Being Embodied.
This week’s topic for reflection is being embodied. Notice your body. Notice how you view your body. How is your body changing and how it has changed. We do zazen with our body. Starting with sitting in the proper posture, settle into steady relaxed breathing. Follow the breath, slowly in and out, physically alert and curious. Physically alert and curious. As you pause and become present in your body, what do you become aware of? Do a body scan if you need to. If there is any judgement about your body, what is it? Our bodies hold all kinds of past experiences and traumas hidden away. Notice any tightness in your body. Is it holding onto anything or pushing something away? Just notice. Notice if there is any mental tightness associated with this physical tightness. Do you have any thoughts or beliefs about your body? Our physical bodies define us as human beings, members of our families and culture. This body is also an integral part of nature. Every breath, every sense and sense object, everything physical and tangible, supports and makes this body possible. In a real sense our bodies belong to nature not to us. It's amazing to have a human body.
What would it be like to be alive and not embodied? Is your existence simply a result of your functioning body? Of coarse you won’t always have the use of your body but does dying mean personal extinction? Dying is actually a transition from being alive and embodied to being alive and not embodied. During this significant change called dying, our view is essential. How we approach life embodied is a lot like how we will approach life not embodied. Are you curious and open to change or more afraid and feel victimized by circumstance? Now is the time to practice being fully alive with open hands not closed fists. Now when we are embodied, is when we have hands to respond with, if we care and are willing to see.
Please join us for morning Zoom zazen from 7:00 to 7:30 Tuesday and Thursday, and Sunday morning Zoom zazen and discussion of the topic for reflection blog from 8:00 to 9:00 Pacific Time. Here’s the Zoom link:
Meeting ID: 811 6100 3357
Passcode: 278259
Gassho,
Futai
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