Appendix – Practices
4 Step Relaxation Practice
Eastern wisdom clarifies that when scattered mind is gathered within and mind is allowed to live within, it manifests as state of relaxation.
The state of rest and relaxation is state of being that expresses itself at physical, mental and emotional levels. The state of rest is more than ‘cease to work’ to relax and refresh. It is conscious awareness within oneself. The state of relaxation is the state of being free from tension and anxiety.
We do nothing in relaxation practice. We move the mind consciously from outside to inside. In reality, we work on the mind instead mind works on us. when there is a storm outside, we rush inside home and do nothing for calmness. The calmness is already there in inside the home, we do nothing for it. The same thing happens in rest and relaxation, when we move the mind within, leaving the storm of anxiety, fatigue and suffering.
This doing nothing helps mind to drops its distractiosn and moves within to discover the natural state of relaxation.
What are the common Benefits and importance.
- Deeper state of Rest and Relaxation.
- Enhanced Awareness and Attention.
- Increased concentration and memory.
- Sound sleep (reduced hours of sleep)
- Manage common day-to-day problems of Anxiety, Anger and Agitation (3A), fatigue, disturbed sleep.
- Increased performance, productivity
- Moving towards resilience
- May be easily applied/practiced before sleep, at workplace, and spare time to maximize the benefits
Steps to practice
Prepare your mind with aspiration before practice:
Rest and Relaxation practice is simple and easy. We do not make any effort. We do not focus. It is the practice of moving the mind like we move inside the home where there is a storm outside. We move the mind within with conscious experience of feeling, sensation, relaxation and stillness.
Preparation – outside and inside:
Sit in any posture or lie down on the back in comfortable position. Close eyes gently.
- Become aware of environment outside – room, shape of the room, noise coming from inside or outside the room but do not focus on it. …….……PAUSE for 2 seconds
- Be Comfortable – become aware of body joints one after the other and adjust and align them if there is any discomfort. …….……PAUSE for 2 seconds
- Be Comfortable – become aware of body joints one after the other and adjust and align them if there is any discomfort. …….……PAUSE for 2 seconds
Step-1 Awareness of the body
First step is awareness of body parts and the entire body. We move the mind but we do not move in the step.
Move the mind on the right arm, feel the right arm, become aware ………….PAUSE for 2 seconds.
Move the mind on the left arm, feel the left arm, become aware of the left-arm ………….PAUSE for 2 second
Move the mind on the rib cage or entire chest region, feel the entire chest or rib cage, become aware of the rib cage or entire chest region ………….PAUSE for 2 second
Move the mind on the belly, feel the belly, feel the belly, become aware of the belly,……PAUSE for 2 second
Move the mind on the spine from the back of the neck to the tail bone, feel the spine, become aware of the spine from the back of the neck to the tail bone ………….PAUSE for 2 second
Move the mind on the right leg, feel the right leg, become aware of the right leg ………….PAUSE for 2 second
Move the mind on the left leg, feel the left leg, become aware of the left leg ………….PAUSE for 2 second
Move the mind on the entire body from top to bottom, feel the entire body, become aware of the body……….PAUSE 4 second
Move the mind on the entire body from top to bottom, feel the sensation in the entire body, become aware of the body……….PAUSE 2 second
Conscious Experience: Feeling the sensation means your mind is moving consciously on the body and becoming aware of the body
Step-2 sensation and stillness of the body
In the state of awareness of the body, we should follow the second step
Look mentally at the shape of the head and neck, feel the sensation and experience the stillness……….PAUSE 2 second
Look mentally with awareness the shape of the right arm, feel the sensation, and experience the stillness……..PAUSE 2 second
Look at the shape of the left arm with awareness, feel the sensation and experience the stillness……..PAUSE 2 second
Look at the shape of the rib cage with awareness, feel the sensation and experience the stillness……..PAUSE 2 second
Look at the shape of the belly with awareness, feel the sensation, and experience the stillness……..PAUSE 2 second
Look at the shape of spine with awareness, feel the sensation and experience the stillness……..PAUSE 2 second
Feeling the sensation and shape together, helps us to move into awareness and stillness of the body…………………
Look at the shape of right leg with awareness, feel the sensation and experience the stillness……..PAUSE 2 second
Look at the shape of left leg with awareness, feel the sensation and experience the stillness……..PAUSE 2 second
Look at the shape of the entire body with awareness, feel the sensation and experience the stillness……..PAUSE 2 second
Look at the shape of the entire body with awareness, feel the sensation and experience the stillness……..PAUSE 2 second
Look at the shape of the entire body with awareness, feel the sensation and experience the stillness……..PAUSE 2 second
Feeling the sensation and shape together, helps us to move into awareness and stillness of the body…………………
Conscious Experience: awareness of the sensation and stillness of mind, helps the mind to move within from outside …………………….Pause 2 second
Step-3 living within
In the state of awareness of sensation and stillness of the body…………………Pause 2 second
Move the mind inside from top of the head to bottom. It is a movement of conscious mind from outside to inside, free from any image and focus………………………..
