Tina Rasmussen provides 13 minutes of instruction on the Samatha (concentration and serenity) meditation, in particular the anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) practice. This includes everything that a person needs to know to begin practicing Samatha anapanasati meditation.
I learned this meditation in 2003 from Tibetan monk, Tsoknyi Rinpoche. He affectionately called it the “French Press” meditation because he wanted us to follow the exhale breath down into the belly in the same slow way the hand held coffee maker pushed the grinds to the bottom. Now somatic therapists and researchers know that a belly breath also connects with your vagal nerve, and you can reset your nervous system with just a few of these breaths. This meditation meditation combines breathing into the belly and grounding in stillness.
This guided meditation includes a body scan and invites the receptivity and letting-go of whole body breathing. Once we have awakened the vitality and presence throughout the body, we have access to the formless dimension, the awareness that is our source.
Rather than rely on a system, cultivate an attitude towards practice. Systems have uses, but can eventually curtail what we’re trying to drop into. Part of the theme of this retreat is about recognizing some of the stressful systems that get built into our minds around speed and progress – and awakening out of them. [24:06 Begin Guided Meditation] Establishing Ground and Space through Breathing: We can use the body as a channel to settle the mind. Use the out-breath to ground, use the in-breath to lift. These two together give you a form with a distinct foundation and uprightness to it.
