The simplest definition for meditation (mindfulness) ever:
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In its simplest (basic) form, it is following the breath on this model, period.
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Nothing abstract, confusing, complex or requiring any thing at all. Your breath and a breath model is all that is needed. Mine is not special however it does work and saves time making your own. This ability to focus on this model and slow the breath down will improve your mental wellbeing with daily practice.
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A new fancy LED model is almost done. I am envisioning doing a series with parts adding more depth to everyone’s practice. Starting with tracing the breathing track with your hand while you inhale and exhale all the way to application to triggers and beyond healing.
. The Breathing Track was born in an effort to simplify the process of practicing mindfulness for people wanting to heal from Trauma, PTSD, Complex PTSD, agoraphobia or other anxiety disorders.
My path was rather long and arduous starting a meditation or mindfulness (meditation) program in my garage by myself. From there, I searched out a small local Zen center to strengthen my practice. This took a few years to reach a place of emptiness (no thought) for short periods. Along the way, I learned no goals, to sit with intention and support of others. Loving Kindness was the last piece of the puzzle.
My complex PTSD was much better and I was gaining some freedom and relief from the once constant flow of cortisol and fear. I would sit and ask for more understanding of the breath and all its connections and power it had. My wife could not believe the depth and time spent investigating my breath.
I realized some things which were never obvious to me. The inhales were cooler than the exhales. We pause after an exhale to let the used air to clear before taking in another oxygen filled breath.
The inhale needed a little more time to enrich the exchange of oxygen to feed the brain. Remember the brain uses 25% of the bodies oxygen. So all of a sudden these so-called pauses had more importance.
My best results seemed to have a certain slower rhythm and flow when meditating. How could I make this easier and quicker. Buddhas Brain came along and finally I knew the secrets of the mind/brain. We made the ego up, and the fight or flight mechanism was the fear feeling not the thoughts.
I plugged all my knowledge and practice to find a better way. I knew that we always get lost in thought during the pauses or transitions. It was easy to just follow the breath in the nostrils noticing how the breath eases past our nose hairs.
So getting lured into thoughts happens in the pauses. What could we do to fix that. Finally I connected the inhales and exhales making the current breathing track.
It worked. Then after a couple of months use other benefits started appearing. keeping thoughts out of my sits was much easier. My breath liked the balance and flow of the track. I found my breath had a speed which it gravitated to and the mind loved the form and balance.
Then I found my mind-body and breath were soothed by the strength of the quiet and focus. My practice reached deeper levels and more understanding of how to kill PTSD the quickest became clear.
My complex PTSD was much better and I was gaining some freedom and relief from the once constant flow of cortisol and fear. I would sit and ask for more understanding of the breath and all its connections and power it had. My wife could not believe the depth and time spent investigating my breath.
I realized some things which were never obvious to me. The inhales were cooler than the exhales. We pause after an exhale to let the used air to clear before taking in another oxygen filled breath.
The inhale needed a little more time to enrich the exchange of oxygen to feed the brain. Remember the brain uses 25% of the bodies oxygen. So all of a sudden these so-called pauses had more importance.
My best results seemed to have a certain slower rhythm and flow when meditating. How could I make this easier and quicker. Buddhas Brain came along and finally I knew the secrets of the mind/brain. We made the ego up, and the fight or flight mechanism was the fear feeling not the thoughts.
I plugged all my knowledge and practice to find a better way. I knew that we always get lost in thought during the pauses or transitions. It was easy to just follow the breath in the nostrils noticing how the breath eases past our nose hairs.
So getting lured into thoughts happens in the pauses. What could we do to fix that. Finally I connected the inhales and exhales making the current breathing track.
It worked. Then after a couple of months use other benefits started appearing. keeping thoughts out of my sits was much easier. My breath liked the balance and flow of the track. I found my breath had a speed which it gravitated to and the mind loved the form and balance.
Then I found my mind-body and breath were soothed by the strength of the quiet and focus. My practice reached deeper levels and more understanding of how to kill PTSD the quickest became clear.
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Sorry my link on WordPress is broke.
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Mindset Using The Breathing Track!
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Posted by soul_sista_nyc on January 21, 2012 at 10:09 pm
hi marty ~ i like the breathing track idea and i’m going to start tonight. i think i would like to do it each night and each morning…night to see if it helps with the nightmares. day for obvious reasons
Posted by Marty on January 21, 2012 at 10:44 pm
Great, let me know what comes up and relax. It is you taking time to soothe and heal yourself. In a way it is an inner look at ourselves without the negative bias of the left brain.
There is no right or wrong or good or bad, you just relax and follow the breath on the track. If thoughts come up and you find yourself involved, just come back to the track.
leave judging alone and you are just practicing a skill. Your goal is to improve your ability to focus on your breath for now.
