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"Waiting quietly for a friend" is one of the core
activities of Seishindo. In this Practice we acknowledge the
presence of "an intelligence greater than myself"
and we invite this presence into our life, into our home,
into our heart. The concept of acknowledging a presence greater
than one's self is of course found in various religions, as
well as in poetry from around the world, and it plays a central
role in the overall process of Alcoholics Anonymous. As time,
and my own practice continues, more and more I am coming to
the understanding that a connection to an intelligence greater
than one's self is of prime importance for one's emotional
and spiritual well being.
[If you have done the Heartbeat Breathing Practice before
you will find the beginning of this Practice exactly the same.]
As you go through this Practice you might notice that your
body takes on a subtle rocking motion. Although this rocking
motion is not important in and of itself, please allow such
rocking to occur if indeed it does start to happen.
Read through these instructions first before actually performing
what is asked. In fact you might want to actually read through
the instructions several times before actually doing this
Practice.
1. From a seated position,
take a minute or to and quiet your thinking mind. Usually,
a good way to begin the process of quieting down is to first
take a couple of deep breaths. Please make sure that you really
do this, rather than just reading the words………Please
take a couple of deep breaths.
2. As you begin to settle
in, notice if you can, your heartbeat. You might simply be
able to feel your heartbeat pulsing in you, or you might need
to feel your pulse by either placing your hand on your heart;
placing your fingers on your carotid artery; or placing your
fingers along either wrist. (Use any fingers other than your
thumbs.)
If you can't feel your heartbeat on its own and need
to use one of your hands to help you, see after a minute or
two if you can feel your heartbeat without needing to use
your hand. This would be best in the long run. If you find
feeling your pulse difficult, then you will be well served
by practicing over time, until you can sit quietly and feel
your heartbeat pulsing through you. Sensing one's heartbeat
is a primary technique used in many different health management
systems for inducing greater body awareness and relaxation.
Feel your heartbeat while just sitting quietly, either using
your hands or not: You might notice some body movement. This
is fine.
3. Begin to notice your breath
as well. Breathing in and breathing out through your nose.
Feel your breath AND your heartbeat.
4. Sit with your breathing
and your heartbeat and have the sense that you are waiting
for the sun to rise. You can indeed be fairly certain that
the sun will rise, but the time it takes is timeless and cyclical.
5. Now, imagine that you are
waiting for a healthy baby to be born. It might be "your"
baby or it might be the baby of a friend. The mother is fine
and the baby is expected to be totally healthy, and you are
sitting there, simply breathing and waiting, and supporting
the overall process with your prayers and good will.
6. Now imagine that you are
sitting waiting for "God" to arrive. Please allow
yourself the opportunity in this instance to interpret the
term God in whatever way is most pleasing for you. The mystic
poet Rumi used to talk about "waiting for the Beloved."
Other people might feel like they are waiting for "Spirit"
to arrive. Some people will conceive of God as being female
in nature. Please conceive of God in whatever way works best
for you.
You are sitting there knowing full well that God not only
will arrive, but in some very important way, God is already
sitting there with you.
7. Go back to noticing your
breath and your heartbeat. Sit for one minute with this feeling.
8. Now sense or imagine that
God is entering your space, and your heart. Please offer some
simple greetings and words of thanks, as you continue to also
be aware of your breath and your heartbeat. If you are in
a suitable space, please speak your words out loud.
Something perhaps like this:
"Thank you."
Breathing a deep yet relaxed inhale and exhale…….
"So wonderful to have you here."
Breathing a deep yet relaxed inhale and exhale…….
"Enter please."
Breathing……
"Thank you."
Breathing…..
"Please continue to help me."
Breathing…….
"Please continue to heal me."
Breathing…….
"Please continue to fill me with your love."
Breathing……
"Thank you for my loved ones."
Breathing……
"Help me to remain calm and confident."
Breathing……
Whatever you would like to say next………..
Breathing……..
Take your time and get into a pleasing rhythm.
Just go with your feeling.
You can repeat any one of the phrases as often as you like.
You can also just sit there with your breath and your heartbeat
with no need to speak.
When you are done, sit calmly.
A minimum practice time would normally be five minutes.
Remember, when you calm your breathing you calm your body.
When you calm your body, you calm your thinking mind and your
internal dialogue. When you calm your body and your thinking
mind, you calm your limbic-somatic mind. With your limbic-somatic
mind calm, you feel your connection to Spirit, to God. When
you feel your connection to God you feel protected, thankful,
and calm.
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