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Authors: Dennis Lewis
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triangular bone that forms the back of the pelvis) very slightly forward, so that your coccyx (tail bone) is more or less pointed toward the ground and your lower back is flat (not arched). Let your knees bow slightly outward so that they are more or less over your feet. As you do this you will feel that both your perineum (the area between your anus and your sexual organs) and your groin are open. Let your shoulders and sternum relax downward and simultaneously feel that your head is being pulled upward from the crown, gently stretching the back of your neck.
2 Awakening attention
Once you are settled in the posture, sense as many parts of your body as you can simultaneously. Then let part of your attention focus on your feet. Sense the various points of your feet on the floor—the five toes, the pads under the big and little toes, the heel, and the entire outside edge of each foot. As you feel your feet relax, sense your weight sinking into and being supported by the earth. Once the sensation of sinking becomes clear, rock gently forward and back on your feet, from the ball of your foot to the heel and so on. Notice how various muscles in your feet, legs, and pelvis alternately tense and relax as your position changes in relation to the force of gravity. See if you can sense any adjustments in your back, your chest, your neck. Now shift your weight from side to side. See if you can simultaneously sense one leg becoming tense while the other relaxes. Let your attention take in as many sensations of these subtle movements as possible. Work in this way for at least five minutes. Then stand quietly for a minute or two and sense any changes that have taken place in your overall sensation of yourself.
Figure 10
3 Basic sitting position
Now sit comfortably, either on a chair or cross-legged on a cushion on the floor, close your eyes, and sense yourself sitting there. Be sure that your spine is relaxed and straight and that you are not leaning against anything. Also make sure that the chair or cushion you sit on allows your hips to be higher than your knees. Rock forward and backward gently on your “sit bones” until you find a relative sense of ease and balance while sitting. Do not slump backward onto your tail bone (coccyx). This area is filled with nerves and is one of the body’s key energy centers. Slumping back on this area will have a deleterious effect on both your awareness and your health. If your spine starts tightening up anytime during the practice, simply rock gently on your sit bones to help relax it.
4 Going deeper into sensation
Once you’ve found a comfortable yet erect sitting posture, let your thoughts and feelings begin to quiet down. One very effective way to support this “inner quieting” is by becoming interested in the overall sensation of your body. Start by allowing impressions of your weight and form to enter your awareness. Really let yourself sense your entire weight on the chair or floor. Once you can feel the weight clearly, include as much of the complete sensation of your skin as possible. When you can feel the tingling, the vibration, of your skin, then sense your overall form, the outer structure of your body, including any tensions in this structure. Sense yourself sitting there, letting your kinesthetic and organic awareness become increasingly alive. As your inner sensitivity increases, you will begin to experience your sensation as a kind of substance or energy through which you can begin to receive direct impressions of the atmosphere of your inner life.
5 Include your thoughts and feelings
Over time, as your sensation becomes more and more sensitive, you will begin to observe your thoughts and feelings as they start to take form—but before they absorb your complete attention. Let them come and go as they wish, but do not occupy yourself with them, analyze them, or judge them. As they come and go, simply include them in your awareness as part of the
2 Awakening attention
Once you are settled in the posture, sense as many parts of your body as you can simultaneously. Then let part of your attention focus on your feet. Sense the various points of your feet on the floor—the five toes, the pads under the big and little toes, the heel, and the entire outside edge of each foot. As you feel your feet relax, sense your weight sinking into and being supported by the earth. Once the sensation of sinking becomes clear, rock gently forward and back on your feet, from the ball of your foot to the heel and so on. Notice how various muscles in your feet, legs, and pelvis alternately tense and relax as your position changes in relation to the force of gravity. See if you can sense any adjustments in your back, your chest, your neck. Now shift your weight from side to side. See if you can simultaneously sense one leg becoming tense while the other relaxes. Let your attention take in as many sensations of these subtle movements as possible. Work in this way for at least five minutes. Then stand quietly for a minute or two and sense any changes that have taken place in your overall sensation of yourself.
Figure 10
3 Basic sitting position
Now sit comfortably, either on a chair or cross-legged on a cushion on the floor, close your eyes, and sense yourself sitting there. Be sure that your spine is relaxed and straight and that you are not leaning against anything. Also make sure that the chair or cushion you sit on allows your hips to be higher than your knees. Rock forward and backward gently on your “sit bones” until you find a relative sense of ease and balance while sitting. Do not slump backward onto your tail bone (coccyx). This area is filled with nerves and is one of the body’s key energy centers. Slumping back on this area will have a deleterious effect on both your awareness and your health. If your spine starts tightening up anytime during the practice, simply rock gently on your sit bones to help relax it.
4 Going deeper into sensation
Once you’ve found a comfortable yet erect sitting posture, let your thoughts and feelings begin to quiet down. One very effective way to support this “inner quieting” is by becoming interested in the overall sensation of your body. Start by allowing impressions of your weight and form to enter your awareness. Really let yourself sense your entire weight on the chair or floor. Once you can feel the weight clearly, include as much of the complete sensation of your skin as possible. When you can feel the tingling, the vibration, of your skin, then sense your overall form, the outer structure of your body, including any tensions in this structure. Sense yourself sitting there, letting your kinesthetic and organic awareness become increasingly alive. As your inner sensitivity increases, you will begin to experience your sensation as a kind of substance or energy through which you can begin to receive direct impressions of the atmosphere of your inner life.
5 Include your thoughts and feelings
Over time, as your sensation becomes more and more sensitive, you will begin to observe your thoughts and feelings as they start to take form—but before they absorb your complete attention. Let them come and go as they wish, but do not occupy yourself with them, analyze them, or judge them. As they come and go, simply include them in your awareness as part of the
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