In the previous episode we were discussing the Pranayama technique of Yoga that helps us in honing our focusing skills.
Towards the end of that episode, I also made a passing reference to methods that also go by the same name, but come from a different source and have an altogether different purpose.
They are the Hatayoga Pranayama techniques which our modern Yoga teachers wrongly project as Yoga techniques.
The main emphasis in these Hatayoga techniques is to forcefully control the breathing – its duration, rate and so on. As I mentioned, they even talk about completely stopping the breath for indefinite amount of time!
In one of his discourses, Buddha talks about these methods that probably existed even during his times. He makes fun of the futility of these methods. He says that he practiced them for sometime in the initial phase of his spiritual journey.Buddha says that he held his breath as long as “his ear drums popped out”! But nothing useful really happened except excruciating pain in the ears😉
So, Buddha came up with his own techniques that are not harmful while serving the purpose of sharpening one’s mental focus. These are generally called the Sati techniques. Some people call them “mindfulness” techniques.
The basic idea is to be mindful, no matter what you do. That sounds quite simple and common sense. But not really!
Have you paid attention to how you were positioning your hands while you were reading or listening to this episode? What were your eyes staring at? Or for that matter, was your back resting on the back rest or was it erect and unsupported? How were you breathing?
We normally don’t pay attention to many of these mundane movements. But Buddha says that practicing doing all these mundane activities “mindfully”, can itself sharpen your concentration. Not that you keep observing your body all the time. But such willful observation can be a practice to help improving our focusing skills.
Buddha talks about two types of Sati or practice. One is Kaya Sati.
In Kaya sati, you keenly observe every physical action of yours. For example, when you sit, observe how you place your legs, how you hold your back, how you position your hands and so on. Similarly, when you getup from your seat, observe the pressure you put on your feet, the gradual forward bending of your torso, lifting of your buttocks, straightening of your body and so on.
Similarly, when you walk, observe how you lift your thighs, how you place your feet, how your hands alternate with the legs, how your torso moves and so on.
The other practice or Sati that Buddha talks about is the Anapana Sati. Anapana means breathing in and out. Unlike the Pranayama of Yoga, in Anapana Sati there is no willful control of the breath. You merely observe the breathing process.
All of us have been breathing right from our birth and every moment. But have you ever observed how such a mundane activity takes place? Most probably not.
First you expand your chest. The air starts flowing in through the nostrils. The olfactory sensors lined inside the nostrils quietly sense any odors in the incoming air. The narrow nasal path warms up the air as it moves forward. Our abdomen moves forward to facilitate the suction of air. The air enters the lungs for some time. The abdomen gets pushed back to expel the air in the lungs. And once again the air makes its return journey whence it came.
You have been doing each of these steps every day, every moment. But the question is “Have you ever done these mindfully?” or have you ever paid attention to these details?
Paying attention to these mundane details itself can train your attention system. You don’t need to forcefully breath, or do anything that is potentially harmful to your body. Just develop a keen observation.
And Buddha says that you do it with whatever you routinely do. Be mindful about every action of yours. That will not only sharpen your focusing skills but will also expose you to such fine details of your own body that you never were aware of.
Buddha says that this kind of passive observation of the body can be extended to observation of the mind as well, as you pick up sharper focus.
Yoga’s Pranayama and Buddhist Anapana Sati both revolve around breathing. In one case, the breathing is willfully altered. In the other, it is merely observed. The purpose of both is to improve mental focus which would come handy in the later step namely meditation.
In the next episode, I will discuss another non-Yoga method of training our mental focus.
A series revolving around Mind – Science of Mind, Philosophy of Mind, Notions of reality, Mind modulation, Domains beyond Mind, and so on. © Dr. King 2019-2020
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