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Guided Meditation: Enjoying Breathing

August 30, 7:00 a.m. Guided Meditation: Enjoying Breathing

So this morning, for our sitting, continuing the theme of mindfulness of breathing, I'd like to offer something that might be kind of a radical idea, or it's certainly something that can become true as meditation practice deepens. But maybe it's a little outrageous to suggest it or to bring us towards this, and that is to meditate focused on breathing and really enjoy it. Really begin enjoying the process of mindfulness of breathing to the point that there's a little bit of an exuberance or a joy or delight. And that's certainly the direction it can go as the mind gets more still and concentrated and quiet.

When I was practicing a long, long retreat in Burma, to start many of my meditations, I would say to myself—maybe a little bit chant to myself—a line from a rock song from the 1960s that goes, "Got a whole lot of love." And there's usually a little kind of guitar piece that right after the singer sings it, it goes something like "uh-huh, uh-hum," something like that. And I would say, "Got a whole lot of love." And that was kind of like, "Yes, settling in."

Or sometimes what brings me a little bit of this joy or enjoyment of focusing on the breathing is saying the word "yes." Not as a kind of agreement with something, but rather, "Yes, this is where I'm going to be. This is it." Now, it might seem that this is difficult to do—to just begin enjoying mindfulness of breathing because someone says so. But this is where it helps having practiced letting go of thinking, becoming wise about thinking, and no longer being so invested in the world of thinking. So even if you can't let go of it, it can be put aside. It can be a little bit on the side and kind of not really at the center of what's going on.

And the value of that is, thinking often contributes to the attitudes that we carry with us. And strong attitudes sometimes are just a product of congested thinking—a traffic jam of thoughts, stories, ideas, and judgments that are swirling around and build up a momentum that translates to an attitude. And the ability to put aside thoughts, and not see the world through the filter of our thoughts so much, can also be putting aside some of these attitudes that are undermining for us—attitudes which are not useful to have—to kind of clear the mind, clear the heart. I like the expression, "turning on the light in the mind." The attitudes sometimes keep us in the dark.

And this "yes," then, is a clearing of the space in the mind, so that we can be available for the possibility of an exquisite attention to the breathing. It's a big word, "exquisite," but there's something about really centering and feeling and being with the breath. It's not so much the breath that is what brings joy, but rather it's the delicacy or the delicate care that goes into really feeling and sensing it. Like you're savoring some delicate music or a delicate piece of fruit that's just so wonderful to kind of spend time tasting.

There's sometimes this pun in Pali^[1] between pīti^[2], the word for joy, and also the word for drinking or drink—to drink, taste, your breathing.

So taking a meditation posture, and one that is comfortable for you, one that you're less likely to become uncomfortable while you're sitting in this posture. And you might adjust yourself so that you're a little bit more on the side of being comfortable as you sit, and gently closing your eyes.

And maybe there can be an idea or a movement of just saying "yes" to the whole body being here. Not any particular area that's maybe uncomfortable, but the whole glowing body, or the whole vibrating, radiant body, or just a sense of this whole. The whole that's so much greater than any of its parts. And yes to this body here now. It's been your companion and friend for a lifetime. It's not that often that we really say yes to it, appreciate it, become quiet to really listen and sense this whole body.

And then, you know, maybe in a loving way, or enjoyable way, being careful to take some deeper, fuller breaths, but not forcefully. Maybe it's gently, maybe even exquisitely breathing in, so the life-giving air comes in, fills your lungs, and maybe exquisitely, caringly, a long exhale. And to do that repeatedly.

And then every time you exhale, take the risk, take the leap of faith to let go of your thoughts, and even to clear out some of your attitudes. Even the ones that seem like they're not attitudes, they're just, "This is how it is." Letting the enjoyable, deeper breaths for a few more breaths do its work of sweeping out the cobwebs of the mind—the thoughts and attitudes that, for these few minutes of meditation, are not really needed.

And then bringing your breathing back to normal. And with a normal breath gently, maybe slowly and enjoyably, scan through your body, your lovely body. Lovely from the inside out, and outside in. And as you exhale, relax the different places that are tense or tight. If it's difficult to relax some tension, it's enough just to soften around the tension. And you don't have to succeed at relaxing. It's more like an act of love or care that one attends for a few moments to different parts of the body where there's tension. Maybe all it is is a touching with awareness, and you saying to this part, "I know you're there, it's okay, I'm here with you."

And also as you exhale, to the degree to which it is easy and enjoyable to do so—not a burden or a project—as you exhale, can you quiet the mind, the thinking mind? I like the expression instead of "quiet," "gentle" the thinking mind. A gentling of thinking.

And then turning the attention more fully to the experience of the body breathing. It is as if this breathing and attention to breathing is exquisite. Bring a kind of careful, gentle attention to the body breathing, noticing where it's easy to experience the body breathing, or the easiest place.

And then see if you can start noticing if there's any little piece of breathing in the cycles of breathing in and out that's enjoyable. Anything at all that might be pleasant. And if not, is there any way that you can adjust your breathing so it becomes a bit more pleasant? Sometimes by breathing a little slower, deeper. Sometimes by exhaling a little bit longer, or inhaling a teeny bit longer. So there's a time to feel the delicacy of the body breathing.

And perhaps you can use the word "yes," or perhaps the word "love," as an encouragement to have a fuller, intimate attention just to the breathing. As if it's the most important thing in the world, the most important person in the world, that you're finally spending time with, caring for, attending to, being intimate with. Just the breathing. Letting go of thoughts that creep in. Maybe letting go as you exhale, and letting go into the breathing.

Sometimes the breathing can be more enjoyable if you have a sense that the awareness is riding or sliding on the inhale, and sliding along the exhale. Gliding.

Or perhaps feeling and sensing the full in-breath and out-breath, and imagining that you're being stroked by the universe. And how exquisite it is for the whole universe to come here to your breathing, stroking it with the rhythm of breathing in and out.

And finally, before leaving you in silence, it can be nice to turn up the corners of your lips, maybe not as far as a full-blown smile. The Buddhist tradition talks about a half-smile. And if you do this half-smile, if there are any pleasant feelings that ensue, breathe with those pleasant feelings. Include them as part of enjoying your breathing. Nothing else to do here but stay sitting with your breathing, quietly, contentedly, inhaling and exhaling. Enjoying the exquisite attention to the preciousness of breathing in and breathing out.

Reflections

And in this next minute, perhaps taking an even further risk, leap of faith, to allow yourself to enjoy this moment, this minute. Just breathe here as if this is a good moment. This last minute of sitting quietly, enjoying what is to be enjoyed about it.

And to whatever degree we learn to put aside our thoughts, preoccupations, even our attitudes while we meditate, may we be able to do so in daily life as well. So that we avail ourselves of the small joys of life. The joy of sitting and having tea or coffee. The joy of a relaxed walk in the neighborhood. The delight of seeing children play, or squirrels frolic in the trees. May we take joy and delight in the small pleasures of life. So that when we meet other people, we have already trained ourselves to let go of the attitudes that get in the way of enjoying and appreciating and delighting in the people we meet.

And may it be that this meditation practice teaches us how to enjoy life more fully. Maybe many of the small pleasures of life, so that we have the resilience and the capacity to meet the big challenges of our lives—the larger sufferings and losses and challenges. So that we're not stuck in old attitudes all the time. We can meet the challenges with compassion and freshness and wisdom. Care. May we meet and help the suffering world. And may our capacity for joy be a foundation that helps us be effective in the caring for this world.