Category Archives: advanced

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Embodying Presence: Class Five and Review


“Everything is meant to be let go of, that the soul may stand in unhampered nothingness.” Insight from the 13th century German mystic and theologian, Meister Eckhard.

Compare with Patanjali I-3: Then the Seer stably abides as its own True Nature

Unhampered nothingness! What a great image. See, feel and keep letting go. Taste it, Be it.

Continue to raise up the vibratory energy field of the body through through somatic samadhi practice, using breathing as vehicle to awaken sensation-perception-integration. Presence is a felt sense of ‘Stillness’ and vibrancy.

Continue to dampen down reactivity (citta vrtti nirodhah) with discrimination, patience and a sense of humor. This is our ‘letting go’ practice.

Continue to find the ‘gaps’ of emptiness/stillness and let our attention rest there. “Now’ is a great portal.

Continue to be ’embodying presence’ throughout all of our daily activities, paying special attention to our reactivity to our experiences, just as we do when sitting. We have no control over the experiences, but we do in our relationship to them.

Awakening the vibrancy of the Middle Dantien

Continue to explore your diaphragm:

Yang explorations to feel its movement, strength and elasticity. (Feel the diaphragm pushing down on the abdominal organs on inhalation and releasing back upward into the chest cavity on the exhalation)

Yin explorations to feel its sensitivity. (Feel the breath as it comes down through the nostrils and lands on the diaphragm. What regions are sensitive/conscious, which insensitive/unconscious.

Feel the diaphragm and pelvic floor moving as an integrated whole, it whatever way works for you.

Trace the crura, right and left, to the coccyx if you can. (Anatomy books all show it ending abruptly in the lumbar.)

Allow the diaphragm to gradually become softer, gentler, more open and receptive, and let the heart rest upon it.

Opening the heart center and awakening the chest.

Traditionally called the Moro or startle reflex, here here the baby first opens her arms outward, and then closes them in. Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen has expanded our exploration possibilities by reframing a more mature expression of the Moro. We can call it the ’embracing reflex’ and experience its deeper levels at the heart center by playing with these movements using the breath.

1. Let the in breath open the arms wide, feeling the organs expanding, allowing the heart to rest and keeping the back soft. On the out breath allow the arms to return in a circular embrace, opening and widening the back body while keeping the organs open and the heart resting.

2. Same as above only reversing the actions with the breathing. Let the in breath gather the arms in an embrace and on the out breath allow the arms to open out to the world.

3. These can be done sitting, standing or lying on the floor.

Supplemental Explorations and Fun Inquiries on the number 5

The five “yoga vitamins” are key components to practice. These are attitudes of mind from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras that create a state conducive for awakening.

I-20 shraddhaa-viirya-smrti-samaadhi-prajnaa-puuvaka itareshaam
The samadhi of others (one’s who achieve samadhi in this life) is accompanied by faith, strength, memory, meditation and wisdom.

Shraddha, loosely translated as faith, is the full clarity and pleasantness of the mind field. Like a benevolent mother, she protects the yogi, says Vyassa. It is an inner confidence that it is in fact possible to awaken and move out of suffering and confusion. Spending time in the company of those who radiate love, compassion and wisdom nurtures this. It builds enthusiasm which leads to virya.

Virya, strength, energy, vitality, accumulates with the inner confidence of shraddha and the results of practice. Virya can also be seen as creativity, the power to create, and has traditionally been associated with celibacy. The tantrikas have a different point of view about this.

Smrti or memory, mentioned previously in I-6 and I-11, is recalling states of deep inner peace and clarity as a way to re-stimulate the neuronal circuitry associated with these states and strengthen them.

Samadhi practice deepens and further wires the circuitry of the absorption state. The more time spent here, the easier it becomes to sustain as a natural state. This is Hebb’s axiom applied to yoga.

Prajna or wisdom arises through samadhi practice and reinforces our capacity to make intelligent decisions as we go through our daily activities. Intelligent decisions do not lead to negative mind states and further suffering.

The Five Kleshas : PYS II – 2 to II – 12: These ‘afflictions’ are the primary obstacles to Awakening. They are:

Fundamental Ignorance or avidya (not seeing)
Mistaking the Egoic Process for the Self (asmita)
Grasping (raga)
Aversion (dvesha)
Fear of death (abhinivesha)

The Five Vrttis : correct perception, mistaken perception, imagination, sleep and memory (PYS I-5 to I-11)

The Five Skandhas: The Buddhist model of the development of the egoic structures and processes

The Five Koshas: The Five ‘sheaths’ or layers of embodied consciousness

The Five Yamas: PYS II – 30, 30 Habits to avoid:
violence, dishonesty, thievery, addiction to sex, hoarding

The Five Niyamas: PYS II – 32 Rules to Follow:
cleanliness, contentment, discipline, self study, allowing your Divinity to manifest.

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Embodying Presence: Week Three:

In honor of the third class, here are some fun and profound ‘Trinities’ we can explore.

Cosmic Trinities:

Thomas Berry’s Three Laws of the Universe: Subjectivity, Differentiation and Communion
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva
Mother Earth, Father Sky and You
Three Expressions of Embodying Presence: Being, Becoming and Belonging
Buddhist Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha

Energetic Trinities

Three Dantiens: Lower, Middle and Upper (See below)
Three Shariras (Bodies) in Vedanta: Gross (shtula), Subtle (sukshma) and Causal (karana)
Three Koshas (sheaths) of the Subtle Body: pranamaya, manomaya and vijnanamaya
Three Spatial Directions: Up/Down, Right/Left and Front/Back
Taoist Three Treasures: Jing, Qi and Shen
Three Gunas: Tamas, Rajas and Sattva

Anatomical Trinities:

Three Embryological Anatomical Cavities: Jue Yin, Tai Yin and Shao Yin
Three Bones of the Pelvis: Illium, Ischium and Pubis (see below)
Three Centers of the Upper Femur: Great Trochanter, Lesser Trochanter, Femoral Head
The Three Groins (scroll to pg 60, note also pg 30)
Endoderm, Ectoderm and Mesoderm
Three Holistic Systems of the Body: Circulatory, Nervous and Fascial Systems

First Three Classes Review:

Just Sitting, or Shikantaza. Resting as Presence, True Nature, Silence, Stillness, the Tao.

