by Beth

Photo by Sarit Z Rogers of Sarit Photography

Meditation is the tool that both the Taittirya Upanishad and B.K.S. Iyengar recommend to bring wisdom to all that we think, feel, believe, and do, and the habits and patterns that inform why we think, feel, believe, and do what we do. A concise definition of meditation is Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 1.2:

Yogaś citta-vrtti-nirodah: Creating harmony by stilling the fluctuations of the mind

For a longer more detailed definition and discussion, see Friday Q&A: What is Meditation?

For the purposes of working with The Witness at the level of the mind and everyday intelligence, we can think of meditation as a process/practice that can train us to uncover, see, understand, accept, and integrate how our unconscious beliefs bubble to the surface and affect our thoughts, emotions, and actions. As Iyengar says:

“We have honed, cultured and refined our intelligence. We have realized its power to discriminate and choose, and its capacity to move us incrementally toward freedom. It is reflexive, so that we can witness ourselves.” —B.K.S. Iyengar, from Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom

It’s important to note that the word meditation is often used interchangeably to describe both the process/practice of meditation and the altered state that occurs when meditation begins. What that means in terms of practice is that we control the choice of a meditation style and technique along with when and how we practice. Because the meditative state is elusive and consists of a wide variety of altered mental states, the state of meditation may happen or it may not. Our job is to commit to the process/practice and release any attachment or desire for the experience of one or more of the meditative states. The meditative process/practice alone can provide us with many benefits that help us journey through life in the material world with more wisdom, balance, and equanimity.

In Joseph LePage’s 10 Steps to Freedom, Step 6 asks us to turn the mind back on itself to understand the deeper intention of beliefs, and all thoughts and emotions—even our most unhelpful thoughts and emotions—can be employed in the process. As LePage puts it:

“If we want to go beyond the underlying beliefs it is helpful to look at what all the thought patterns, emotional patterns and beliefs share in common. As we begin to trace them back we see that their fundamental intention is always positive. The intention is always to protect us, provide security, provide opportunities for love and support, and in general provide us with a sense of Unity and integration. All our actions growing up were attempts, however unskillful and uninformed, to find that sense of oneness and integration which all humans long for because it is our fundamental nature.” —Joseph LePage, Ten Steps To Freedom

Step 7 asks us to employ skillful means to make choices that bring our lives to fruition.

“In one moment, a painful situation or loss can occur and we may take it as an exercise in surrender and letting go. Another situation of loss may be a call to set boundaries, make changes in our lives and move in new directions.”—Joseph LePage, Ten Steps To Freedom 

Iyengar’s suggested skillful means to achieve this are the eight limbs of Yoga:

“The yogic tools that will facilitate this leg of our journey are the sixth and seventh petals of yoga, concentration (dharana) and meditation (dhyana). —B.K.S. Iyengar, from Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom

He recommends meditating on the breath because, as he says, “Nothing penetrates deeper than breath or is more pervasive.” Happily, the technique Iyengar recommends is one that I practice and use regularly in my classes to help sharpen the ability to focus and witness. These are the instructions I use:

Practice: Retention and Suspension of Breath

For breath practices, “retention” is a term used to indicate the pause that naturally occurs after your inhalation and before your exhalation and “suspension” is a term used to indicate the pause that naturally occurs after your exhalation and your before inhalation.

You can do this practice in as little as five minutes or longer. The time you spend will depend on your comfort with the practice and the length of time you have available.

1. Bring yourself into a comfortable seated or supine position.

2. Bring your awareness to your breath.

3. Once your awareness is focused on your breath, begin to notice all four parts of the breathing process: your inhalation, your exhalation, the pause at the end of your inhalation, and the pause at the end of your exhalation.

4. For 3-5 breaths (or longer if you choose) center your focus on your inhalation. 

5. For 3–5 breaths (or longer if you choose) center your focus on your exhalation.

6. Then bring your awareness to the slight natural pause that occurs at the end of your inhalation before you exhale. For 3–5 breaths (or longer if you choose), center your focus on the pause at the end of your inhalation.

7. Next bring your awareness to the slight natural pause that occurs at the end of your exhalation before you inhale. For 3–5 breaths (or longer if you choose), center your focus on the pause at the end of your exhalation.

8. Focus on the natural pauses between both your inhalations and your exhalations for 3–5 breaths (or longer if you choose). 

9. Then after your next inhalation, allow the natural pause/retention to comfortably lengthen as you keep your focus on the pause. Exert no effort and do not forcibly retain the breath. Continue this practice for 3–5 breaths (or longer if you choose). 

10. After your next exhalation, allow the natural pause/suspension to comfortably lengthen as you keep your focus on the pause. Exert no effort and do not forcibly suspend the breath. Continue this practice for 3–5 breaths (or longer if you choose). 

11. Continue with the practice, concentrating on the pauses that occur between both inhalation and exhalation. Allow the pauses to lengthen comfortably. When your mind wanders (and it will), notice that and bring your attention back to the practice.

12. Once you are comfortable with the practice and your awareness of the pauses, shift your attention to your mind. What happens to your thoughts during retention and suspension? Engage The Witness to observe, as there is tendency for the mind to still its fluctuations. As Iyengar states:

“There is no self, no meditator, no longer even any breather. “ — B.K.S. Iyengar, from Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom 

The Witness is an agent of awareness, acceptance, integration, and perhaps change when and IF we choose to make conscious change. Recognizing and employing The Witness creates and sustains that conscious awareness. Meditation practice is one way to become familiar with and build witness consciousness.

 

For information about Beth, ProYoga Therapeutics, and Beth’s book and CD, see proyogatherapeutics.com. 

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