Tara Brach - Meditation: The Breath - Portal to Presence (2017-05-31)

Episode Date: June 1, 2017

Meditation: The Breath - Portal to Presence - We start with breathing mindfully to collect and calm the body and mind. Then the attention opens to include the changing flow in a spacious natural presence.

The following meditation is led by Tara Brock. To access more of my meditations or join my email list, please visit tarabrock.com. We open in a simple way with a reflection on our aspiration, our intention for practice. You might feel your breath at your heart, breathing in and out, gentle presence at the heart. Just to ask yourself, what really brings me,

to meditation practice. What is it that I long for? What's my really, my deep intention for being here? And then just listen, see what's true for you. I'm sensing where you feel most sincere about awakening, about presence, about being all that you can be, really, in terms of an awake heart, be aware of this body sitting here, breathing. and then consciously extending the breath so that the in-breath is long and deep and full,

breathing in, and then a very slow out breath, feel the sensations of the breath as it's released. And then another full deep in-breath, a slow-out breath, letting go, letting go. and again breathing in, long, deep in breath. Slow out breath. Continuing in this breath rhythm of a long in-breath, a long, slow out-breath, letting them be matched the same length. No pause in between.

Filling the lungs completely with the in-breath, feeling the sensations released with the end-breath, the out breath, right here, moment to moment, allowing the breath to resume in its natural rhythm is letting your awareness be a witness to the breath. Taking some moments to scan gently through the body, releasing any areas of obvious tension or tightness. Notice if you're holding tension in the shoulders. You might imagine letting whatever's there float in awareness. untangle naturally, soften, let the hands rest in a very easy and effortless way, softening the hands and feeling them from the inside out, the natural play of sensation, vibration,

pulsing, let there be an openness to the chest. You might loosen and soften the belly. You might let this next breath be received in a softened. softening belly. This breath and again this one and now this one relaxing through the whole pelvic region letting go of tightness or tension in the upper legs, halves, the shins, feel the feet from the inside, the aliveness that's there, again feeling the sensations in the hands and then simultaneously this whole body a field of sensation, discovering in the midst of this field of sensation, the particular sensations of the breath, receiving

this life breath, a stream of sensation, aware of the breath as it comes in and aware of the breath as it goes out. You might rest with the breath as sensations at the nostrils, or maybe it's the expanding and settling at the chest or the act. abdomen, or you might prefer to feel this whole body breathing, even in a cellular way, inflating a bit like a balloon and settling. Notice how much with the in-breath there can be a quality of receptivity, opening to receive the breath, and with the out-breath a letting go, as if you could dissolve outward and follow the breath out into infinite space. Moment to moment, resting with the breath, relaxing with the breath. At some point you'll realize that your attention's drifted.

It's completely natural that we leave the present moment, go off into thoughts. And that noticing is really a precious moment of waking up when you realize, oh, been often a dream. It's a time to pause and gently relax back to the life that's right here. You might pause and begin by just listening to the sounds around you, remembering that you're here. As part of that pause, you might re-relax a little. When the mind is in thoughts, the body tenses up some. Re-relax those shoulders, letting go.

the hands, letting the belly be soft, gently arriving again in the next in-breath or out-breath, rising breath or falling breath. If some strong energy comes up that's calling your attention, it might be physical pain or unpleasantness, some tension or heat or squeezing or stabbing or burning, could be emotional, anxiety, sadness, anger. It could be pleasant, real sense of rippling sensations of excitement or joy or happiness. Then include what's here. Feel it as sensations in the body.

Notice how it changes. If it's difficult to be with you, you might breathe with it. Let the breath help you to be with you to be with you. be with what's here. The practice is to say yes to what arises and included in our attention with kindness and interest. And if it's no longer calling your attention to gently relax again with the movement of the breath. When in doubt, arrive again with the breath. Let the breath be your home base, a place where you can know that you're right here, right now. Relax with the movement of the breath.

Notice what it's like when you really let go and dissolve outward with the exhale. It doesn't matter how much the mind drifts. You can come back in any moment letting this life breath be a portal to presence. Just this breath. And now this one. And again, we'll close with a very simple practice

of loving kindness, bringing the attention to the heart and feeling the breath at the heart. You might gently place your hands on your heart, one or both, and listening inwardly just sense what blessing or wish feels most resonant right now that you'd like to offer to your own life, to your own heart. Let it be a whispered prayer in your mind and heart. And feeling that tenderness of heart, that heart space that includes all beings. Sense what your wish or prayer is for all beings.