Then during the day you can take 60 second practice following the breath and see if you can in a line, at lunch, at the doctors or with your friends or family.
Using the breathing track like this hooks us up to our emotional regulation center so in time all will calm and heal with effort and daily practice. healing is not comfortable because trauma has to leave it seems as it came.
Good Luck.
Posted by Namaste Consulting Inc on February 19, 2012 at 5:56 am
I like your model Marty. I like the idea of it a lot more than most of the apps for the Ipad, etc.
Great teaching technique for those of us who are visual.
Namaste. Jen
Posted by Marty on February 19, 2012 at 2:10 pm
Thanks Jen,
As you say, you are visual but even if it was not your dominant sense, the model still offers some unique benefits. Whether you are visual or not is brings that sense into play. Also it brings the sense of touch and movement also. You can actually trace the breath with your eyes open and feel the curves and see how the breath can flow around this neat little continuum.
My point is that it takes counting the breath which is almost all abstract as you can get. For me a person with complex PTSD and no desire to follow a spiritual path not many options are available.
The breathing track lets them see and practice wit eyes open to know exactly what to do. It takes all that connotation about meditation and mindfulness and presents Te sufferer with a small model a skill to learn
What I did not know at first is that this model immediately balanced the inhales and exhales and then made the transition flow with a similarity. The breath, mind and body love this model and are attracted to it. Seems it balances the mind body so it relaxes and thoughts find it difficult to,penetrate.
If you mix in our hearing and quiet your breath and sound so you can hear your. Death, emptiness is possible with daily practice.
This breathing track is working for some who just started and the original feeling of someone new is I can do that. I have stumbled upon this and it seems to have no flaws.
Thanks for the approval. Just think what this could do for kids, for people you help leave this planet and for people suffering from depression, anxiety or trauma.
Posted by jeffssong on March 1, 2012 at 3:39 pm
To focus is to think. To think is to think. To ‘have a goal’ is to think. You’ve got to set it ALL down – and we did for a time. I won’t go into it; but … experiencing infinity and way more. After all, I couldn’t describe it at the time; I had lost the sense of ‘me’ – totally and completely. Time, name, nothing meant . . . nothing and yet everything. Beyond a ‘religious experience’. And our breath slowed way down.
I will never forget that thing. And the first part of it we start to lose words. Their meaning; their beginning. The rest follows naturally; concepts and things – just fall away like leaves. Until you are ‘expanding’ in an expanding universe within. And you can’t allow yourself to fall into it, meaning think about it – you’ve got to lose that thing, too – all of it.
We were changed beyond words, and have been ever since. That was in Puerto Rico this last year (July) and we came back a changed man. Very much so. (Everyone noticed – and yes, it was for the better in all ways).
But you said something I noticed, and something I need to do: Practice daily. Don’t go in ‘too deep’ – or I will lose myself again
A really good feeling.
Posted by Marty on March 1, 2012 at 3:55 pm
I agree with most of what you have said, I think. Are you saying that you have healed with a mindfulness practice?
This sentence can be proven with neutoscience not to be accurate.
To focus is to think. To think is to think. To ‘have a goal’ is to think.
Focus on the breath is the opposite of thinking, functional MRI’s have been fitted on monks and focus takes them far below any thought.
A couple have so low of brain activity scientist could not imagine. The scientist were all excited by what they found but could not understand why these monks had no reaction.
They asked them don’t you know what this means. They said we have known this without your machines.
I have one goal and that is to be free without worry here and now. My one A goal would be effort. I am responsible for effort, results not be responsibilty or concern. Works well for me.
I try to navigate life with as little ego invovled as possible.
I am interested in your opinion and thoughts.
Please expound some more Jeff.
Marty
Posted by Alex on April 20, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Marty, did you design your track as the archetypal symbol of Infinity, or did the breath,in fact, reveal itself to you as Infinity?
Just found you. Gratitude, Alex
Posted by Marty on April 20, 2012 at 3:57 pm
The breath I guess in a way fit into it. I simply connected the inhale and exhale with sort of a flat curve at first. Mine is a hybrid of infinity by the transitions have a distinct change rather than a more flowing infi it’t.
It is a perfect symbol and the hybrid works well.
Posted by Lindsay on September 22, 2012 at 4:32 pm
I have found spinning wool very good for being in the moment and it helps me find an inner peace that I thought I had lost when PTSD came to town. I have tried mindfulness work before but couldn’t let go, but I am going to give your method a solid go everyday after I have done my spinning as I am in such a calm place. I have just finished reading an article in the Ashford magazine called “Weaving the blues away” by Dr Ann Futterman Collier and she says in the article that textile making does indeed improve the mood. (happy to share the article with anyone).