Parvatasana Meditation (Mountain Breath)

Sit in a comfortable position on the floor, a pillow, a bench or a chair (w/o arm rests) with your spine straight. Close your eyes and become aware of your breath. Feel your breath move in and out. When you're comfortable with breathing intentionally begin breathing through your nose (Ujjayi breath). Take your time; allow your breath to find its own way, to be complete and unobstructed. When this is comfortable begin raising your arms out to the side and up as you inhale and lowering your arms to rest on your lap or by your side as you exhale. On the next breath your arms just rest. You alternate the arm movement on every other breath. Your arms move at the same pace that you are breathing. At the end of the inhalation the hands come together over head. As you begin to exhale the arms glide downward, and at the end of the exhalation the arms and hands come to a resting position either on your lap or by your side. The next breath is taken without the arm movement. Continue for several minutes. It's normal to get confused, just begin all over again. It will eventually become effortless. The experience and the one experiencing become one and the same.

This technique works on many levels of our being. The awareness of breath movement keeps the mind on the activity. The alternating between physical activity and lack of physical activity requires concentration, again keeping the mind present and alert. The long deep and slow breathing calms the mind, emotions and nervous system which relaxes the body. As the breath rate slows (which happens naturally) the external awareness decreases and the internal awareness increases, which is conscious awareness. Through this suspension of external reality the self is perceived. This is meditation.

© Copyright Tony Riposo 2001

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