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Meditation

The Foundation of Meditation

Embodiment and Breath

Introduction

In many cultures and traditions, breath is a metaphor for vital energy, for the spirit and for movement. In some languages such as Hebrew, Latin and Greek the word for breath and spirit are the same or come from the same root. It seems people have always understood that there is an inextricable link between the breath and all of the levels of our being. It is not surprising, therefore, that disciplines that seek to develop and enhance the body/mind/spirit connection are often centered on the use of the breath. Yoga and certain schools of meditation heavily influenced by Yoga such as Tibetan Buddhist meditation use the breath as the key tool in training the body and the mind. In this discussion I will focus on Somatic Meditation (body-centered meditation) in the Tibetan tradition as taught by Reginald Ray PhD with whom I studied and practiced for thirteen years.

A Brief Reflection on the Anatomy/Kinesiology/Psychology of Exhalation

From a physical perspective, we know that resting exhalation (Tidal Volume Exhalation) is a more passive action than inhalation. Even at rest (Tidal Volume Inhalation), the in-breath requires the diaphragm to contract and move down allowing more space for air to come in. The auxiliary muscles of inhalation assist in opening the rib cage and stretching the lungs to create a vacuum that “automatically” causes the lungs to (at least partially) fill. In Tidal Volume (resting) exhalation the natural elasticity of the lungs as they move back to their original state is enough to expel air (at least partially). The diaphragm moves up to its resting position as its contraction is released. Its change of position assists in emptying air from the lungs but it is not actively pushing upward. Both the inspiratory and expiratory muscles remain relaxed. Thus, this type of exhalation is naturally conductive to a state of physical relaxation.

More active forms of breathing (inhalation and exhalation reserve volume – IRV and ERV) make more use of the auxiliary muscles of inhalation and exhalation to take in and expel greater volumes of air. There are many variations on this stronger breathing both voluntary and involuntary as the body adapts to different levels of activity and stress. We will not look at these in detail except to note that any change in demands on the body changes breathing patterns. Inversely, we know from the Yogic and Meditation traditions and more recently from scientific measurement, changing the type and rate of breathing has a clearly measurable effect on heart rate, circulation, body temperature etc.

In our culture (and many others) we have an innate acceptance of the linkage between breath and mental/emotional state. We have popular expressions such as “take a deep breath” when some is becoming angry or frightened. We advise “don’t hold your breath” to some one with unrealistic expectations. Most of us have had the experience of holding our breath during a tense emotional situation and slowing letting the breath out as the tension dissipates. Unfortunately, sometimes the tension never dissipates. A number of noted psychologists and many schools of body work state that in our society most of us live to a greater or lesser degree in a permanent state of “holding on”. In their view this tension is created because we are literally holding on to our muscles, our breath and our self concept in an attempt to stay in control of our worlds. It is no wonder that multi-billion dollar industries exist claiming to deliver the elusive perfectly relaxed and carefree life. Unfortunately, the greatest massage or vacation or bank account rarely results in lasting release from tension. It would seem that we need approaches and tools that can be integrated into our daily lives on all levels. Yoga and certain schools of meditation use the body as the way in to finding deep rest, letting go of unwanted barriers and making lasting change. It would seem that these tools can be of great benefit for those of us “Waiting to Exhale”*.

*Title of a novel by Terri McMillan, 2006

Reginald Ray - The View :

Reginald Ray PhD (Reggie) has studied, practiced and taught meditation in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition for almost 40 years. His “home base” of teaching is from the lineage of the great Tibetan Master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. His other main focus had been an in depth exploration of the main schools of Tibetan Yoga. Through this extensive study and practice of Buddhism and Yoga he has developed a unique approach which he calls “somatic meditation” or “meditating with the body”©. In his view the direction of the practice is to become “fully embodied”.

Tibetan (and many other Buddhist) teachers have long realized that most Western people live in a deeply “disembodied” state, alienated from our bodies and cut off from direct, full experience of life. Our concepts and mental images of our bodies are a strange collage of habitual mental patterns and programming from our culture and the media it embraces. A sad consequence of this fact is that many Western meditators, even after years of practice, continue to experience meditation as a solely mental process that, while it may be restful and briefly calming, fails to bring about fundamental change in their lives and relationships.

