In My Silence
In My Silence
A translation from The Love Poems of Rumi – In my silence, in our knowingness, we have always known each other. In my home, I call heart, I feel your comfort, and know no pain. In my knowing your translucency, I feel comforted and know no pain. In my knowing you, in our long periods of silence, you seeing me, and my seeing you; we have always known each other. It is through you, that we can see into the unlimited radiant beauty of life beyond physical body. In this familiarity we are alive, happy and free from the prison of our pasts, we are a new.
Perhaps not in this world, perhaps of another world, we will merge again. Beauty with beauty, empathy with empathy, loving-kindness with loving-kindness. Time has no hold on me, as I can go into the flowering field of memory any time I choose. The exultation of spirit, of light, fleeting yet free; color bask my body as it bathes in the warmth of memories.
I feel whole, blossomed, filled with love. I feel unquestionably curious, newness abounds me wherever I go. Is it really me that is experiencing the light of my soul? What sweet memories I have, the feelings of closeness, unity, understanding, the sense of being heard, and nurtured. I feel love for the feelings I have when I am near you. There is no fear-there is beauty wherever I go, there is light. Nurturing the soil of my spirit, I shine.
Poetry by -Rumi
Photography and Translation by,
Deborah Shemesh
Tuning Into the Vibration of Breath
Children Do It-Youth Do It!
I like to practice tuning my vibrational field my making various sounds and then playing with them as they vibrate, pulsate and regulate themselves through increasing the levels of intensity. There is only one rule and that is to become childlike. For instance, say SO and notice how your tendency is to blow outward with the sound. Say the So sound again, can you feel the outward focus?
Well, just by reversing the breath awareness we can stimulate a molecular rearranging, a shifting of the physiology of physical body. Now breathe through your mouth while rounding your lips into the original SO position. I sometimes call these movements lip asanas. Again, purse your lips into the SO position, and pull breath into your body while trying to enunciate SO. Feel the difference between the two ways of breathing SO? Try again, purse your lips and sound SO blowing outward, now shift into SO pulling breath graciously inward.
Now, lets take it a step further into our awareness by sounding another sound. HUM, try Hummm as your purse your lips together until they begin to tingle. Hummm, see how long you can hold that vibration as your whole body begins to tingle. Now put the sounds together, Soooo (breathing inward) Hummm (breathing outward) and repeat this practice for at least 30 seconds at a time for about a total of three minutes.
Now, change the sound to WHAAAA, and feel the widening of your pelvis floor. Do this again, WHAAAA and begin to notice how long you can maintain the sounding tone before you need to take another breath. Experiencing expansion, take it to the next level of vibration and organ stimulation, by sounding the word HEYYYYY. Try softening the HEYYYY holding firmly onto the YYYY part.
The most astonishing recognition occurs when we realize how much we are away from breath awareness. Our focuses become so external, we forget all about our breathing patterns and that is alright to get you safely through a cosmopolitan type of day. When you become aware of pulling in your breath, then simultaneously, spontaneously, press your lips together firmly and hold the breath in your lungs, change happens on a molecular level. Do this again, by holding, and pressing the breath downward until you feel as if your going to faint. Inhale (count 4) Hold (count 4) Exhale (count 4) Don’t Breath (count 4).
You can do this inhalation breath both through your nostrils or through your mouth, and then STOP, or prevent the breath from exiting. Finally upon exhalations ask yourself, do I let the breath out in a flowing manner, upward and outward streaming gracefully through either mouth or nostrils or do I struggle? How we breath is how we live our lives.
The fun part is that it is your choice. How empowering is that? Without the immediate need for therapy, you become your body’s best soldier. Patrolling the breath, following where it goes and notice if it is even flowing. You may notice after a while that your breath quietly goes into a restful, effortless screen saver mode of self maintenance. I have so much fun with sound work and breath awareness. It becomes like child play or like tuning a pitch fork, only we can choose. Ask yourself, if you are experiencing this potent inner dialogue at any given moment of the day.
Now again, pull breath in as if to hold your breath, recognizing the lifting of your chest, ribs, and belly. Hold the breath and gently release through a relaxed mouth using the AHHHH sound. Again, inhale AHHHH, then exhale AHHHH. Now try the sounds of YUMMMM, inhale YUMMMM, then exhale YUMMMM feeling the sensations in your throat, chest, belly – YUMMMM. Now move your awareness to another sound; the sound of YUKKKK. Breathing inward pulling in the sound, YYYY, UUUU, KKKK cutting off, ending stopping the sound.
These breathing tools will trigger your body’s own chemical reactions. By practicing breath you will begin to change your senses. Remember to set some time aside and slow down to become aware of the power of your breathing.
Breath is the bridge between mind and body.
Yum or Yuk, So or Hum, Wha-Hey, you always have a choice.
Namaste,
DeborAH Shemesh
Meditating with Children
Teach children how to create their own reality. Through playful, creative meditation skills, there will be inward success, more joy, creativity, and meditation teaches children who they really are. Meditation is the study of oneself. No two people are the same, no two children are the same and so their learning abilities will differ. Allow for expression in all area’s of their life, making room for adventure, exploration, encourage questions at the same time teach them through personal example.
If your child is four, let them meditate for four minutes, if they are five let them know they can meditate up to five minutes and so on. Help your child find a safe sacred place of their own where they can quiet their mind by following their breath, or give them a gentle breathing in and breathing out ritual or a simple so hum mantra. Gently have them close their eyes, and assure them that they can open their eyes to look around at anytime. One of my favorite tools when introducing children to meditation is to have them wear sunglasses assuring them that no body can see their thoughts. As children begin to remove themselves from the chaos of their life, they will begin to look forward to their quiet time.
Meditate for the fun of it. Soon, your children, your pets, your family will want to join in the freedom of the mind. Slip into the quiet gap today. There is no time like the present, meditation is the best gift you can give your child.
Courtesy photo of Magnolia Irvine, learning the tricks of playful meditation.
← Older posts Newer posts →
