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TO TEND THE AWAKENED HEART

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To Tend the Awakened Heart

By Michele Tae

Upaya Chaplaincy Training Program


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Abstract

To Tend the Awakened Heart is to cultivate love and compassion through the practice of

mindfulness. Buddhist teachings, together with recent research in neuroscience, indicate that

mindfulness practice enhances our natural capacity for love and compassion. Training the mind

to become aware of our presence in the moment provides mental, emotional, and physical

benefits. As part of my learning project for Upaya’s Chaplaincy Training, I designed and

conducted two workshops that trained participants in methods for cultivating mindfulness. The

first workshop, “Cultivating a Mindful Life,” occurred over a six-week period and combined

mindfulness instruction and practice with small group discussion. Participants were drawn from

the general public and their comments indicated that they developed a felt sense of the present

moment and that this promoted greater calm and clarity in their daily lives. The second

workshop, “Yoga and Mindfulness,” was developed for yoga teachers. The half-day program

included the practice of Focused-Awareness and Open-Monitoring styles of meditation

interspersed with yoga movements. The data collected through written evaluations revealed that

all participants found the combination of yoga and mindfulness to be beneficial and some found

that it fostered greater integration of body and mind. The results of the evaluations from these

two workshops along with other related evidence suggest that the practice of mindfulness can

cultivate our natural capacity for love and compassion and thereby awakens our own tender

hearts.


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Introduction

One of the many gifts of being human is our natural capacity for love and compassion.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama tells us that our basic human instinct to seek happiness is evidence

of our fundamentally compassionate nature (Lama, 2002). To Tend the Awakened Heart is to

cultivate love and compassion through the practice of mindfulness. When we are mindful we

become conscious of the feelings and sensations that arise as our lives unfold. This can reveal

our perceptions that may then be examined and changed, leading to greater physical, emotional

and mental well-being (Siegel, 2007).

Over the past two years I designed and conducted two public workshops on mindfulness

practice. In the first workshop, entitled Cultivating a Mindful Life, I introduced Buddhist

meditation practice and ways to apply it to daily life. In Yoga and Mindfulness, the second

workshop, I explored the integration of mindfulness practice with yoga postures. The methods

used in the workshops were based on my experience and the shared wisdom of my many

teachers. The workshops combined theory with actual practice to give participants an

opportunity for a direct experience of the benefits of mindfulness.

Overview of Mindfulness Practices

The practice of mindfulness is synonymous with the practice of meditation. Mindfulness

is a simple yet not easy discipline that requires time, energy, and attention. When we are mindful

we are aware of the activity of the mind and when the mind wanders, we return our attention to

the body and breath. Mindfulness is an activity that we participate in with our full attention yet

without any sense of trying to attain anything (Hagen, 2007). The workshops I offered

acquainted participants with mindfulness practices that stem from the Buddhist meditation

tradition. The following sections describe the mindfulness practices presented in the workshops.


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Sitting meditation. Sitting meditation is the practice of mindfulness while seated either

on a chair or on a cushion; it is usually silent. The posture is upright with the shoulders and neck

relaxed and the back straight but not rigid. The hands are relaxed in the lap or held in any one of

a number of traditional hand positions. The eyes can be gently open or closed. The awareness

focuses on the body and breath, with a simple noting of the activities of the mind; again and

again the awareness is returned to the present moment—the here and now.

Walking meditation. During this practice we remain mindful of each step as we walk

slowly with full awareness of the surface beneath the feet, as well as our surroundings. The body

and mind are relaxed and there is an awareness of the breath with each step. Walking meditation

can be done inside or outdoors. Walking meditation is often practiced together with sitting

meditation to allow the legs to stretch.

Awareness of the breath. The breath is the object of attention during mindfulness

practice. The breath is easily accessible and is unique to each individual and while it is easy to

control, it can also be left to function on its own. The breath interacts with the self and the outer

world and is personal while being highly dependent on outer conditions. By bringing our

conscious awareness over and over again to the breath, we soften the line between our subjective

experience and the outside world. This leads us to a deepening of our meditative awareness

(Hagen, 2007).

Gathas. A gatha is a short verse that is recited either during formal meditation practice or

during daily activities to foster mindfulness (Hanh, 1990). A gatha can be recited silently or

voiced aloud.

Yoga asana. Yoga scholar Salvatore Zambito defines yoga as “a technical term that

refers primarily to a transcendent state of consciousness—Samadhi, and secondarily to the


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practices that facilitate this awareness, including asana” (Zambito, 1992). In essence yoga is

synonymous with mindfulness and the postures or asana are only one of the many modes of

yogic practice (Vishnu-devananda, 1988). The current English language understanding of yoga

defines it simply as a system of exercises for creating physical well-being (Merriam-Webster

Dictionary, 2010). Our language is woefully insufficient to fully explain the subtleties of yoga

but it is clear that the domain of yoga extends well beyond the practice of asana. It is useful to

note that the word asana comes from the Sanskrit root, aas, which means to sit, and also to be

present and to persevere, all qualities that yoga and mindfulness share (Zambito, 1992).

Workshop on Cultivating a Mindful Life – Methods

Workshop Participants

The participants for Cultivating a Mindful Life came from the Boise, Idaho community.

The workshop was sponsored by the Barefoot Yoga Studio of Boise, with a suggested fee of $25.

After the room rental was paid, the remaining monies were donated to a local Buddhist sangha.

Twenty-five persons attended the full six-week class. The majority of students were new to

meditation practice.

Participants were introduced to basic mindfulness practice including both sitting and

walking meditation, as well as the use of gathas. They were referred to two texts: Thich Nhat

Hanh’s, Breathe You Are Alive, and Meditation Now or Never by Steve Hagen. Hagen’s book

was offered as a primer on meditation practice and was a handbook for those who were entirely

new to meditation practice. Hanh’s text is a description and commentary of the Anapanasati

Sutra as translated from the Chinese. Anapana is the Sanskrit word for “breath.” Sati is the

Sanskrit word for “mindfulness.” Sutra is the Sanskrit word for “discourse.” Hence in English


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this is known as the Discourse on the Mindfulness, or Full Awareness, of Breathing (Hanh,

1996).

I have practiced with the Anapanasati Sutra personally for over fifteen years. I am

familiar with the structure of the sutra and the commentaries by Thich Nhat Hanh and others,

including Larry Rosenberg and Thanassaro Bikkhu. I attended retreats where this sutra was used

as a meditative focus, and have offered this sutra as a practice for members of my local Buddhist

community. Based on my experience, this sutra provides a structure for beginning students to

develop a conscious awareness of being in the present moment.

Workshop Structure

The six-week class was structured to include sitting and walking meditation, small group

discussions and a presentation on practices for working with the mind and body. Both silent

meditations and guided meditations were offered, as well as the use of short gathas as a

contemplative focus. The gathas presented in the class were based on the exercises contained in

the Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing; however they were not in all cases taken directly

from the sutra. Rather they were chosen phrases that lead practitioners to new ways to consider

both their internal awareness as well as their sense of what it means to be alive. The gathas are

included in the description of each class.

