage – If you are paying attention and practicing diligently within the form/stages they should verify themselves. There is one “constant principal” at work throughout these mind postures – seek to ferret out this principal through paying attention, inquiry and faith. Working with a meditation guide/teacher will help to verify and steer you in the right direction so you can verify the practice of the various stages for your self – ultimately meditation is self verifying, a guide will help you stay on the path to this “self verification”.