Pranayama & Heart's Ease in the Face of What We Can't Control

So,

I thought what we could do this week,

Which would be fun,

Is to do some really simple practices to do some breathing and then some favorite practices that we always do,

Like a body scan and the loving kindness practice.

Whatever you say,

Beth,

I'm going to fall asleep,

But I usually get so relaxed as soon as I come and I hear your voice bang.

Your voice is very soothing,

Beth.

Very.

Okay,

So,

Let's see.

Let's start with that breath practice.

It's called a CREO,

Which is Sanskrit for cleansing,

Where,

And I will tell us how to change as we go along.

You start with slow,

You go to a regular speed,

And then you go to a fast speed.

And yeah,

So just take your seat and get comfortable.

And close your eyes,

Sit in a way that you feel really supported.

Just relaxing but supporting.

And just start with a slow breath,

A very relaxed breath.

And,

Yes?

I heard,

I thought you sounded like a cat or something.

Nope.

You may hear all kinds of things from all the construction going on.

So with slow breath.

And enjoy it.

Relax.

Relax into it.

Arrange your seat more comfortably if you need to.

And now a normal speed breath.

Yes.

Now a fast breath really using your diaphragm.

Really put yourself into it.

And a slow breath again.

And really feel what your breath feels like.

Let that fill you up.

And just take a regular speed breath again.

Fast breath.

Slow breath.

And now a regular speed breath.

Last fast breath.

And a slow breath to finish and really let yourself rest.

And as you rest,

Notice how you feel.

See if there are any changes between when we started and now.

And resting in any positive change that's happened in the last few minutes,

Put your attention on the top of your head,

Really concentrate there just by putting your mind and your heart on the sensations on the top of your head and on your forehead and on your eyebrows and see if there's any holding in those muscles that want to release that are ready to release now.

Is there any holding that has just become a habit that you haven't noticed that all of a sudden you can notice now between your brows,

All around your eyes.

See if suddenly you can feel that and let it release.

And as your breath goes in and out,

All through your nose,

All through those cavities,

See what that feels like.

And there too,

Notice if there's any tension that's usually just so automatic that we don't notice it.

But right now you might feel it and you might enjoy letting that spot rest.

And the same all around your mouth and your lips.

So still breathing in and out through your nose,

Let that breath come all into your mouth and let it kind of soothe and polish so that your tongue and your palate and the gums,

Everything releases.

And release the hinge of your jaw.

Rest the back of your neck and the front and the side.

So you just have this restful airway where the breath goes in and out,

Softly polishing everything that's rough and needs resting.

Okay not yet.

Feel your breath and let it come into your sternum,

Into the joints of your shoulders,

Into your wing bones,

So that these places feel open and rested.

And send your breath to your elbows,

Your wrists,

And all the joints in your hand,

So that all these spots can open,

Be freed up,

Can relax,

And rest in that.

Let your wrists,

Your hands,

Your fingers,

Really feel this kind of tension,

This rest that you're sending them,

An acknowledgement of all the work that your body is doing all the time,

And that we're now taking a break from.

This activity that we're here for,

To send ourselves and each other kindness.

And send breath to all the vertebrae in your spine,

Particularly if that's a place of any aching and fatigue.

Do what you can to make this spot now comfortable,

All up and down your spine,

Let it rest.

Send breath into your hip joints there too.

If there's chronic fatigue,

Pain,

There's years of work,

Send a kind breath and a kind attention.

And any physical pain that doesn't dispel,

Let that spot be rest,

Sorry,

Be bathed in your kind attention.

Do the same for your knees and your ankles.

Do the same for your knees.

Do the same for your knees.

A soft,

Patient,

Diligent breath into your hips,

Your knees,

And your ankles.

And rest your feet on the earth.

Let the earth support you.

Support your body,

Support your feet.

So that again you're really resting,

You're being held by all these physical supports.

And as your feet rest,

Let them feel the relief again for all the work they do for us.

Every day,

Years and years,

Decades.

And now in response you're sending them kind attention.

So rest in this kind attention.

Put that in the foreground.

Whatever's true is fine,

But rest and relax in the kind attention.

And now keeping your eyes closed,

Bring your perception to your hearing as I gently ring the bell for us to go from breathing to meditation.

And bring forward all the good feelings that we've been gathering as we do the metta,

Or goodwill meditation.

And with this goodwill that may very well be arising from what we've been doing,

See who comes to mind that you already have kind feelings for.

And will send that being the metta wishes.

May they be safe from inner and outer harm.

Drop those words,

May they be safe from inner and outer harm.

Drop them into your heart and see how that feels.

May they be safe from inner and outer harm.

May they be content and happy.

Safe,

Content,

Happy.

And may their heart be at ease with the truth of their life.

Send these wishes out to your dear one and see how you feel as a result of this generosity.

Safe from inner and outer harm.

Happy and content.

Heart's ease.

And now the way the metta practice is structured is that we start with an easy object of our attention.

To kind of lift and stabilize our heart.

And as we continue,

That is continue to stabilize our heart's contentment.

We pick other objects to send these wishes to.

That will help our mind grow.

See who would be interesting right now.

Some traditional choices.

Everyone in the room.

Everyone in this community.

Some of the beings who reliably help us but who we don't have contact with directly.

People who keep things running for us.