Week one. In the first class I presented an overview of the mindfulness practices to be

included in the six-week workshop, and instruction on the practice of sitting and walking

meditation. The suggested texts were introduced along with a list of the practice gathas.

I reviewed the importance of good posture, including instruction on an upright spine with

a relaxed body. I worked individually with persons who had difficulty with their posture, either

because they were unable to sit comfortably or felt a sense that their breath was restricted. People


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sat in chairs or on cushions, or used a wall for support. A good meditation posture is alert but

relaxed, facilitating awareness of the breath. The guidance on working with posture and breath

was carried forward into walking meditation. Participants formed a circle in the center of the

room, and were instructed to walk clockwise, slowly, with their awareness on the sole of the foot

and its contact with the floor. Walking meditation is a community practice. Participants were

instructed to remain aware of their place in the circle, so as not to disturb the practice of others.

During the sitting meditation I offered the following gatha as general support for

mindfulness practice: “Breathing in, I know I am breathing in; breathing out, I know I am

breathing out.” I explained that a gatha is meant to be recited in conjunction with the bodily

sensation of the inhalation and exhalation. With subsequent breaths the gatha can be simplified

using only the words: “In, Out.” This was followed by approximately three to five minutes of

silence while the participants worked with the gatha and their breath.

I encouraged the participants to view these exercises as a personal experiment rather than

a skill they could master. They were told to let go of their thoughts when they arose, and to

return their full attention to their breath. I instructed them to simply notice how the breath and

the mind behave, while remaining relaxed with an attitude of curiosity. I included the reminder

to breathe naturally, without any effort or conscious control by the mind. Releasing any control

over the breath is essential to fully relaxing and freeing the mind (Fahri, 1996). A natural breath

is normally irregular with a deep breath sometimes followed by a shallow breath. In my

experience, this unevenness of breath is common for beginning meditators and normally

becomes smoother and more regular with continued practice.

Week two. In this week of the workshop I emphasized relaxing with the awareness of the

body. The first four gathas from the Full Awareness of Breathing exercises encourage an


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awareness of the body that is intimate and real, creating harmony and ease in the body and

connecting the body and mind (Hanh, 1996). After participants settled into a relaxed and upright

posture, I asked them to bring their attention to their breath and to remain aware of this sensation

as they recited the following gathas: (a) “Breathing in, I am aware of a long breath; breathing

out, I am aware of a long breath.” (b) “Breathing in, I am aware of a short breath; breathing out,

I am aware of a short breath.” (c) “Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body; breathing out, I

am aware of my whole body.” (d) “Breathing in, I calm my whole body; breathing out, I calm

my whole body.”

These preliminary exercises use the breath as the object of awareness and the mind as the

subject. This reveals the interconnectedness of mind and breath and how they influence each

other. In bringing our attention to the whole body, we develop a sense of full body awareness

that fosters calmness and relaxation (Hanh, 1996). Following this meditation participants formed

small groups of approximately four people and discussed their personal experience with the

practice.

Week three. During this week we explored working with the mind by developing

awareness of thoughts. Participants continued to use the gathas from the prior week to establish

awareness of the body and breath. The following gatha was added for the group to contemplate:

“Breathing in, I concentrate on a mental formation that is present; breathing out, I look deeply at

this mental formation.”

The Sanskrit term for mental formation is chitta (mind) samskara (formation). In

Buddhism, formation is a technical term that refers to anything that is made (formed) of

something else. In other words, the thought “I am angry” may refer to physical sensations that


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include rapid heart rate and intensity of emotion. The thought results from the physical and/or

emotional sensations but is not the sensation itself (Hanh, 1998).

To “look deeply” is another term that has specific meaning in Buddhist practice. To look

deeply is to practice “clear seeing” or discernment so as to develop insight. Thich Nhat Hanh

explains that when we look deeply we seek to understand the many causes and conditions that

have brought about a situation (Ibid). If we realize that we are angry, when we look deeply we

open our awareness to discern the true cause of our anger.

A full week was devoted to this one exercise for two reasons: to help develop the

participants’ ability to work with their thoughts and to cultivate a felt sense of calming the mind.

I asked participants to use this gatha during their daily sitting meditation and also informally,

such as when they first awoke in the morning or when they were waiting at a traffic signal. When

they noticed the presence of a thought, I asked them to consciously bring their attention to their

body, to relax and then notice what feelings arose as they looked deeply at their thoughts.

Week four. This week we focused on becoming aware of psychological or emotional

wounds and continued the work of calming the mind. We practiced with the following

contemplations: (a) “Breathing in, I know I have the opportunity to be mindful. Breathing out, I

feel happy to have the opportunity to be mindful.” (b) “Breathing in, I embrace my feelings;

breathing out, I calm my feelings.” We also reviewed the gatha that was the subject of the

previous week’s contemplation and then practiced with: “Breathing in, I am aware of right

mindfulness; breathing out, this makes me happy.”

I explained that Right Mindfulness is one of the elements of the Eight-fold Path that is the

fourth of the Four Noble Truths and is fundamental to the Buddha’s teachings. The First Noble

Truth is that suffering exists; the Second Noble Truth is that suffering always has a cause; the


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Third Noble Truth is that there is cessation of suffering; and the Fourth Noble Truth is the eight-

fold path that leads to the end of suffering. The Eight-fold Path consists of Right View, Right

Thinking, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Diligence, Right Mindfulness

and Right Concentration (Hanh, 1998).

With the foundation of calming the mind, contemplating these four exercises helped

participants to recognize emotional wounds that may be embodied as physical pain, resentment

or anger. Participants were asked to practice looking deeply in order to recognize and

acknowledge the feelings and thoughts that arise, while remaining aware of their breath and their

ability to relax the body. During the small group discussion, participants shared their experience

with this practice.

Week five. In the fifth week I introduced the Buddhist view on impermanence and

discussed ways to awaken to the present moment. Again new gathas were added that presented

the idea of “no birth, no death”: “Breathing in, I observe the coming and going of the wave;

breathing out, I contemplate the no-coming and no-going of the water.” I explained that this

particular gatha refers to a familiar teaching of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh that uses the

analogy of the wave and water to illustrate the Buddha’s teaching on impermanence and non-self

(1998). Our individual self arises and passes away like a wave on the ocean; yet our essential

nature is like water, and though the wave appears and disappears, the water remains (Hanh,

1998).

I asked participants next to consider caring for and liberating the mind using the

following gathas: (a) “Breathing in, I open my mind to look deeply at my fear; breathing out,

there is liberation from fear.” (b) “Breathing in, I observe a flower; breathing out, I contemplate

the impermanence of the flower.” (c) “Breathing in, I look deeply at the object of my desire;


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breathing out, I see the disappearance of my desire.” Finally, participants were asked to consider

looking deeply in order to discern their true nature: (a) “Breathing in, I let go of the idea that this

body is me; breathing out, I am not caught in this body.” (b) “Breathing in, I let go of the idea

that I did not exist before I was born; breathing out, I let go of the idea that I will not exist after I

die.”

