Bring a deep investigation of subtleties of experience of breath to aid in developing concentration and interest. Looking with care and sense of wonder so the mind is both curious and relaxed.
Understanding meditation practice in the context of dharma. Reflections on how the body (and our dinner) is created from conditions. Exploration of impermanence (anicca) and not-self (anatta) teachings in reference to the body, soup & spoons.
In standing posture, begin with sensing the whole form – what’s around that and what’s in that. Body can be sensed in layers, starting with a basic sense of presence to the most primary level of “I am”, the sense of being a distinct object.
Beginning with standing position, take time to sense the space around that is non-intrusive, safe. Strengthening from the ground up, through the arch of the foot, and sending signals down, rooting. When you do feel centered you can maintain a center – that’s the most important thing.
Standing posture is in between sitting and walking. Standing immediately asks for whole presence and balance. These are great reference points – losing these throws us into structures of identification. [Walking instructions begin 18:37] Sustain sense of embodied presence. Notice tendencies to engage with eyes, pull with head, lose parts of the body. The whole body walks as space opens around your body.
Guidance to sense into the 3 reference points, something the body knows but mind doesn’t. Amplify the sense of here-ness, lessen the sense of place and time. A here that’s always here, lessening engagement with what’s not always here. Best done in the experience of body.
The fundamental unit of existence is “me” and we try to fill in this existence, “myself”, the center that orients my actions. The mind creates entities, fixed objects. In meditation we can see they’re not fixed at all, just resonances.
Meditation instruction for attending to the fluidity of experience, for tracking the naturally unfolding nature of phenomena in body, heart, mind and world.
These morning meditation instructions explore the expanding of attention, to including the various elements of emotional experience and mental states that colour consciousness.
Martin explores the ground of meditation practice as the right-here-ness of experience and awareness. He points to an embodied practice, opening ourselves up to an availability to whatever presents itself.