Kneeling yoga-style (butt on my heels) on a hardwood floor – to keep my mind from drifting. 😉
My intention is to “listen to God” [atheists can substitute “deepen my intuition”].
1st 5 mins. – focus on my “Jing” (the part of my body you could see if you were watching): my eyes are almost closed; I’m sitting upright, relaxed and still; breathing abdominally: rhythmically extending and retracting my stomach as I inhale and exhale.
2nd 5 mins. – ADD my “Chi” (my internal energy systems; specifically, what I’m “doing” to regulate the flow of energy within): as I inhale I lift my tongue to the roof of my mouth just behind my front teeth, closing an energetic circuit. As I exhale I drop my tongue, and lift my pelvic floor (subtly, with no more physical effort than it takes to wink).
3rd 5 mins. – ADD my “Shen” (mind; what I’m “thinking” – note: for the last 10 minutes I’ve focused entirely on what I was “doing”); with my eyes still almost closed, I imagine I’m sitting on a beach on a warm sunny day looking out at the horizon [the line that splits your field of vision in half: top sky, bottom water].
End with a heartfelt recitation of the The Lord’s Prayer – acknowledging, beseeching, and praising God.
Students of TCM will recognize the “4 abilities” incorporated above. 😉
Blessings, Skip