Week six. In the final class I asked participants to submit written questions, which I

collected and grouped by topic. Several participants asked whether there are ways to determine if

the practice is being done correctly. In response, I reminded them that the practice asks us to let

go of any judgment and enjoy being present in each moment. There were also questions

concerning how to develop the motivation to practice. I recommended being gentle when

beginning a mindfulness practice, emphasizing that there is no hurry and no goal. I noted that if

the practice makes one a happier person, it is worth pursuing. There were questions about how

my personal practice developed, which I shared along with the recommendation to attend

weekend or week-long retreats with a qualified teacher.

Workshop Results

The progressive nature of the workshop encouraged participants to lengthen their

meditations as new gathas were added each week. By the end of the workshop some participants

reported daily practices of thirty minutes or more. Participant comments indicated that the

practices fostered mental and physical relaxation, and that the gathas helped develop more

substantial self awareness. When practicing mindfulness at work and at home, individuals were

able to maintain mental calm and clarity. Several participants commented that the practices

helped them to reduce their physical pain and emotional anxiety. The texts used in this class


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(Breathe You Are Alive and Meditation Now or Never) provided information that answered many

of the questions of those who were entirely unfamiliar with Buddhist terms and concepts.

One of the participants provided the following written comment: “I feel awake noticing

my thoughts and feelings rather than trying to detach from them. I feel an intimacy with myself

and a knowledge that I can go there each time I sit. [The class was] a wonderful balance of

sitting and walking meditation, discussion of our process, creative techniques, and mindfulness

in daily life.” Similar comments were made by other participants.

Workshop on Yoga and Mindfulness – Methods

Workshop Participants

An invitation to the Yoga and Mindfulness workshop was sent to selected yoga asana

teachers and experienced yoga students in the Boise community. Since I have practiced and

taught yoga in Boise since 1989, I am familiar with this community. The class was attended by

thirty-five people and was offered at no cost to participants. Participants included teachers with

twenty-five to thirty years experience in teaching and others with as little as five years. There

were also students who attended the workshop because they were interested in the mindfulness

topic and who had little experience with yoga. For example, two individuals were social workers

at a local high school who teach yoga asana as part of small group sessions they hold with

students.

At the conclusion of the workshop, participants were asked to complete an evaluation

form before leaving. Two weeks following the workshop an email request with follow-up

questions was sent to all participants. Fifteen participants responded to the follow-up evaluation.


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Workshop Structure

This workshop explored ways to combine mindfulness practice with teaching yoga

asana. Four workshop objectives were identified: (1) to learn the benefits of training the mind

through mindfulness, (2) to become aware of recent scientific research on the results of

mindfulness practice, (3) to learn ways to incorporate mindfulness techniques into one’s personal

yoga practice, and (4) to learn ways to teach mindfulness techniques within the context of yoga.

The structure of the class included an opening silent meditation followed by a

presentation on the basic concepts for integrating yoga and mindfulness. The remainder of the

class alternated segments of mindfulness training with segments of yoga movement. After each

segment, participants met in groups of two or three to discuss their observations, after which

selected individuals shared their experience with the entire group.

During the opening presentation, I reminded participants that training the mind in concert

with the body is required to integrate mindfulness with yoga. It is customary in yoga asana

classes to work with the body as the primary focus, providing little or no instruction that relates

to the mind. For this workshop, mindfulness was defined as the primary consideration with the

body being secondary. Participants were encouraged to think outside the normal bounds of yoga

as a physical discipline alone. I referenced Bruce Perry’s recent work with the Healing Arts

Project that treats trauma in children using yoga asana (Miranda, 1998) and also Bessel van der

Kolk’s work at the Trauma Center, Justice Resource Institute, where a training program in Yoga

and the Traumatized Body is offered (Trauma Center, 2010).

Participants were given two articles as handouts. Attention Regulation and Monitoring in

Meditation defined Focused Awareness and Open Monitoring as two broad categories for

grouping standard meditations for use in the study of meditative states and neuroscience (Lutz,


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Slagter, Dunne & Davidson, 2008). Focused Awareness is described as “a widespread style of

Buddhist practice that involves sustaining selective attention moment by moment on a given

object; to sustain this focus the practitioner must also constantly monitor the quality of attention”

(Ibid., p. 163). James Austin’s article entitled Your Self, Your Brain, and Zen was also provided

(2003). In the workshop I used the term “referential” meditation in place of Focused Awareness

and the term “non-referential” in place of Open Monitoring. I determined that these alternative

terms were easier to remember, especially for those who are entirely new to mindfulness

practices.

Segment one. The first segment consisted of a seated, guided meditation that asked

participants to count their breaths. Counting the breath is an example of the referential style of

meditation. I explained that this breath work differs from the yogic practice of pranayama in

many important ways. Pranayama is the conscious prolongation of the inhalation, retention and

exhalation of the breath (Iyengar, 1992). In contrast, in mindfulness practice the breath occurs

naturally without any effort.

Participants were asked to allow their breath to find its own rhythm and pace and to relax

and release any mental control of the breath. The mind should observe the breath while tracking

the sensation of the breath in the body and counting each breath. This approach fosters a more

relaxed mind, which is essential to mindfulness practice. The counting method used is derived

from the practice of Yoga Nidra, a technique for learning to relax consciously (Saraswati, 1998).

In Yoga Nidra one comes into a state that is between sleeping and waking by focusing awareness

on different body parts while keeping the body absolutely still.

The instructions given for counting the breath were to count backwards from 27 to 1,

saying the following words silently while observing the body: “27, belly rising” (during


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inhalation), “27, belly falling” (during exhalation), and so on down to one. The part of the body

referenced during the breathing changed during each round of meditation. After the belly came

the chest rising and falling, then the sensation of the breath in the throat, and finally the sensation

of the breath at the nostrils. I guided the meditation with the sound of a bell at the end of each of

the rounds and paused briefly before moving on.

Segment two. The second segment was a series of yoga movements performed with

mental focus on the breath and the sensation of the body. The first movement was a slow

forward bend (uttanasana). The instruction was to stand with the feet comfortably apart, become

aware of the breath, and slowly bend the knees and roll forward over the legs, take a few breaths

and then slowly roll up and spread the arms wide, again focusing on the sensation of the breath

in the whole body. This movement was repeated several times and then participants were asked

to sit in a simple seated pose (virasana) and return to the awareness of the breath.

Segment three. The third segment was another silent meditation with awareness of the

breath in silence. This meditation was an example of the non-referential style where “one aims to

remain only in the monitoring state, attentive moment by moment to anything that occurs in the

experience without focusing on an explicit object” (Lutz et al, 2008, p. 164). Participants were

asked to notice the spaciousness of the mind, and to embody the qualities of openness and

acceptance.

