"Breathe In, Breathe Out"
"What happens when a pastor has an ‘experience’ with the Trappist monks? Peter Scazzero's experience launched him into... "
“…a journey over the next two years to visit a variety of Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox monastic communities to learn more. From Taize, France, to the Northumbrian community in England to the monks of New Skete in upstate New York…(we)participated in all kinds of variations of the Daily Office."
(pg.158, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality)
This is the Daily Office taken from his book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality:
Centering(pg160-162, EHS)
“Scripture commands us: “Be still and know that I am God”…I often spend five minutes centering down so I can let go of my tensions, distractions, and sensations and begin resting in the love of God. …
-Be attentive and open
-Sit still
-Sit straight
-Breath slowly, deeply
-Close your eyes or lower them to the ground
When you find your mind wandering, let your breathing bring you back. As you breathe in, as God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. As you breathe out, exhale all that is sinful, false, and not of him.”
Working in health Care for a lot of years. I have seen many people suffer and die of various lung disorders. Most of the time one of the medical tools that is used to help people breath is to give them Oxygen. Now I have a question that I did bring to my former Pastor. How does breathing a certain way in order to talk to God work for someone who has great difficulty breathing in the first place? Doesn't this sound more like works instead of Grace? Does the person who has COPD (lung disease) who can't breathe like a healthy person reach God just as well? Or maybe he has to do more in his prayer.
Can we breathe in God? Can we breathe out sin? "Something is not right with this teaching. Isn’t it odd that Zen, Yoga, Vipassana, Prana, Buddhist, and Self-realization meditation use these same steps?"
Yoga breathing:
# Sit on a chair or if you prefer, cross-legged on the floor. Sit straight. Unless your spine is erect, some of the benefits of the breathing exercises will be lost.
# Breathe deeply and slowly, without strain.
… While doing deep breathing the spine should be kept straight, so as not to impair the free flow of the life-force, or prana.
-holisticonline.com
Then there’s Zen meditation that also teaches breathing methods of Zen monks who just “be still and know”. (-meditationiseasy.com)
The following is from THE WAY TO PRACTISE VIPASSANA MEDITATION:
(http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/pandita3.htm)
1. Which place is best for meditation?
The Buddha suggested that either a forest place under a tree or any other very quiet place is best for meditation.
2. How should the meditator sit?
He said the meditator should sit quietly and peacefully with legs crossed.
3. How should those with back trouble sit?
If sitting with crossed legs proves to be too difficult, other sitting postures may be used. For those with back trouble a chair is quite acceptable. In any case, sit with your back erect, at a right angle to the ground, but not too stiff.
4. Yogi, why should you sit straight?
The reason for sitting straight is not difficult to see. An arched or crooked back will soon bring pain. Furthermore, the physical effort to remain upright without additional support energizes the meditation practice.
5. Why is it important to choose a position?
It is true that to achieve peace of mind, we must make sure our body is at peace. So it is important to choose a position that will be comfortable for a long period of time.
6. After sitting down, what should you do?
Close your eyes. Now place your attention at the belly, at the abdomen. Breathe normally, not forcing your breathing, neither slowing it down nor hastening it, just a natural breath.
7. What will you become aware of as you breathe in and breathe out?
You will become aware of certain sensations as you breathe in and the abdomen rises, as you breathe out and the abdomen falls.
11. When the mind wanders off and you start to think of something, what should you do?
At this time, watch the mind! Be aware that you are thinking.
Is the Daily Office of centering prayer any different than these meditation methods?
Here are some basic meditations questions answered from a guruji:
Question: We have seen many people sitting with closed eyes. Is this meditation? Then what is meditation?
Guruji: When you close your eyes and sit still, then your mind gets dragged from the outer world to your inner self. Once in your inner world, the thoughts reduce and slowly by practice, you reach a thoughtless state. This thoughtless state is meditation. Only the awareness that “I am living today, now and here” remains. This is meditation. But we cannot say that all those who sit with closed eyes do meditation. Only those people who live in their day to day life with non-attachment can attain this state.
Question: Would you please tell us something about the appropriate sitting posture, place and time for doing meditation?
Guruji: A meditator should sit erect so that the spinal chord will be straight and perpendicular.
Please take this information with love and concern! Why do we have to follow new things to reach God. It seem like these new things in Christinaity are just old pagan ways.
For those who have ears to hear, please hear!
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