This exercise comes to us from Robert Beatty, a Buddhist Dharma, psychotherapist in private practice and the founder of the Portland Insight Meditation Community.
- Sit and relax.
- Then very attentively, notice the birth of the next breath. When does it really start?
- Observe it during its rising stage and as it decelerates near the top of the breath.
- Notice the slight pause at the top, like a roller coaster getting ready to start down the hill.
- Now experience the ride, the journey, as the exhale happens – and then it’s gone.
- Then simply be in the moment – and notice when the next breath is born.
Do two of those. That will provide several instances of actually being in the present moment. And when one is in the present moment, awareness is alive and awake and the crazy mind is not in charge. What’s there is awareness.
For more information visit www.portlandinsight.org and click on "meditation." Robert also recommends reading:
- “Mindfulness in Plain English” by Henepola Gunaratana.
- “The Power of Mindfulness” by Nyanaponika Thera
- “Full Catastrophe Living” by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