Segment four. The fourth segment was a slow series of linked poses or vinyasa. I

instructed participants to practice a sequence of poses that began with child’s pose (balasana)

followed by downward dog (adho mukha svanasana) and then a return to child’s pose. After

repeating this sequence several times, I asked participants to return to a simple seated pose and to

observe the mind.


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Segment five. The fifth segment was another exploration of referential and non-

referential mindfulness practice. I asked participants to take a comfortable meditation posture

and establish an awareness of the breath. I directed them then to become aware of the sounds

they heard and the sensations they noticed while continuing to breathe, allowing the sound or

sensation to become vivid in their awareness. Once the sound or feeling was clear, they were

asked to notice if they had any emotional response and if so to label this response as positive,

negative or neutral. Labeling thoughts is a way to cultivate the mind of the observer. This

meditation period was approximately ten minutes long. Participants were then instructed to relax

and return to a simple awareness of the breath and basically clear the mind. After three minutes,

they were asked to simply allow the breath and mind to relax into openness, as if the breath rose

and fell within vast space empty of any characteristics; this meditation continued for about five

minutes.

Segment six. The final movement segment alternated a standing mountain pose

(tadasana) with a balancing tree pose (vrksasana); this sequence was repeated three times. I

asked participants to then come into half moon pose (ardha chandrasana), to hold this pose for

as long as was comfortable and then return to sitting and observe the mind.

Workshop Results

Participants in the workshop on Yoga and Mindfulness were surprised at the large turnout

of teachers and students. The mood in the room was joyful as people who had not seen each

other for some time came together. There were lively discussions during the initial segment of

the workshop and spoken comments showed that most participants found value in using the

counting in combination with focusing on different parts of the body and the breath. The

discussion and comments from subsequent segments were also enthusiastic and positive.


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Workshop evaluations. All participants completed the evaluation form at the end of the

workshop. The evaluation results are grouped by question below. The full results from the

evaluation forms are contained in Appendix One.

Question One. Do you consider yourself a novice or experienced mindfulness

practitioner? If you are an experienced practitioner, what is your estimated cumulative total of

hours of practice? Sixteen of the thirty-five participants estimated their individual cumulative

hours of meditation and yoga experience as ranging from a few hundred to five thousand. The

remaining nineteen students ranked themselves as novices with little experience in meditation

and with varying experience with yoga. That the group was so evenly split is surprising. This

may be due to the presence of yoga students as well as individuals who have different levels of

experience with teaching yoga.

Question Two. Describe what you noticed when you combine mindfulness with your yoga

practice. The participant responses fell into three general categories: Connecting, Feeling, and

Sensing.

The responses in the Connecting category indicated that adding mindfulness to the

practice of yoga deepens the sense of being able to relax in the poses and complements the

physicality and structure of a more traditional practice. There was a stronger sense of connection

in the poses as a total experience. There was a new awareness of the breath within the poses,

greater spaciousness, and less internal dialogue. When habits of body or mind surfaced, there

was an ability to return to the moment and let go. There was an ability to suspend the judging

mind and relax. The breath was experienced as a communication with all other parts of the body.

There was validation of the sense that yoga and meditation really are one.


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The responses in the Feeling category indicated that when combining yoga and

meditation, participants had an enhanced feeling of quietness and calm while remaining centered,

light, and expansive. The movements became slower and less controlled. There was a feeling of

pleasure and joy. The spine and neck were able to relax more fully, allowing the head to feel

loose. There was also a heightened sense of compassion for oneself and one’s aches and pains.

There was a feeling of ease, inner softness and peace.

The responses in the Sensing category indicated that for these participants, the yoga poses

were less about athleticism and the precise physical form and more about following the truth of

the body and breath. There was an ability to listen to the body instead of the thoughts about how

the body should be. There seemed to be a different mode of awareness of the body, as if there

were a more tangible sense of relationship of the ground to the body. There was more awareness

of when one moved without relating to the breath, more awareness that movement was an

adjunct to the breath. This practice was about breath with movement as secondary and letting

breath shape the pose, versus shaping the pose and using the breath to sustain it.

Question Three. Describe what you noticed during seated mindfulness practice. What

differences did you notice during non-referential and referential styles of meditation practice?

In general those who were newer to meditation practice found the referential style easier and

those with some practice acknowledged preferred the non-referential style. Of the twenty-three

participants who commented on the non-referential meditation style, six of them found the

practice difficult. These comments indicated difficulty calming the restless mind and that it was

challenging to “ignore my own body aches.” The remaining seventeen participants who

commented on the non-referential meditation style found the practice familiar, peaceful and

spacious.


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Of the thirty participants who commented on the referential meditation style, seven of

them found the practice difficult. Those who found this practice difficult indicated that labeling

their thoughts was distracting for them and required more effort, evoking a desire to “do it right.”

The remaining twenty-three participants who commented on the referential meditation style

found it easier than the non-referential. Their comments indicate that the mind was steadier when

focused, and this allowed them to more effectively quiet their internal dialogue.

It is interesting to note that novice yoga teachers and students found the referential

practices easier to access and their comments suggested that the mind remained more focused

with an object of attention. The more experienced yoga teachers and students were the opposite,

finding the non-referential meditation less distracting and more able to induce relaxation and

calm. One possible reason for this notable difference is the confidence that comes with more

experience. This confidence can translate into greater comfort with less structure, the most

significant distinction between referential and non-referential styles of meditative practice.

Question four. Define what practical applications you see for combining yoga and

meditation. All of the responses to this question found benefit in combining yoga with

mindfulness practice. One participant commented, “In the old days, yoga was mindfulness; they

were not separate. The conscious combination of the two practices would benefit every yoga

practitioner and every mindfulness practitioner by developing embodied awareness.” Of the

thirty-three responses, seven of them specifically mentioned how this combination created a

greater integration between the body and mind. One of these participants responded, “Letting

yoga come from an inner place—be yoga, not do yoga. Incorporating mindfulness into the

practice gets rid of the ‘mind games’ and makes the practice real, humble, informative work.”

Another similar comment was “It’s [mindfulness] very interwoven and enhances the experience


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[of yoga], it brings you more into your body.” Two comments mentioned that yoga combined

with mindfulness can be beneficial for [addiction] recovery work with non-yoga practitioners.

Two other comments said that this combination promotes health and well-being.

Follow-up evaluations. Fifteen participants completed another evaluation form within

thirty days following workshop. A summary of responses by question is provided below.

Question one. Describe how mindfulness appeared in your life following the workshop.

Seven of the respondents indicated they experienced more mindfulness in their yoga practice and

also that mindfulness was present at other times during their day. Five participants made specific

reference to how they benefited personally from the practice of counting the breath. Three of the

fifteen respondents felt they had already incorporated mindfulness into their lives and their yoga

teaching and did not find anything new to report.