When you are aware of space inside – gently drop a thought with feeling and emotion – I am in peace ……………………………Pause 2 seconds
It is like …………………..looking within…………………simply looking
When you are aware of space inside – gently drop a thought with feeling and emotion – I am in peace ……………………………Pause 2 seconds
When you are aware of space inside – gently drop a thought with feeling and emotion – I am in peace ……………………………Pause 2 seconds
Stay there in the state you are in.
The state of awareness and stillness of the body and mind is within the body
Conscious Experience: It is awareness of the mind living within in the state of conscious experience of sensation and stillness of the body…………………….Pause 2 second
Step-4 conscious experience of rest and relaxation
In that state of awareness and stillness of the body, and awareness of mind within the body …………….Pause 2 seconds
Look at the moving breath from inside …………………………………..
Look at the moving breath ………………Pause 1 second………………………..Going IN ………..Pause 1 second………………………………Coming OUT………………Pause 1 second
Look at the moving breath ………………Pause 1 second………………………..Going IN ………..Pause 1 second………………………………Coming OUT………………Pause 1 second
Look at the moving breath ………………Pause 1 second………………………..Going IN ………..Pause 1 second………………………………Coming OUT………………Pause 30 seconds
Conscious Experience: awareness of the mind, living in the moment of conscious rest and relaxation …………………….Pause 2 second
Doing nothing – state of doing nothing
In the state of awareness and stillness of the body and awareness of mind living within. There is natural awareness of breath …………………. moving IN and moving OUT
Just do nothing ……………….Pause 5 second
State of doing nothing …………………… and experience of rest and relaxation ………………….Pause 5 seconds
Self-awareness practice
Current practice with Tagline- quote – explain – what
The SA practice is adapted from the teachings of a great masters who says that change in breathing releases accumulated impressions and harmonizes the mind if done with sound. We use the humming sound here free from cult, dogma, belief.
Here we will practice with loud sound and also experiencing the sound inside
Regular practice and wisdom are two keys to success in managing stress in your life
The practice engages the mind in active and passive steps to help it to evolve and awaken to real-self so the self-awareness practice
Step-1 Prepare and position – -Steadiness, relaxed and happy
Sit or lie down in any position that is comfortable to you. While lying down, keep your hands facing the ceiling and sitting, keep hand on the thighs facing down.
You can do this practice sitting or lying down. Keep in mind, the practice at different times in the first week is very important to change the very conditioned mind.
Be comfortable – joints and sensation.
Look – feel comfortable – understand that body remains still naturally
Step-2. 2 minute gentle and playful breathing with focus inside the forehead
Look at the major parts of body
It is not a scan but moving mind within to discover something deeper within.
