This guide was made by Nathan Vanderpool after attending an online meditation retreat led by Willow's teacher, Seishin, who graciously allowed the following video to be published.
Guided Meditation: Align the Posture & Align the Breath. [40:20]
https://youtu.be/ZQIphVlRG1I
Overview of Pairs 1-5: Align the Posture & Align the Breath
There is empowerment in learning how to wield the the Breath as a tool. Check each point, one by one. Feel free to move while you explore the Posture. Trust that your skill will grow over time.
- Stable Base, Calm Breath → Find multiple points of contact with the floor, cushion, and/or chair. Keep your knees lower than your hips. If someone would push you, you shouldn't fall over. Ask yourself, "how can I make this breath more calm, relaxing, and easeful?"
- Rooted Tailbone, Energetic Breath → The sacrum is locked into the stable base, holding the upper body. Ask yourself, "how can I keep this breath calm, and yet make it more energetic?" It may be adding force, extending the breath to be very long... find what works best for you.
- Centered Center, Centered Breath → Adjust by leaning left, right, forward, backward. Find a posture that feels balanced, upright, and relaxed. Try to breathe with your diaphragm instead of your chest. Imagine your breath moving in and out of your core in all directions.
- Open Chest, Playful Breath → Move the shoulder blades back a bit. Notice how every inhale and exhale is different. Let the breath move and play in the way that it wants to. In the same way that you can't force a child to play, you can't force your breath to play. Just watch it.
- Elevated Spine, Whole Body Breath → Imagine a string attached to the back of your head, pulling you up to the sky. Try to feel your breath fill your entire body when your inhale and exhale—in your fingers and toes and scalp and everything in between.
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