Two comments were of particular interest beyond the application to yoga: “I used

counting meditation with a couple of people in distress. In both cases, it was the perfect thing at

just the right time.” This comment was from a novice yoga practitioner who is also a social

worker. Another comment from a participant who is also not a yoga teacher: “I am a university-

level teacher in a field that requires high awareness of psychosomatic experience. Your

workshop–especially your description of “soft bellied human moments” gave me another

window on teaching students to open themselves to what’s around them – and more importantly,

what’s within them.”

Questions two. Describe any personal insights that arose from the material presented in

the workshop. Responses to this question universally indicated a greater recognition of

mindfulness in daily life. There were four responses that indicated a stronger awareness of the

breath. Some of the other areas of insight included: greater confidence due to more calm,


21

awareness of the need to slow down when teaching yoga, ability to let go of old teachings and

habits that are in the body, and awareness of how the breath changes in different situations.

Question three. Describe how you see yourself incorporating this material over time.

Six respondents indicated an intention to incorporate more mindfulness and meditation into their

yoga teaching and daily life. One respondent expressed a desire to integrate mindfulness and

yoga into her counseling practice. Another respondent said, “I would like to share what I have

learned doing yoga for twenty-five years, adding more and more mindfulness practice. It [yoga]

has been lifesaving for me through two hip replacement surgeries, and as a stress-reducing/blood

pressure therapy.” One long-time yoga teacher felt that this reflective practice should be done in

addition to a more active and challenging yoga practice.

Discussion and Conclusions

In the two workshops described above, mindfulness was presented as a method for

experiencing conscious awareness with a “quality of mind” that encompasses both mental and

physical states. The response of participants confirmed that practicing mindfulness during sitting

meditation, walking meditation, or yoga resulted in a conscious awareness of being present in the

moment and a heightened sense of inner peace. Whether during sitting meditation practice or

engaged in the activities of their daily life, participants reported feelings of increased relaxation

and calm.

In my personal experience and in working with yoga students, I find it common to engage

in either meditation or asana practice with a “gaining” attitude, a mind that is striving to

perform. This striving causes the mind to become tense, resulting in a form of suffering. From

the mindfulness perspective, this striving is attached to a preconceived future condition and

naturally causes tension and stress in the body and mind (Siegel, 2007).


22

One of my yoga teachers used the analogy of training a horse to illustrate training the

body: if a horse is poorly trained, then the rider must use a whip to get the horse to turn; however

if the horse is well trained, the rider can gently lay the reins on one side of the horse’s neck and

the horse will turn (Anonymous, 2010). This analogy suggests that less effort, less striving, is

required when we become “well trained.”

Often yoga students assume one who is well trained is one who can attain the ideal pose.

My experience is that when poses are practiced with an attunement to the felt sense of the body,

there is a qualitative shift that allows for an acceptance of the body “as it is” in the moment with

a relaxed breath, resulting in a deeper experience of the pose. This very internal process is the

essence of yoga asana.

Yoga teacher Donna Fahri speaks of “moving inside the breath” and advises that yoga

asana be accompanied by an intimacy with the breath. She asks us to bring joy into our practice

of yoga and says, “When we get hooked into striving …we are somewhere else all the time”

(Fahri, 2000, p. 19). The experience of our inner life unfolds in the present moment and, as stated

earlier, the practice of mindfulness fosters our ability to be fully present.

The participant responses from the Yoga and Mindfulness workshop confirmed that

combining yoga with mindfulness has profound results. Greater emphasis on awareness of the

body and breath quiets the mind and deepens the ability of the body to assume the pose. This

results in a sense of freedom that brings joy. An intentional focus on the present moment can

release the tension that so often accompanies an approach to yoga that focuses on attaining a

pose. The practice of yoga is often reduced to a test of physical strength, flexibility and stamina.

Creating an intentional attunement with our inner experience, as mindfulness does, brings the

practitioner back to the essence of yoga, a transcendent state where there is union of body, mind


23

and spirit (Zambito, 1992). Allowing yoga students to alternate brief periods of mindfulness with

the practice of yoga poses is a skillful way to bring these two disciplines together.

The results from each of the workshops confirm research that indicates awareness of the

present moment opens us to an intimacy with our inner experience as well as with outer

conditions. Mindfulness practice produces an awareness of our mental and emotional states,

allowing us to recognize the feelings we hold and to fully empathize with the experience of

others (Siegel, 2007). This opens us to a tender-heartedness that can enrich our relationship with

all aspects of our lives.

When we spend our time compulsively thinking, it is easy to feel disconnected from what

we are doing. We can feel empty and numb as our attention is on our thoughts rather than on

what we are doing (Siegel, 2007). In the words of one of the participants in the Yoga and

Mindfulness workshop, “our lives are not really lived.” When we are mindful, we come into the

present moment where we can begin to notice our habitual tendencies. The sensation of the

breath is an experience of our bodies in the moment, a felt sense of the body rather than an idea

in the mind. When we pay attention to the sensation of the breath in the body – belly rising, belly

falling -- our minds quite naturally become quiet and we can observe our internal state. In this

way we are aware of whether we are happy or sad, angry or peaceful, tense or relaxed. This

awareness allows us to examine our perceptions and potentially determine the cause of our

mental and emotional state (Siegel, 2007).

The methods used in the workshops described above introduced two practices that are

familiar to students of the Buddha: calm abiding and insight. In the Pali language of ancient

India these are, respectively, samatha and vipassana. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh has

combined these two practices into a stepwise process: stopping, calming, resting and healing.


24

One of the ways this process can be used is to gradually deepen into self-awareness using the

step-by-step progression from stopping, to calming, then to resting. The following set of gathas

supports this process: (a) “In, Out;” (b) “Deep, Slow;” (c) “Calm, Ease;” and (d) “Smile,

Release” (Hanh, 1990, p. 34).

The practice unfolds in the following way: with the body still, the practitioner begins to

observe the breath moving in and out of the body, simply noticing if the breath naturally deepens

and slows. If the breath continues to be shallow, the practitioner stays with the inhalation and

exhalation of the breath that is the focus of the first gatha. If the breath deepens and slows, this is

observed using the next gatha in the sequence. The gradual progression of working with the

breath that is supported by the first two gathas is very soothing and quite naturally can lead to a

state of calm and ease, and is acknowledged with the next gatha in the sequence (“calm, ease”).

At this point the practitioner has worked with stages one through three of the practice and

the meditation may conclude by sensing the joy of the present moment and reciting the last

gatha: “smile, release.” However, if the practitioner notices a sensation of tension or agitation,

this sensation then becomes the object of attention. One way this can be done is for the

individual to lie down and fold the arms over the chest and thoroughly relax while continuing to

attend to the sensations in the body. This makes it easier to recognize, accept, and embrace the

feelings that arise. The practice of looking deeply allows for an emergence of insight as to the

cause and conditions from which the feelings arose. The gathas that were presented in the

workshop on Cultivating a Mindful Life used this method of gradual progression from awareness

of the body to awareness of the feelings, then to the mind, and finally to the objects of mind or

thoughts.


