The Tibetan Yoga of Breath: Breathing Practices for Healing the Body and Cultivating Wisdom (12 page)

THE NINE CYCLES OF INHALATION AND EXHALATION

Guided instruction: Begin by taking a soft inhale, pressing the left nostril closed with the left index finger, and exhaling through the right nostril. Next, inhale through the right nostril, and then switch sides: the left index finger releases the left nostril while the right index finger closes the right nostril. Then, exhale through the left nostril, inhale through the left nostril, and continue as before, alternating nostrils. Each inhalation/exhalation through a single nostril counts as one set. Thus, what was just described were two of the nine cycles or sets of breathing. We repeat this until we have inhaled and exhaled a total of six times—three through each nostril. Finally, we take three sets of inhalation and exhalation through both nostrils.

General notes.
This is general advice for how the breathing should be done during this exercise. The exhalation is a little strong, but it should be long and relaxed. Continue exhaling until
the breath completely dissolves, and then inhale again, also in a very elongated and relaxed manner. Always breathe as deeply as possible, pulling the breath down into the abdomen, and trying to feel it pervade the entire body. Since we are working with abdominal, and not thoracic, breathing, be sure that the chest and shoulders do not rise with the breath, and that only the belly expands.

Exercise 3

VISUALIZATION IN THE NINE CYCLES OF INHALATION AND EXHALATION

Nine-Cycle Breathing.
The nine cycles of breathing can be complemented with a visualization practice. In the beginning, you may wish to just become comfortable with the actual breathing practice taught above.

Before starting, you can either visualize that in the space above your head there is pure, clean, unobstructed energy, or, if you are a practicing Buddhist, you can visualize an array of wisdom beings. Regardless of your level of experience or specific religious or spiritual beliefs, this simple visualization can be used by any practitioner.

To practice visualization, begin by inhaling softly and then making the first exhalation through the right nostril. Think of dispelling the afflicted mind of anger out with the breath. When exhaling through the right nostril, we send out masculine energy, ash-colored and in the form of snakes, which is symbolic of anger. We should also think to ourselves that we are sending out all impurity, obstacles, and sources of illnesses, especially cancer and illnesses related to the liver.

Next, inhaling through the right nostril, we take in either the pristine, pure energy visualized in the space above us or the blessings of the wisdom beings visualized above. Engaged focus and
concentration are very important when working with visualization because they allow us to feel that we are actually being filled with pure energy and blessings. Next, we exhale through the left nostril, this time sending out feminine energy, the afflicted mind of desire. We see the breath as being red in color, in the form of roosters, which is symbolic of desire. We also think to ourselves that we are sending out obstacles and illnesses that are related to a lack of warmth in the body. These are illnesses that cause wounds and sores on the body, and also back and joint pain. We repeat this pattern of white/right and red/left as just described, for three sets of inhalation and exhalation from each nostril, for a total of six sets.

Finally, breathing through both nostrils, we receive pure energy and blessings, and then send the breath out through both nostrils, thinking we are sending out the afflicted mind of ignorance, the antithesis of wisdom. We see the breath like dark smoke in the shape of pigs, which are symbolic of ignorance. We think to ourselves that we are dispelling all illnesses in general 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 will
prepare 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 outer
environment, 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 multitude of things coming together to express as that one particular appearance, in that one particular moment in time. In other words, there is no single cause for anything. There are always various energies, influences, and karma at work.

Why does it matter that the phenomenal world manifests based on causes and conditions? It matters because this is the logical proof of the nature of impermanence. Anything that is made up of causes and conditions can also be broken down into its constituent parts. At some point, all things that come together will separate. That is why we say that whatever is impermanent is, by definition, changeable and destructible.

When we think about the outer world around us, it can take a very long time to see the changeable nature of phenomena. But if we wait long enough, it is impossible for us to find anything lasting and permanent. If we reflect on the way that the world has evolved from eons ago until now, based on the increase and the decrease of the elements, even vast phenomena such as the ocean have gone through great metamorphoses. The Himalayas, which are now the highest mountains on the planet and still growing to this day, were once completely under water. Around 250 million years ago, during the Mesozoic era, the Tibetan plateau was covered by the Tethys Ocean. Today, fossils of underwater sea life can be found high on snowy mountain peaks. The Great Salt Lake in Utah is an inland saltwater sea in transition. It once covered over 22,000 square miles—most of Utah and portions of Nevada and Idaho. About sixteen thousand years ago, it began drying up and is now just a large saltwater lake flat. Contemplating examples such as these, which seem permanent and lasting in our minds, helps us to gain intellectual insight into the fact that there is absolutely nothing in this world that is lasting or unchanging.

N
EXT,
U
NDERSTAND
I
MPERMANENCE
E
MOTIONALLY

Impermanence is something that every human being needs to know intimately. If we understand impermanence first intellectually and then emotionally, through and through, then all of the comforts of life—the wealth that we cherish so much, our family, friends, and loved ones, and even the difficult or painful connections we have with others, become less important and less weighty in the mind. When we understand that even these things are impermanent, our unhappiness and mental suffering lessen. Ideally speaking, our general outlook and feelings toward everything and everyone become less intense and more balanced as a result of understanding impermanence.

For those of us who have never reflected on impermanence before, we may grasp onto our own version of reality so tightly
that thinking about impermanence can seem painful or depressing. We are not wrong for thinking so. However, when we try to avoid the truth of impermanence by pushing it away or ignoring it, we are just throwing ourselves deeper into the same denial that we always find ourselves in. Actually, the suffering of denial is even worse than ordinary suffering. Denial implies that there is some awareness that we are trying to reject. We know something but refuse to see the truth. After an unwanted situation occurs and we experience the suffering that we knew was bound to come sooner or later, we experience suffering heaped upon suffering—first the suffering of the experience itself, and then the suffering of knowing that we could have done something to emotionally and spiritually prepare ourselves but did not.

Understanding Impermanence Is the Basis for Spiritual Practice

In the Buddhist teachings, the nature of impermanence is taught to each and every practitioner. It is the basis for all other practice yet to come on the path. It is a basic attitude, an outlook that the mind has adopted in order to maintain the inspiration to practice. Without the knowledge that phenomena are impermanent, we have no reason to make a spiritual journey at all. We might as well simply hope that things in our lives will go in a happy manner, or fool ourselves into thinking that it is possible for life to be full of happiness, with no ups and downs. Once we realize that happiness is not a state that can ever be permanently achieved, and that it is impossible to avoid sorrow and unhappiness, we feel much more committed to taking care of our spiritual lives and making some effort at a spiritual practice.

In the beginning, impermanence is always taught as an intellectual reflection. We need to understand it logically. We need the mind to be completely certain that there is no avoiding change. Becoming completely convinced of the truth of this statement is the key to spiritual practice. At times, especially when times are tough, we glimpse the changeable nature of life. We think back to
happier times with longing, wondering what went wrong. The truth is, nothing went wrong. It is simply impossible for life to continue on in the same manner without end. However, when things are going well, thoughts of life’s impermanence do not even enter the mind. We want so much to believe that happiness will continue on forever. When we reflect on impermanence, we must use our intellect to teach ourselves the truth of impermanence—with the knowledge that the mind is always easier to convince than the heart. However, it is based on the truth of impermanence penetrating our heart and mind that we will be able to carry the knowledge of impermanence into our everyday life. This knowledge must become second nature.