Tara Brach - Meditation: Homecoming with the Breath

Episode Date: February 4, 2021

Meditation: Homecoming with the Breath - This meditation focuses on the breath as an anchor for homecoming. We begin with an intentional breath (coherence breathing) and then establish the natural breath as a home base. The instructions are to rest in the breath, offering a relaxed, intimate intention. Other waves of sensation or emotion are included when they ask for attention as we cultivate an open and full mindful presence. Our freedom arises as we recognize the formless awareness that is our home, and the natural and ever-changing waves that live through us (a favorite from the archives).

The following meditation is led by Tara Brock. To access more of my meditations or join my email list, please visit tarabrock.com. In the stillness, begin to lengthen the breath so that you can fill the chest in the lungs, inhaling fully, and then a very slow out breath so you can feel the sensations of the breath as you release it Again, a long, deep, full in-breath and a slow, smooth, out-breath, releasing, relaxing outward.

Again, inhaling, filling the chest in the lungs, and exhaling slowly, releasing, softening down the length of the body, letting go. And continuing with this breath, inhaling deeply, filling the chest and lungs. exhaling slowly and matching the length of the in-breath and out-breath. Without pausing in between, if it helps you might count to five as the breath comes in, count to five as the breath goes out, keeping the attention with the breath,

a nice, smooth, even breathing, matched in-breath and out-breath, sensing with the in-breath and opening to receive, and with the out breath, a releasing, relaxing and letting go. And then letting go of any controlling of the breath so the breath can resume in its natural rhythm. Just observing and experiencing the breath, letting the body breathe itself.

As you sense this life breath, you might notice if there's any parts of your body that want to let go and relax a little more. a little more, perhaps the shoulders. Perhaps the hands could soften a little, softening the belly, relaxing the muscles and the legs, letting this life breath be in the foreground. You might notice where you feel the breath most naturally,

most distinctly, or where it feels most pleasant. For some it might be the inflow, outflow at the nose, the whisper of air and the nostrils. For others it might be the rising falling at the chest, maybe the expanding, deflating at the belly. Perhaps you feel the whole body breathing, inflating even in a cellular way,

settling with the out breath. It's resting your attention where the breath calls you. You might notice the possibility of relaxing your whole attention with the breath, resting in the breath like a raft in moving water. And if you find the breath is hard to feel, you might even place the hand on the belly and follow the movement of the breath by feeling the hand, the sensations of the hand there.

And if for whatever reason the breath does not feel like a helpful anchor or home base for you, it's fine to let the attention rest instead and the sensations of other parts of the body, perhaps the hands or the feet, the whole sensation of the body sitting, the sitting posture, awake in your senses, letting the breath or body sensations help you to know that you're right here moment to moment, this breath and now this one and again, as if you could both listen to and feel the breath fully, right, moment to moment. At some point you'll notice the mind's drifted, left the breath and gone into a virtual kind of reality with thinking.

And the practice is when you notice that to gently relax open again, because thoughts are a subtle contraction. Just relax open again. Perhaps listen to the sounds around you, not to rush, but to gently relax your way back to the next in-breath or out-breath, rising breath, falling breath, landing softly, and again resting the attention with the movement of the breath. It's noticing what's it really like the sensations of the breath. So there's an intimate attentiveness and how much is it possible to relax with the movement

of the breath? When the mind has been lost in thinking, the most important thing is the way you come back home to presence. It's a real gentle, relaxing open, reawakening the senses. Aware of the sounds around you. You might gently scan through the body. and notice if there's tight muscles and just soften a little. Reenter the body by relaxing into the body.

Soften the hands. Relax the heart and gently reconnect with the movement of the breath, sensing the breath like waves on the surface of a great sea. Just moving with them. In the background, that great presence, that great awareness, That's our true home. And if some other waves call the attention, strong sensations of unpleasantness or pleasantness,

tightness or heat or ache or twist, or if some strong waves of emotions call the attention, fear, excitement, sorrow. You can continue to be aware of the breath you can breathe with those other waves, including them in your attention, feeling them fully. You're saying yes to whatever arises, offering a gentle, clear, kind presence. And if it helps breathing with it, until those waves no longer calling your attention,

then you can rest again in the movement of the breath. The mind is deeply conditioned to leave, to get lost in clouds of thought, And each time you wake up, each time there's a relaxing back into presence, you're deepening the pathway home, building the habit of arriving right here and now, just this breath. And now this one, a relaxed attentiveness. From the poet Wu Men, 10,000 flowers in spring. The moon in autumn, a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter. If your mind isn't clouded by unnecessary things, this is the best season of your life.

Exploring now the shift from a formal meditation practice to that informal presence, opening your eyes as you're ready and being receptive to the images, colors, forms that are here. Still aware of the sounds around you, aware of the sensations of sitting here. Just slowly exploring, moving a little bit, feeling your body here, awake, alive. And as you're ready, you might mindfully stand and stretch. what your body needs.