25

This stepwise process can also be applied to the practice of yoga. The same gathas can be

used when one is holding a yoga pose. It should be noted that one of the common instructions for

holding a yoga pose is to stay in the pose only as long as the breath remains smooth and even; if

ragged breathing or mental agitation occurs, the practitioner is instructed to come out of the pose

(Moyer, 2006). As a teacher, I often look at students’ eyes and when there is any sign of stress or

agitation, I ask them to come out of the pose. With the application of mindfulness, the yoga

practitioner can come into a pose and remain until the breath or mind signals that they should

come out of the pose. Then they can look deeply at sensations in the body and mind and practice

accepting and embracing what arose. The pose can then be taken again. This entering and

leaving of a pose is a way to explore one’s growing edge and goes well beyond the usual

instruction to practice more diligently.

Physical activity alone cannot develop the full potential of yoga in our lives. Rather this

comes from an intimacy with the body and mind that allows us to look deeply and develop

insight into our own nature. As stated earlier, the ancient and rich soil of India where yoga was

born considers asana practice as a way to support the practice of mindfulness so as to realize the

transcendent nature of the self (Zambito, 1992). These words can only point to the meaning they

are intended to convey and in many ways diminish what is embodied in the original Sanskrit

texts.

To come to know our own nature is to be aware of the many habits of mind and body that

form over time. Our survival as a species has depended on our ability to respond to unfamiliar

conditions. Our brains are wired to learn by identifying similarities and differences and over time

this develops filters that allow us to respond automatically when certain conditions are presented.

These automatic responses inhibit our ability to have a direct experience of reality. The practice


26

of stopping calls us to the present moment where a direct experience is available. The quality of

“felt sense” engages our senses in such a way that we can override our automatic filters (Siegel,

2007).

Learning to stop our habit energy is a practice that begins in formal meditation and

eventually is applied in daily life. The practice of stopping, when combined with calming,

provides a tool for waking up in the present moment. Learning to stop when we are in the

middle of a thought or an action can help to relieve suffering. By working with the practice of

stopping, calming, resting and healing, we are able to observe our actions in such a way that we

bear witness to what we are doing and saying. For instance, mindfulness can help us stop when

we are speaking or acting from the habit energy of anger where revengeful words are intended to

harm others. This is not an easy process. Habit energies are strong, and intense feelings and

automatic reactions can carry us away. One of the comments from the Yoga and Mindfulness

workshop included the insight that old habits of body and mind could be released when

mindfulness was present. “Mindfulness is the energy that allows us to recognize our habit energy

and prevent it from dominating us” (Hanh, 1998, p. 25). The process of stopping and calming

leads to resting and healing. We come into the present moment where the tensions that are held

in the body can be released and we have an opportunity to begin anew.

Samatha and vipassana are ancient teachings of the Buddha that are over 2500 years old.

Yet they bear a striking resemblance to more recent developments in working with post-

traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In Peter A. Levine’s seminal work, Waking the Tiger: Healing

Trauma, is the recognition that “as human beings, as organisms, we possess a felt sense of a very

complex and interrelated set of characteristics that include our body, mind, primitive instincts,

emotions, intellect and spirituality” (Levine, 1997, p. 10). Levine details exercises for cultivating


27

“felt sense” and explains their effectiveness in healing trauma. His work is used in professional

training programs for psychologists, psychotherapists and other health care professionals. This

field has progressed extensively since Levine’s book was published in 1997. Significant

scientific research by neuroscientists into the functioning of the brain and emotions continues to

suggest that mindfulness practice is beneficial (Siegel, 2007).

As part of Upaya’s Chaplaincy Training, students attended a workshop with Laurie

Leitch, PhD, founder of the Trauma Resource Institute in Santa Fe, NM. This workshop

provided an overview of the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM) developed by Laurie Leitch and

Elaine Miller-Karas. “The Trauma Resiliency Model re-stabilizes a highly activated nervous

system by balancing trauma-oriented sensations with states that resource the body and the

mind. Resources are the positive internal and external experiences in our lives, e.g. the people we

love who inspire us, pets, places, spiritual beliefs, music, dance, art, etc. TRM connects us to our

internal, external and somatic resources, reminding us of our own strength and resilience by

assisting us to experience those qualities in our own bodies and participate in the moment more

fully (Trauma Resource Institute, 2007).”

Training the mind to access the present moment enables one to establish the emotional

and mental stability that can be a resource for oneself as well as for others. A recent experience

illustrates this point. I was attending a wedding and shortly after the ceremony the mother of the

bride fainted and fell to the floor. After she regained consciousness I sat next to her; she was

frightened and agitated. I immediately dropped into a calm, relaxed state of mind (I stopped!)

while remaining very aware of her condition. I held her hand and asked her to simply relax into

the chair she was sitting on and to notice her breathing. After a few moments she became visibly

more relaxed and calm and asked for a glass of water. Shortly after this I said to her, “It was a


28

beautiful wedding.” She replied, “Yes, it was wonderful.” I stayed with her until the paramedics

arrived and they took her to the hospital. The use of even the rudimentary elements of TRM was

effective in this situation and was facilitated by my experience with the practice of “stopping and

calming.”

We have established that the practice of mindfulness has mental, emotional and physical

benefits. Through the practice of stopping, calming, resting and healing we can transform our

suffering by developing more fully our ability to be present and to experience joy and calm. This

practice cultivates our natural empathy for others and suggests that “mindful awareness promotes

both relational and internal well-being” (Siegel, 2007, p. 201).

For those who live in highly stressful conditions such as war or famine, or those who

work in emotionally intense situations such as hospital emergency rooms, psychiatric hospitals,

correctional institutions or day care centers, the practice of mindfulness holds much promise.

And for individuals who accompany the dying, whether they are hospice or palliative care

nurses, family members or friends, there is benefit from having access to a personal reservoir of

peace, calm and equanimity. It should be noted that mindfulness is only one of many types of

contemplative practice that may provide these benefits, others being Centering Prayer and

Quaker Meeting.

The world’s religions have long encouraged us to love one another. We live in a world

that is brim full of ideas, and religion or psychology can be merely another set of concepts. The

practice of mindfulness could also fall into this category, but there is one difference: there is no

requirement to believe in any idea or concept to become mindful. As stated, recent research has

shown that our brains are waiting and ready to assist us in having a direct experience of life that

is free from past conditioning and open to what can’t be known in the conventional sense of


29

those words (Siegel, 2007). What is required is the will to stop the hectic pace of our lives, stop

our thinking and reacting, and bring our attention to a felt sense of being in the moment.

When we tend a garden, we till the soil, plant the seeds, water and weed, and if

conditions are good we grow flowers or food. While human beings are fundamentally

compassionate, we are also subject to the afflictions of craving, hostility and delusion. Often it is

the pain created by these afflictions that leads us to look beyond mundane existence for another

way to be in the world, a way that benefits others as well as ourselves. When this happens, our

true nature as loving-kindness and compassion is revealed (Wallace, 2009). When we tend to our

own hearts through the practice of mindfulness, we cultivate happiness for ourselves and others.

