Do we ever breathe during the day?
I mean, do we actually really breathe with any form of appreciation of what this act means or what it can do for us if we added that extra pinch of focus to it?
If the humming of our active everyday brain can be likened to that of the sun illuminating any day, does non-activity by the brain then equal sleeping through the night?
Well, maybe. However, we cannot easily steer that chaotic and creative act of dreaming. Also, the brain is still active in this phase, whilst what I am seeking to describe here is putting our brain to sleep, or least, more so than our body.
There is thus another way to having the sun set in your head in order to appreciate the inner galaxy’s glittering skyline and stars.
Please grab my hand and walk your eyes this way.
Breathe
Breathe in through the mouth, out through the nose a few times
Focus more and more solely on your breath
Now, for the continuation of the exercise, breathe in and out through the nose only
If you focus well enough, there is no space for distracting thoughts inside of you
Try again, again and again
Breathe more deeply and slowly at each breath
Your brain may resist, so observe its reaction, leave judgment aside
Breathe ever more deeply and slowly
Your brain is slowly falling asleep
At some point, the noisemaking activity of your brain will have ceased
You feel awkward as an unfamiliar and deafening silence takes a hold of you
Welcome
You are in the Now
Meditation can give you answers which your brain will never be able to. This is neither because it does not want to, nor because you have not thought deep and hard enough. It is not the brain’s fault that it is mostly designed for more mundane tasks such as keeping your body functioning or distinguishing the colors of the rainbow. Rather, the inner temple of deep emotions and spirituality is located in your soul.
If stars are bright at night only, a parallel can be drawn to the life of the spirit. To see our inner stars, we merely require a certain degree of inner stillness, which we can access by focusing on the Now, and using meditation as a gateway to it.
You will see these inner stars and may just gaze in amazement at them. The longer you are in the Now each time, the more stars you will see, and the more facets of known stars will be revealed. Their beauty may utterly shock you.
Some uncomfortable things may come up, whether sensations, visions or other. Observe, leave judgment on the seat next to you. Observe your judgment too, without reinforcing it. The process of your soul rearranging itself, allowed full expression in the silent Now, is quite a profound process. Fear not the dust these inner whirlwinds will throw on you from time to time. Smile, keep encouraging expression from within. You will slowly but surely master this art, capable of cuddling the dragons and demons that occasionally come to your inner surface.
At some point, you will start seeing inner stars more easily, even randomly during the “conscious” part of your day. You are bringing your subconscious up and close to the surface, and your instincts are becoming an increasingly vital part of your everyday life. Heed those (new) instincts, for they come from a good place inside of you. Instincts and deep emotions are the rational answers from the soul, as much as options and decisions are the rational answers of the brain.
Next time you gaze in amazement at a star spangled sky, remember your soul is just the same. The choice is yours of whether to let this preciousness permeate your every fiber, and if so, to tune into your soul’s frequency at times, listen to and heed its unique messages.
If you pursue this path, even with much practice, ego will still knock on your door, but its fists will make less noise each time, and the rope it laid around your soul will loosen and fade.
You may then smile and wave your ego goodbye, mindful as you slowly and hesitantly start embracing the previously hidden elements of you.
Naked and crying as a baby you are, in front of the eternal beauty of your soul.
Congratulations, you have been reborn.
The article is loosely based on insights from various introductory zen meditation handbooks, writings by Thich Nhat Hanh, and my own modest meditation practice.