Mantra: Pause – Relax – Open – Allow

When the energy field of the body is in balance, the sattvic guna, we can drop all and rest as ourselves, open, innocent and free. When there is a disturbance, we become distracted and can easily become lost in samsara, the realm of confusion and delusion. We train the body to discover its dynamic and relaxed state and remain there. Presence, always and already here and now, is realized as effortless Being. Because of the power of mental habits, the body mind needs to remain alert and awake so presence becomes stabilized. This is the core/anchor of our practice.

The Lower Dantien

Notice the center of the pelvic floor is the intersection of the Conception Vessel (Yin) and the Governing Vessel (Yang). Imagine the pelvic bowl as a flower pot with a bulb: roots will grow down and the stem will grow upwards. We want to begin to feel this double action: both down and up from the bulb at the center of the lower dantien space. This double action, simultaneously up and down, will continue at every level. The lower dantien energy field unites with Mother Earth to create stability and grounding through the gravitational field.

Feel the middle dantien space as the heart floating above the pelvis/lower dantien. As you sit for meditation, the heart will then be the stable ground for the upper dantien to open upwards into the open sky of the heavenly realms/outer space/sun, moon, stars and galaxies. Lower dantien anchors and releases the heart upward. The middle dantien/heart then stabilizes to allow the upper dantien to open and rest in the heart. Thus we balance heaven and earth, yang and yin as the three dantiens become a single field united with the Cosmos.

The Pelvic Bones

As we look at the structure of the pelvis, we find three bones on each side, with the pubic symphysis as the center place of balance and weight transfer when moving. Through movements, touch and energetic visualization, raise the vibrancy of the pubic symphysis so you can find and feel it at will. As this becomes more conscious, notice the release of pressure, compression and tension across the sacro-illiac joints. As the yin front body awakens, the yang back body spine can begin to release its holding patterns.

The Pelvic Floor:

Imagine the bottom of the bowl of the pelvis (remember it is curved and not flat like the image) divided into four sections. Although ideally they are all evenly toned, the reality is that one or more will be contracted and constricted, or too loose. Using visualizations, micro-movements and breathing, we can explore this area and bring more balance. The very center point is, ideally, springy, like a trampoline so it can safely facilitate the descending and ascending energies of posture and circulation to work together and allow more effortless movements from sitting to standing and vice versa

The Femur Head and the Trochanters.

There is an intimate relationship between the pelvis and femurs. The Pubis is central as is the head of the femur. Releasing/lengthening through the lesser trochanter will help release the bottom of the groins – pubis to sitting bones – yin front body. This is internal rotation, adduction and extension down the inner leg to the inner foot, like the inner edge of a ski or ice skate blade is a key action that can be learned in all standing poses

Releasing/engaging the great trochanters will open the top of the groins – pubis to illia and the yang back body. This is external rotation, abduction and lengthening down to the outer foot (outer edge) and complements the previous pattern. Done together, as a double action creates the foundation of tadasana and then any sitting pose.

The Heart Sutra

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The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya)
aka The Heart Sutra

Translation by Thich Nhat Hahn

The Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore

Avalokiteshvara
while practicing deeply with
the Insight that Brings Us to the Opposite Shore
suddenly discovered that
all of the five skandhas are equally empty,
and with this realization
he over came all ill-Being.

“Listen Sariputra,
this Body itself is Emptiness
and Emptiness itself is this Body.
This Body is not other than Emptiness
and Emptiness is not other that this Body.

Listen Sariputra
all phenomena bear the mark of Emptiness
their true nature is the nature of
no Birth no Death
no Being no Non-Being
no Defilement no Purity,
no Increasing no Decreasing.

That is why in Emptiness
Body, Feelings, Perceptions,
Mental Formations and Consciousness
are not separate self entities.

The Eighteen Realms of Phenomena
which are the six Sense Organs,
the six Sense Objects,
and the six Consciousnesses
are also not separate self entities.

The Twelve Links of Interdependent Arising
and their Extinction
are also not separate self entities.

Ill-Being, the Causes of Ill Being
the End of Ill-Being, the Path
insight and attainment,
are also not separate self entities.

Whoever can see this
no longer needs anything to attain

Bodhisattvas who practice
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
see no more obstacles in their mind
and because there
are no more obstacles in their mind,
they can overcome all fear,
destroy all wrong perceptions
and realize Perfect Nirvana

“All Buddhas in the past, present and future
by practicing
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
are all capable of attaining
Authentic and Perfect Enlightenment

“Therefore Sariputra
it should be known that
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
is a Great Mantra
the most illuminating mantra
the highest mantra
the mantra beyond compare,
the True Wisdom that has the power
to put an end to all kinds of suffering.
Therefore let us proclaim
a mantra to praise
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore:

Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha

Taoism: Lao T’zu in the Tao Te Ching

The tao that can be spoken is not the True Tao …

Vedanta: from the Upanishads:

OM Purnamada purnamidam l
purnat purnam uducyate
purnasya purnamadaya
purnameva vashishyate
Om shanti shanti shanti

This (the outer world) is full (of Divine Consciousness), That (inner world) is fullness
From Fullness is manifested Fullness
Taking Fullness from Fullness
Fullness alone remains.
Om shanti shanti shanti