It is then that we fulfill the Buddha’s dying wish that we “become a light” in the world

(Goldstein, 1976). This light emerges from our own loving presence, from our own awakened

heart.


30

Reference List

Anonymous. As of February 20, 2010 the identity of the yoga teacher who shared this story is unknown.

Austin, J. (2003). Your Self, Your Brain and Zen. Dana Foundation. Retreived March 1, 2009 from Dana Foundation: http://www.dana.org/news/cerebrum/detail.aspx

Fahri, D. (1996). The Breathing Book. New York, NY: Henry Holt & Company.

Fahri, D. (2000). Yoga Mind, Body and Spirit. New York, NY: Henry Holt & Company.

Goldstein, J. (1976). The Experience of Insight. Boston, MA: Shambala Publications.

Hagen, S. (2007). Meditation Now or Never. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Hanh, N. (1996). Breathe You Are Alive. Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press.

Hanh, N. (1998). The Heart of the Buddha's Teachings. Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press.

Hanh, N. (1990). Present Moment, Wonderful Moment. Berkeley: Parallax Press.

Iyengar, B. (1992). Light on Pranayama. New York, NY: Crossroads Publishing.

Lama, H.H. (2002). Visions of Compassion. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Levine, P. (1997). Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

Lutz, A., Slagter, H., Dunne, J., and Davidson, R. (2008) Attention Regulation and Monitoring in Meditation. Trends in Cognitive Science , vol 12 (4), pages 163-165.

Miranda, L. (1998). The Art of Healing: The Healing Arts Project, Early Childhood Connections. Journal of Music and Movement-Based Learning , 35-40.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved February 1, 2010 from Miriam-Webster: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yoga

Moyer, D. (2006). Awakening the Inner Body. Berkeley, CA: Rodmell Press.

Saraswati, S. S. (1998). Yoga Nidra. New Delhi, India: Thomsen Press.

Siegel, D. (2007). The Mindful Brain. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company.

Trauma Center. (2010). Retrieved February 1, 2010 from Trauma Center: http://www.traumacenter.org


31

Trauma Resource Institute (2007, January 1). Trauma Resource Model - How it works. Retrieved January 8, 2010, from Trauma Resource Institute: http://www.traumaresourceinstitut/HOWTRMWORKS.html

Vishnu-devananda, S. (1988). The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press.

Wallace, A. (2009). Mind in the Balance. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.

Zambito, S. (1992). The Unadorned Thread of Yoga, Poulsbo, WA: Yoga Sutras Institute Press.


Appendix One

Yoga and Mindfulness Evaluation Responses – Questions 1 and 2

32

RESPONDENT

QUESTION 1

Do you consider yourself a novice or experienced mindfulness practitioner? If you are experienced what is your estimated cumulative total of hours of practice?

QUESTION 2

Describe what you noticed when you combined mindfulness with yoga?

1 Novice -- I’ve been practicing about 30 minutes day for 6 months

Greater spaciousness, more awareness, less internal dialogue

2 Novice As we did uttanasana and d-dog, my spine, neck, head felt loose, relaxed, no tension. I really enjoyed letting my hair hang long and loose in the above poses. It was great, easy feeling.

3 Soon to leave novice status -- soon More acute attention to the moment the mind wandered, when the belly hardened, when the breath altered out of habit.

4 Novice -- 2 hours/month for past 2 years = 50 hours

Connectedness, deeper relationship between mind and body, breath is universal communication mechanism with all other parts of the body.

5 Novice A heightened sense of compassion for me -- particularly aches and pains.

6 2000 hours Our practice together today brought me, early in our class, to a lovely, grounded state. I have long felt that there is not, cannot be, any difference between my yoga vs. my mindfulness practice. Today’s time together validated and supported this part of me.


Appendix One


33

7 Meditating -- novice More sensation of grounding and awareness

8 Novice I felt more relaxed, grounded, connected, and warm-hearted.

9 Novice The experience of breathing “naturally” in the 4 regions -- belly, chest, throat & nose -- gave me more awareness & access to my breath while in a pose. I felt expanded & lost some of my judging mind!

10 At least 4,250 hours

Difficult questions

These are very integrated for me and I was drawn to meditation after about 3 years of yoga. (Thanks to teachers like you)

11 I would rate myself somewhere in the middle -- 3,650+

A deeper interest in the pose & my body. Perhaps more of a willingness to be creative. More of a connection.

12 Advanced Novice The yoga poses were much less about the physical form and athleticism -- precision. More about following the truth of the body/breath.

13 Experienced, uncounted. Informal mindfulness during yoga for years. 100 of formal, seated meditation

Increased awareness

14 Experienced, 600 hours Quietness, stillness

15 Novice Definitely see benefit of how mindfulness can deepen (or “relax”) a pose. Complements the physicality & structure of traditional practice.


Appendix One


34

16 Somewhat experienced. Est. hours 3,000 - 5,000

It felt natural and encouraged depth in the practice w/yoga.

17 Novice My body was happy to have permission to move at its pace. I had new awareness of breath in certain poses. Sitting, breath to belly, Uttanasana, breath to chest.

18 Novice -- 250 hours Very deep connection with the universe within.

19 Semi-experienced -- a few hundred hours

Put me in a different mode of awareness of my body

20 Novice, have just begun to explore this opportunity

I felt as though I could more deepen into the poses -- it felt like a more “complete” experience.

21 3,000 hours Calm, centered yet light, fall, expansive

22 Novice My resistance to doing things a bit differently than my pleasure at letting go.

23 Novice The movement was adjunct to the breath. It was about breath with movement secondary and letting breath shape the pose versus shaping the pose & using breath to sustain.

24 Novice (slightly more though!) for sitting meditation -- lots more at moving meditation

The poses were more relaxed -- even ones that are normally challenging to me. Breathing was more in sync with the pose.

25 Novice A sense of I yoga is usually very dysfunctional for me -- it was nice to experience it more as coming home &


Appendix One


35

resting in myself.

26 Novice -- about 20 minutes daily over the last year or so

I was able to really listen to my body -- rather than what my head was telling my body to do.

27 Novice More awareness of breath. Resistance to doing asana differently. Letting go of resistance to release into new experience.

28 Novice How very little I use my breath throughout my body in the pose. There were areas where it got stuck. I can sense what it will be like when I am breath throughout my body rather than just my chest.

29 5,000 Movements became slower, calmer & a lot less controlled.

30 Novice Ease in the pose

31 Novice -- don’t do a disciplined practice

More awareness of my body. More internal calm.

32 Intermediate -- yrs of practice but not daily

Nurturing, softness, inward

33 Novice/300 hours A sense of internal grounding

34 Novice 1,000 hours It seems as if I already do! It’s always been much easier to be mindful in yoga than sitting meditation.

35 Not sure, 500 hours It was calming, refreshing, euphoric & pleasant


Appendix Two

Yoga and Mindfulness Evaluation Responses – Questions 3, 4 and 5

36

RESPONDENT

QUESTION 3

Describe you experience during seating mindfulness practice. What differences did you notice during Referential versus Non-referential style of practice?