Scan does not work the way eastern wisdom works
CE of the sensations
Step 3. Humming with focus inside the head and DSS breath in
Step-4. Experiencing the humming inside – not doing it but knowing it is happening inside heart or head
The same DSS breath and listen the sound within ………………
CE – deep SRS
Step-5. Contemplation
Look inside the head – space within
Self is
Truth – that never changes
Chita- Knowing it
Bliss – knowing Bliss is our essential nature ATAW
Non-self is that causes the stress and suffering when we claim we are the non self
Step-5. Breath –awareness 4 pointed
Space in and out – experience the self
We are an ocean and not the waves
Concluding step- learn from experience-
Do nothing – live here and now – experience the change –
Doing nothing is state of being – human being
Return slowly to live in the state –
We return in a way to be able to maintain the state of relaxation for a longer period
Look at right hand – feel it , left hand – feel it
Raise both hands slowly and place it your eyes so that palms are like cups over the eyes
Open eyes slowly inside the palms
Experience the change
Bring hands down slowly
There are many steps that we can incorporate in daily practice to customize the practice to progress on the path
1. Happy, steady and relaxed state
One master says , keep smiling all time. remain cheerful as it prevents the mind from distractions. Experience the state of steadiness of body, dropping fidgeting consciously. The body takes mental form and mind takes physical form. When we work on the mind, it never opens itself to distractions or past impressions, leave the body as it , in the state of steadiness.
2. Knowing – doing nothing and doing something
it is interesting and the most easy and most difficult step towards mindfulness. It is the most difficult because we identify all oru acts with I-ness, created by the mind. Our mind likes to own, possess and identify with all our thoughts, speech and actions. It is the easiest when we drop the identification with I ness. when we drop identification i.e. I am the body, I am breath, I am mind, this is my mind, knowledge , brain and so on. we experience the state of doing nothing. the moment this experience takes place, it is joy of conscious living. it is mindfulness.
3. Create a right intention for changing the mind
right intention in the mind starts with right thinking. the right thinking starts when we do right analysis of our daily experiences. The right analysis according to Eastern Wisdom is to separate real from unreal. The real is what is permanent, eternal and present in the midst of ever changing reality.
when we are clear that right intention is helping the mind to see our own true nature. it stop wandering outside. it moves mind towards mindfulness.
4.Conscious experience without I-ness– Sensation- Relaxation -Stillness
It is important to know the idea of I-ness is different from modern psychology. we experience Sensation-Relaxation-Stillness without I-ness in practice of mindfulness. It is interesting to discover in mindfulness that as mindfulness progresses, mind starts moving within. when it moves within , it leaves the objects or the contents of mind that comes from outside i.e. people, place, possession, events and time.
5.live and look within – One to Many and Many to one
there are many when mind is outside and there is one when mind moves inside. It is the mind that creates the world of many that we perceive , think, live and work. It is the same mind when it leaves self created world, it finds nothing except one self. when mind is no longer creates its own world, it becomes perfect mirror where real-self reflects. This is another way to understand mindfulness intellectually but need regular practice with wisdom. when mind reflects and know one and only one , there is a transition from non meditative to meditative state.
6.Be within the Body- living within
Living within and awareness of time and layers in the present moment is another subtle practice We are aware of Present Moment and layers one after the other.
Higher consciousness that perceives unity and mind that perceives divisions – both are there
Space outside the body
Space-body-breath –mind – Natural moving of breath and its sensations- hearing the mind ( mind and its contents) –listening to teacher – do it every day 100 times,
what happens –inside space like blue/ dark/ white/ sky and
Move from outside to inside in time – vision- Space-Sensation-Stillness-Calmness-Quietness
Move from inside to outside in time
7.Breath -awareness to mindfulness
Awareness of breath is different from information about the breath. The google and Bing can provide millions of pages of information on the breath but awareness of breath that only man has to do by making a conscious choice. It is really lamenting to note that modern man looks for information and escapes the practice as if modern technology one day, can provide us tools, how to be aware of the breath.
Eastern Wisdom suggests 52 different ways of breath awareness. all 52 ways are pointed awareness. It expands the mind and leaves objectless state. The objectless state of mind is mindfulness.