People who have hard jobs that they do reliably.

See who would feel good to send the wishes to right now.

And again the first wish.

Be safe from inner and outer harm.

Somehow may there be a way for you to be happy and content.

And may there be a way for your heart to be at ease.

Safe,

Content,

Hearts ease.

And now to continue to build our hearts ease.

Again for a minute,

Bring your perception from the sensation of your heart to the sound of the bell.

So with your eyes closed,

Just listen to the bell.

Let yourself hear it.

Let's all just rest in the sound.

And as the sound fades,

We'll continue and we'll do the Upaka or hearts ease meditation.

And think of some situation where you'd like to promote your hearts ease.

Let yourself experience how there's just things that we cannot control,

Situations and people.

Think about which of those situations and people it would feel good to have a little more hearts ease.

And the lack of this powerlessness that's just part of reality,

Part of human life.

And then who comes to mind.

And then here are the traditional wishes.

In spite of my best efforts,

Things are as they are,

But my best efforts still count.

I can't control others thoughts,

Words or actions.

But there too,

My good wishes and my best efforts count.

And rest in the truth of those two things.

Rest in the truth of powerless and of the comfort of goodwill in the face of powerlessness.

Others won't change unless they wish to change.

But may my heart be at ease in the face of all this.

In spite of my best effort,

Things are as they are.

I can't control others thoughts,

Words or actions.

But again my good wishes and good efforts still count.

And others won't change unless they wish to change.

And may my heart be at ease.

And let yourself rest and enjoy the somewhat complex truth that in the face of powerlessness,

There's still kind heartedness that can be exerted towards oneself and others.

And that can be very satisfying.

And that can come to the forefront of your heart and mind.

Now think about the situation and the person for whom you've been sending these wishes.

And see who else you want to do it for.

Who right now would it be interesting and useful to send these wishes of peace and kindness to?

What situations are out of your control but could really profit from having you strengthen your heart's ease in that context?

See what comes to mind.

Is it an interaction?

Is it a physical pain?

Is it something you'd like to accomplish?

See what would be interesting and will send the wishes again.

In spite of my best efforts,

Things are as they are.

And my best efforts still count.

I can't control others' thoughts,

Words,

Or actions.

But my good efforts still count.

Others won't change unless they wish to.

And may my heart be at ease.

And the way they GPS for our dear friends when we're so tired they don't really know how to report a Bring your attention to sound again.

As we continue.

As we continue.

And we'll go back to the Kriya,

The cleansing practice.

So let any good feelings that have arisen,

Let yourself rest in them.

Let any stirring up,

Restlessness,

Confusion,

Doubt,

Fatigue,

Let that come up as well.

So the whole truth of life is right here.

And we'll do the breathing practice again.

It helps to settle and balance so that our hearts remain content and stable.

As we go through all the activities and disturbances of the world.

Let's start with a comfortable,

Slow breath.

And now regular speed breath.

Let's go back to the Kriya.

Fast breath.

Slow breath again.

Just be with your breath,

Don't try to produce any result.

And let the practice bring any changes.

And a fast breath.

Slow breath.

Regular speed.

Last fast breath.

Slow breath and rest,

Really rest.

And to finish,

We do the contemplation,

The meditation of dedicating the merit.

So feel any goodwill that's come up today,

Any contentment,

Any feeling of heart's ease,

Let yourself feel that.

And consider the notion that every time you come here or at home and you do these practices,

That this becomes your new way of experiencing and responding to the world.

And this notion of this new stability,

Growing stability of heart's ease.

Now let yourself think about that,

Carrying that out with you into the world as a way of meeting whatever happens.

And feeling that feeling,

That feeling of confidence of growing heart's ease as your way of being.

And again,

Bring your attention to the sound of the bell and then open your eyes when you're ready.

Good?

It was good,

I'm glad.

Yeah,

I'm glad.

Yes,

Please.

Oh,

It's the same?

So relaxing,

I fell asleep.

That's okay.

And then the question was,

What do I get out of it?

The same as you.

There's,

Let's see,

Let me articulate that because that's kind of,

That could be an offhand comment,

It's not meant to be.

There's this notion,

There's this thing called the Bodhisattva Vow.

Say it again?

There's this thing called the Bodhisattva Vow,

If you've heard the word Bodhisattva.

And it's a vow that people take when they want to teach meditation.

And one of the lines that I think is my favorite is,

It says,

There's two lines.

Suffering is endless,

I vow to end all suffering.

Say it again?

Suffering is endless,

I vow to end all suffering.

Beings are numberless,

I vow to help all beings.

So the notion is,

Just the way I was saying,

How with these practices we can think about how we're powerless and wish hearts ease in the face of it.

So to teach means that I am wishing people hearts ease and trying to explain how that grows for me and sharing the ways of doing that.

So it's like my favorite thing to do.

Thank you so much,

And we're the recipients of your kindness.

That's right,

That's what I was asking.

You know,

She gives so much to us,

What is she getting at?

Yeah,

No,

I can't think of anything that's as good as ice cream.

Really?

Yes.

You are the kindest.

And ice cream is my favorite,

So it's as good as ice cream.

Good?

Good.

Wow.

Good,

Thank you.

I fell asleep,

I just get so relaxed as soon as I hear your voice.

You kind of hit,

You're hypnotic.

That's funny.

It's true.