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Talk: 19890426-Larry_Rosenberg-UNK-conscious_breathing_i_reflections_on_anapanasati_i-1566 Leandra Tejedor Start_time: 00:24:26 Display_question: It seems necessary for me to exaggerate the breath, in order to follow it. Keyword_search: Korea, Japan, Thailand, pranayama, yoga, meditation, enlightenment, compassion, hatha yoga, tai chi, breath Question_content: Questioner: It seems necessary for me to exaggerate the breath. Larry: Exactly. You mean control it? Questioner: (inaudible)Well. Do deeper in order to follow it, yes. Larry: Yes Okay. Does everyone can you all hear that in the back? Okay. Actually, you're putting your finger on something. It turns out that it's possible. I mean, I don't really know, but this is just my impression, but it's also others, I've compared notes, with all of us who went to Asia, and came back. It seems if we have more problems with our breathing, in the west than, let's say, many of the monks that let's say, I practice with in Korea, and Japan, and Thailand come from very simple rural backgrounds, and they have access to their breath, in a way which we don't seem to at first. And so many of us, sometimes our breath is faulty, because of all kinds, perhaps lack of exercise, or whatever, emotional stress. Break_line: And so, then someone gives you these instructions, and you start paying attention to the breath. And it's actually not such a pleasant object to pay attention to, because perhaps some breath therapy is needed, or some remedial work, pranayama, or yoga, or some change to make to help working, from the outside in. This is not meditation. And so that sometimes, we did a few simple exercises in the Thursday night group, but I don't like to do too much of that. Break_line: And I'll tell you why. You can get very dramatic effects with yoga postures, and various breathing breath therapies, more quickly than, with meditation, with, let's say, rapid breathing, breath of fire, or there's some forms of pranayama. You'll get high in no time. And so, people then become much more drawn to that. But in the process don't develop the wisdom that, of course is in the long run far more valuable than any of these special effects that we all really love. You probably all I can't say this, but let's say, wouldn't you rather levitate than get enlightened? Wouldn't you rather levitate, than just be a free, and compassionate person? I mean, it's not too commercially viable, to just be compassionate, but levitation, we can package that. Just think how far you could go with that. Break_line: But okay, to get back to your question, if you're now and then to take, let's say start off as sitting, if you feel that helps you by taking a few deep breaths, there's no problem with that. But then let the breath run naturally. And from time to time, if you're having a problem, let's say, getting all caught up, I think it's fine to take a few deep breaths, in breaths, and outbreath. But be careful that you're not doing it so often, that you're not getting a certain kind of practice that's essential, and that is learning how to be comfortable with discomfort, learning how to stay alert with a breath, that isn't appealing, that's cramped, and shallow, and agitated and uncomfortable, and not free. Break_line: Because what I've seen, is that if you can do some other things to smooth out the breath, let's say, like hatha yoga, or tai chi, or what have you, or breath therapies, it's helpful, but it isn't absolutely essential. Because if you're willing to become aware of the, let's say, less than free breaths, which are not too pleasant, and perhaps not so easy to attend to, in the process of doing that, you really refine your awareness. And you also develop this capacity to be with unpleasantness, so that you have confidence that everything's workable. At first, our mind doesn't want to watch things that aren't pleasant, and so that can be another way that develops. So, if you use it from time to time, I don't see that as a problem. But the main thing is to just allow the breath to just do what it wants to do and learn how to keep up with it. Something much more valuable comes from that. Again, it's not either or. End_time: 00:28:40
