Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.

Thch Nht Hnh, Stepping into Freedom: Rules of Monastic Practice for Novices

Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your
thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of
your mind again.
Thch Nht Hnh, The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
. To master our breath is to be in control of our bodies and minds. Each time we find ourselves
dispersed and find it difficult to gain control of ourselves by different means, the method of
watching the breath should always be used.
Thch Nht Hnh, The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation

The depth of the respiratory wave is another factor which varies with emotional states. Breathing
becomes shallow when we are frightened or anxious. It deepens with relaxation, & pleasure.
The inspiratory wave begins deep in the abdomen with a backward movement of the pelvis. This
allows the belly to expand outward. The wave then moves upward as the rest of the body expands.
The head moves very slightly forward to suck in the air while the nostrils dilate or the mouth
opens. The expiratory wave begins in the upper part of the body and moves downward: the head
drops back, the chest and abdomen collapse, and the pelvis rocks forward.
Breathing easily and fully is one of the basic pleasures of being alive. The pleasure is clearly
experienced at the end of expiration when the descending wave fills the pelvis with a delicious
sensation. In adults this sensation has a sexual quality, though it does not induce any genital
feeling. The slight backward and forward movements of the pelvis, similar to the sexual
movements, add to the pleasure. Though the rhythm of breathing is pronounced in the pelvic
area, it is at the same time experienced by the total body as a feeling of fluidity, softness, lightness
and excitement.
Alexander Lowen, The Voice of the Body
The issue in meditation is not to be sinners by finding out within us what sin is, and then do
something about it. This requires a great deal of sensitivity because all things are actually not
what appear on the surface. That which appears to be actually immoral on the surface can
actually be extremely moral and that which appears to be completely moral when looked at very
deeply can be actually as immoral as it can get. Only you can create the way your inner-self can
be twisted or purified.
-Bruce Frantzis.
The unexamined life is not worth living
- Socrates
Igniting the Flame of Self-Awareness
If you find it difficult to be aware, then experiment with writing down every thought and feeling that
arises throughout the day; write down your reactions of jealousy, envy, vanity, sensuality, the intentions
behind your words, and so on.Spend some time before breakfast in writing them down, which may
necessitate going to bed earlier and putting aside some social affair. If you write these things down

whenever you can, and in the evening before sleeping look over all that you have written during the day,
study and examine it without judgment, without condemnation, you will begin to discover the hidden
causes of your thoughts and feelings, desires and words.Now, the important thing in this is to study with
free intelligence what you have written down, and in studying it you will become aware of your own
state. In the flame of self-awareness, of self-knowledge, the causes of conflict are discovered and
consumed. You should continue to write down your thoughts and feelings, intentions and reactions, not
once or twice, but for a considerable number of days until you are able to be aware of them instantly.
Meditation is not only constant self-awareness, but constant abandonment of the self. Out of right
thinking there is meditation, from which there comes the tranquility of wisdom; and in that serenity the
highest is realized.Writing down what one thinks and feels, one's desires and reactions, brings about an
inward awareness, the cooperation of the unconscious with the conscious, and this in turn leads to
integration and understanding.
- J. Krishnamurti, The Book of Life

FOCUSED AND FEARLESS EXTRACTS FROM THE BOK BY SHAILA CATHERINE

Trust the capacity of the heart to be spacious enough to feel not only the things you like but also
mental states that are difficult.
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The challenge of difficult emotions is the impulse to avoid confronting them.
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Denial is ultimately unconvincing, however.
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Often when we try to remove ourselves from the feeling, just slightly, we discover that we are dwelling
on the story of the emotion.
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The story creates a slight separation from the direct feeling of the painful state.
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For example, you might remember something hurtful that a friend said and rehearse various defensive
responses during your meditation session.
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Thinking removes your attention from what anger, disappointment, and betrayal actually feel like in
this moment right now.
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If you experience a repeating memory, its your opportunity to explore the feelings that underlie the
story.
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In a situation of highly charged emotions, youll find it helpful to gather the support of stillness.
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Bring awareness to the posture.

Bring awareness to the posture.

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If you are sitting, take a deep breath and stay sitting.
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If you are standing, take a deep breath and keep standing.
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Feel your feet on the floor.
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Sense the stability of your body.
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Scan your body and know the sensations you are feeling.
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Physical sensations serve as a tangible guide to the felt sense of the mental state.
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Are you experiencing contraction?
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Are specific areas of tension, quivering, shaking, pulling, or throbbing dominant?
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Locate the feeling in the body and let the attention rest in the embodied experience of the emotion.
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Emotions are never static.
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Notice how they flow and change: intensifying, dissipating, or fluctuating within a cluster of related
sensations.
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Every time the mind reengages the storyline, disentangle yourself from the conceptual level and
return to the felt sense of the feeling.
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Incredible insight.
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Grant yourself a moment of peace, and you will understand how foolishly you have scurried
about. Learn to be silent, and you will notice that you have talked too much. Be kind, and you
will realize that your judgment of others was too severe. Ancient Chinese Proverb