Best of Awake in the World: Guided 20min. Meditation on Receptive Breathing
Awake in the World PodcastSummary
Michael Stone emphasizes the importance of mindfulness and mental health practices in his podcast, aiming to create a culture of compassion and collaboration. He discusses the significance of refining one's meditation posture, suggesting that practitioners should pay attention to their body alignment and comfort while sitting. This includes ensuring that the sits bones are properly positioned and that the knees are balanced, which can enhance the overall meditation experience.
Stone guides listeners through a mindful practice, encouraging them to open their ears to the surrounding sounds while maintaining awareness of their breath. He highlights the distinction between visualizing breath and truly feeling it, advocating for a sensory approach to mindfulness. By fostering a connection with the body and breath, he aims to cultivate a deeper sense of spaciousness and receptivity in meditation, ultimately enhancing the practice's effectiveness.
Show Notes
Guided meditation on Receptive Breathing with Michael Stone. Recorded in 2016 at the Meditation Facilitation Training, Vancouver, 20 min.
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More from Awake in the World Podcast
Michael talks about the goal of practice as being yourself. He tells the Zen story of T’ing being slapped and explores trusting yourself, not telling black and white stories about those we love and hate, and how meditation is the same as art. Chapin Mill, New York, 50 min.
Trigger Warning: Talks of Sexual/Assault and Trauma
Trigger Warning: Talks of Sexual/Assault and Trauma
Michael's talk on the core teachings of the Buddha and how they relate to being a self, letting go, repeating the past, investing too much in the future, and being stuck. Recorded on September 28, 2012. Please note, the end of the talk and discussion is cut-off.
The Buddha’s stance is anti-religious in a certain way. He uses what’s in religious practice to undo religious belief. The Buddha creates strategies, not dogmas. The more you go back into the old texts, the further away you get from religion. What we don’t need at this moment is another religion. Instead, perhaps we could engage a living tradition, and uncover the values of these practices. This means having a conversation with the past, while being rooted in the soil of present experience.