Tibetan Yoga and Meditation is firmly rooted in “embodied practices” – it is a direct challenge to the idea that enlightenment can be reached in a disembodied state. The basic view is that to obtain realization we must practice in such way that we become fully and completely embodied. Modern teachers of these Tibetan practices go so far as to say that unless we can begin to release the deep tension in every layer of our physical, mental and emotional being, we cannot meditate in the truest sense. Separate from this tradition, a number of modern Western bodywork modalities have also found that working with the body is the most direct way to deeply release stored physical, mental and emotional patterns and programming.

The traditional practice of Tibetan Yoga is somewhat esoteric and designed for advanced practitioners. However, certain of the more basic practices are quite accessible to relative beginners in meditation. Reginald Ray has taken some of these latter practices and created a series of somatic or body meditations that take the student on an ever-deepening exploration of the body/mind and its relationship to the earth. The vehicle for this exploration is the breath. He describes the breath as having many levels, the most obvious being the physical but under that increasingly subtle energetic layers. He speaks of the breath as “the life force of our body and our mind”. Using the physical breath first then going ever deeper, we come upon the source of our deepest vitality – our “true self”. The first several practices emphasize releasing to gravity, re-establishing our physical and energetic connection to the Mother earth.

Reggie Ray has developed what he calls “Somatic Protocols” – there are about 10 main protocols each with a number of variations. Each of the protocols in his series entitled Your Breathing Body is practiced first lying down and then sitting in the traditional meditation posture.

Foundational Practice – The Ten Points Practice

I was first attracted to Reginald Ray’s work after receiving (as a gift) the book based on his PhD thesis, Touching Enlightenment. A year later in 2007, I purchased his practice series, Your Breathing Body and began to use the first few practices regularly. I ended up becoming a Vajryana practitioner with Dharma Ocean, Reggie’s organization. I studied and practiced with Reggie for 12 years. The practice I use most often is the Ten Points practice and I have incorporated it into my teaching in a shortened form as a meditation on it’s own and in preparation for seated meditation.

The Ten Points practice is designed to develop awareness of our tension on ever increasingly subtle levels. It is said that when we let our attention go deeply enough – we will feel the tension even in the bones. The ten points are described as particular energetic points of contact of our body with the earth. In this practice we begin the process of letting go of our tension, our programmed concept of our body and our assumptions about the limitations of our greater Self.

The position for the lying down practices is: knees bent, falling together or supported with belt, feet flat on mat spaced hip width or wider apart, hands placed over lower abdomen – little fingers toward pubic bone, thumbs toward navel. The Ten Points are:

the two feet, two buttocks, middle of the back (three or four inches above waist band), two shoulder blades, two elbows, back of the head. The practice takes us through in detail each area of the body, noticing tension – using the out breath to let go and let the tension flow out through the nearest of the ten points.

The first time I did this practice, I had some reservation about the amount of time spent lying down (45 minutes). It was a revelation to me that I was able to use my breath to bring my awareness in such detail to individual parts of my body. Even more surprising was the visualization and experience of moving tension, tightness etc. down and out through each of the ten points on the back of the body. I felt quite transformed after a 45 minute seemingly passive practice. As I practiced more, it seemed I could go deeper and that the effect lasted longer. Taking the practice to seated meditation, I found I could more easily settle my body, release what was available to be released and therefore quiet my mind and begin my next practice with less effort. I have never been a person who lets go easily. Having another set of practices to bring release, relaxation and healing has been a blessing for me and I believe for the students I teach.

Conclusion

Reginald Ray’s work has created a bridge for us between our everyday “disembodiment” and a deeper state of awareness that is firmly grounded in the body.. Ray’s work also centers on our relationship to the ground, the earth. His major vehicle for developing awareness and releasing tension is the breath.. Perhaps most importantly, Reggie strongly emphasizes the need for release, releasing tension, releasing our false self images. In addition to preparing the student for other forms of meditation, daily practice of this releasing has the potential to bring us back to a fresh contact with our lives and the Earth as a whole.