The Tibetan Yoga of Breath: Breathing Practices for Healing the Body and Cultivating Wisdom by Anyen Rinpoche, Allison Choying Zangmo Page B
Authors: Anyen Rinpoche, Allison Choying Zangmo
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that are related to imbalances in the wind energy. We also dispel all faults, nonvirtue, and obstacles, which have manifested as impure channels and wind in the body. We do this a total of three times, making a total of nine sets of inhalations and exhalations.
S UGGESTED D AILY P RACTICE FOR W IND E NERGY T RAINING: A N O VERVIEW
We have learned the Seven-Point Posture and the Nine-Cycle Breathing, so we are close to being ready for a complete wind energy practice session. A typical session is structured like this: Begin with a short session of physical yoga. Practice for about fifteen to twenty minutes, or however long you wish. Then take your seat on a cushion. Take a moment to reflect on your motivation, making sure that the wish to practice for the benefit of all beings is present in the mind. Next, engage in the Nine-Cycles Breathing to dispel the karmic wind. This short sequence willprepare you for engaging in a short session of wind energy training, using one of the techniques introduced in the chapters that follow: reflecting on life’s impermanence, training in mindfulness and coming back to the breath when the mind is distracted, and training in a compassionate and altruistic motivation.
The Tibetan Buddhist teachings say that whenever we sit on the cushion to practice, we sit in two kinds of solitude. First, the body is to be in solitude—meaning we should be in a relaxed environment without distractions. Second, the mind is in solitude—that is, quiet and focused. Be aware of this when you choose the time and place to develop your practice.
5
Meditating on Impermanence with Breath Awareness
MEDITATING ON IMPERMANENCE is an important part of wind energy training because it helps us to develop momentary awareness of the body and the breath, as well as to release stress, the basis of many mental and physical imbalances. When we emotionally understand that both we ourselves, our loved ones, all beings, and the entire world are impermanent, we feel more relaxed when unwanted and painful situations arise. In this chapter, we will learn what impermanence is according to the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, how to contemplate impermanence, and how to use that contemplation as the basis for wind energy training.
F IRST, C ONTEMPLATE I MPERMANENCE I NTELLECTUALLY
The general Buddhist teachings explain that the manifestation of all of phenomenal existence, including both beings and the outerenvironment, is possible because of a multitude of causes and conditions coming together at a certain point in time and space. This manifestation is happening on a moment-to-moment basis, again and again, and each moment is an expression of fresh causes and conditions coming together. This is called the nature of impermanence .
What are these causes and conditions? One way we can answer this question is that the five elements act as some of the causes and conditions that express as phenomenal existence. Based on how the elements come together, we perceive the appearance of phenomena in a certain way. For example, at any given point in time and space, the various elements either are in harmony, are increasing, or are decreasing. We can even understand our own lives in this way. The five elements come together to form a life in the mother’s womb. Based on the increase of the elements we take birth, and continuing increase of the elements further expresses moment-by-moment as our growth and development as human beings. As we grow older, the elements begin to decay, and this expresses moment-by-moment as sickness and aging. Finally, as the elements dissolve and fall out of connection with one another, we experience the death of the physical body.
Another useful way to think about this idea is to reflect on the phrase “causes and conditions.” Because both of these words, causes and conditions, are described in the plural, we can be sure that the manifestation of each and every phenomenon is made of a
S UGGESTED D AILY P RACTICE FOR W IND E NERGY T RAINING: A N O VERVIEW
We have learned the Seven-Point Posture and the Nine-Cycle Breathing, so we are close to being ready for a complete wind energy practice session. A typical session is structured like this: Begin with a short session of physical yoga. Practice for about fifteen to twenty minutes, or however long you wish. Then take your seat on a cushion. Take a moment to reflect on your motivation, making sure that the wish to practice for the benefit of all beings is present in the mind. Next, engage in the Nine-Cycles Breathing to dispel the karmic wind. This short sequence willprepare you for engaging in a short session of wind energy training, using one of the techniques introduced in the chapters that follow: reflecting on life’s impermanence, training in mindfulness and coming back to the breath when the mind is distracted, and training in a compassionate and altruistic motivation.
The Tibetan Buddhist teachings say that whenever we sit on the cushion to practice, we sit in two kinds of solitude. First, the body is to be in solitude—meaning we should be in a relaxed environment without distractions. Second, the mind is in solitude—that is, quiet and focused. Be aware of this when you choose the time and place to develop your practice.
5
Meditating on Impermanence with Breath Awareness
MEDITATING ON IMPERMANENCE is an important part of wind energy training because it helps us to develop momentary awareness of the body and the breath, as well as to release stress, the basis of many mental and physical imbalances. When we emotionally understand that both we ourselves, our loved ones, all beings, and the entire world are impermanent, we feel more relaxed when unwanted and painful situations arise. In this chapter, we will learn what impermanence is according to the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, how to contemplate impermanence, and how to use that contemplation as the basis for wind energy training.
F IRST, C ONTEMPLATE I MPERMANENCE I NTELLECTUALLY
The general Buddhist teachings explain that the manifestation of all of phenomenal existence, including both beings and the outerenvironment, is possible because of a multitude of causes and conditions coming together at a certain point in time and space. This manifestation is happening on a moment-to-moment basis, again and again, and each moment is an expression of fresh causes and conditions coming together. This is called the nature of impermanence .
What are these causes and conditions? One way we can answer this question is that the five elements act as some of the causes and conditions that express as phenomenal existence. Based on how the elements come together, we perceive the appearance of phenomena in a certain way. For example, at any given point in time and space, the various elements either are in harmony, are increasing, or are decreasing. We can even understand our own lives in this way. The five elements come together to form a life in the mother’s womb. Based on the increase of the elements we take birth, and continuing increase of the elements further expresses moment-by-moment as our growth and development as human beings. As we grow older, the elements begin to decay, and this expresses moment-by-moment as sickness and aging. Finally, as the elements dissolve and fall out of connection with one another, we experience the death of the physical body.
Another useful way to think about this idea is to reflect on the phrase “causes and conditions.” Because both of these words, causes and conditions, are described in the plural, we can be sure that the manifestation of each and every phenomenon is made of a
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