QUESTION 4

What practice application do you see for combining mindfulness and yoga?

QUESTION 5

Other Comments?

1 Referential allowed me to quiet my internal dialogue more effectively.

Non-referential was great for connecting to my center-God and the great spacious healing and openness there.

Non-referential with labeling was distracting for me.

I think my yoga students will benefit from the slow-paced toning in with natural breath -- it break things down to get them more in touch with feeling where they are.

Awesome!

Thank You!

2 Referential -- focus on belly and chest was easier than throat and nostrils.

Non-referential -- very difficult for me! Just relaxing the mind, opening the mind, thoughtlessness was HARD. I couldn’t do it as easily as compared to referential.

Do some poses first.

Do seated mindfulness.

Do the same poses.

Compare the difference.

I’ll do it in my class this week.

The referential practice will be another useful tool for insomnia.

Mindfulness will be another level of practice for me!


Appendix Two


37

4 Easter to “get to” referential as a novice practitioner and stay with it for longer periods of time.

Non-referential is somewhat more difficult to maintain, but techniques are very useful and seem to sooth the entire body more deeply.

Greater presence in body and more respect of journey to date and openness to what has yet to occur, ability to manage stress and other extreme influences.

Appreciate your time and share today!

5 Referential seems much easier for me -- to have something to focus on. I also found with non-referential that many things were neutral but harder for me to ignore my own body aches when doing non-referential.

Like in #2, a better sense of compassion for self. The idea of grounding and helping others find that is very applicable in all areas. I am also an L/D nurse, so can transfer that to helping in that process.

A wonderful presentation and something I’m very interested in, you are a wonderful teacher, thanks!

6 I am so long-accustomed to meditating in this room with the Sangha. Today I had a strong sense of this group having a different energy. Our group today, of course, was more physical -- it felt electric and energetic, not quite as grounded as the Sangha tends to be.

My mind, my body, my feelings, my practice . . . Sometimes I can see all my experience as a seamless whole. As I practice, I slowly grow closer to this truth.

Thank you, dear M’Tae. I bow to you.

7 Referential (focus awareness) lead me to my open space and make easier non-referential. Practice putting labels more difficult

Bring more focus to the breathing while doing the pose and thru this more awareness to the body.

Make me think how I can balance my practice (yoga).

Thank you!


Appendix Two


38

for me. I felt more connected with the outside.

8 Referential is easier

Non-referential allows many distracting thoughts

In situations that require waiting, i.e., Dr.’s offices, road trips, air flights, check-out line, one can breathe, straighten, relax jaw and shoulders, and soften all over.

Warm, calm teaching style.

Grounded presence.

Thank you, M’Tae

9 Referential is a way to measure (in a good way) the releasing of the invasive thoughts. When in the non-referential style I found myself bring in the techniques of the referential.

Bringing mindfulness to yoga -- seems to have the potential to spontaneously heal. Also it provides an active way to meditate -- right?

Being a therapist I appreciate the concept of locating the trauma within the body & that the body never lies!

10 I most often use non-referential or trend to it. Referential helps but seems limiting in comparison.

I try to do this in all my yoga classes. Some aspects of this help new students “get it” sooner and also helps more experienced students who have physical limitations to keep practicing.

Thank you for speaking out about your experience and for your commitment to support our community.


Appendix Two


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11 I normally practice non-referential & have for a long time. Referential reminded me of when I first began & felt unnatural, but I think it has a lot of value. The mind doesn’t jump around as much in referential for most, okay, for some.

That is the road I have been headed down in my teaching. Asana practice should feel more spiritual & less like calisthenics. It is what separates yoga from other physical forms of exercise.

Nothing. I thought M’Tae did a wonderful job. Thank you!

12 Referential -- fewer tendencies toward monkey mind. More tendencies toward monkey mind as time duration increased. Body calmer.

Non-referential -- body less calm, but mind seemed more observant. Yes, better observer mind.

It will slow down & free my practice from the “precision” -- and, paradoxically, it seems like it will actually improve the poses by softening & deepening them

Thank you for such a beautifully stated reminder that the more we practice, the more we benefit the world with our presence.

Teaching was clear & well-paced -- encouraging. Many thanks.

13 Referential -- having a “task” for the mind to do.

Non-referential -- learning to come back to open spaciousness over & over again, recognizing thoughts

I already teach mindfulness as the first concept. Awareness before breath, or movement. Have taught this way for many years. If you are not practicing yoga with awareness -- it is NOT yoga!

Great job M’Tae!!!

Your work is moving our yoga community forward.


Appendix Two


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14 Referential -- seems more like a concentration dhyana practice

Non-referential -- seems more like the meditation I practice -- transcendental meditation

Plenty & goodness

I like the discussion about the benefits for trauma -- all our traumas. I don’t see yoga at least yoga in the Iyengar tradition as separate from mindfulness. Rather mindfulness would be a yama and niyama as one of 8 limbs of yoga along with asana.

15 The counting (27/Nidra) seems useful to me for sustaining longer, intensive “mindlessness” -- very inexperienced in meditation as a whole art/science

I am still relatively new to the overall practice of yoga (= 3yrs, 2-3 x weekly), but definitely come at it from/with a mental health background & approach.

Thank you for the insight & gentle instruction. You have a calm presence and lovely spirit -- I appreciate your sharing along with a beautiful sense of community in the room. . . .


Appendix Two


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16 My “normal” practice is non-referential. During the referential style of practice I noticed my mind wanted to attain something, do it “right,” etc. So a more active mind, slipping in comparison between the counting.

In the old days yoga was mindfulness, they weren’t separate. The conscious combination of the two practices would benefit every yoga practitioner (and every mindfulness practitioner) by developing embodied awareness. And mindfulness/yoga would clearly be of benefit for any recovery work (with non-yoga practitioners) and in fact for any growth in us at all.

Michelle, you did an excellent job of conveying the essence of a huge topic in a short time.

17 An ability to count & feel the breath, while also having thoughts pass through. In the positive/negative/neutral practice I found it both helpful & distracting.

It seems to me much of the practice of yoga invites mindfulness. They feel very related.

Thank you M’Tae.

All blessings always.

18 The focal point in referential vs. the simple beingness in the non-referential

Finding the relaxation in the midst of the activity.

I appreciate the scientific introduction.

19 Non-referential is more quieting

Deepen my focus & connection

No response.


Appendix Two


42

20 Referential seemed easier to stay with -- it took more discipline during non-referential.

I believe it is a more holistic approach -- greater benefits w/the “time on matt.” Guess I’ll have to give up that early morning yoga w/Channel 7 News . . .

Thank you so much for sharing your teaching. Namaste.

21 Referential -- deeper into awareness of arising “stuff”. Non-referential -- spaciousness, neutral, clarity

I’ve practiced asana in this approach for 30 years -- I’ll continue to use it to “smooth” relationships -- “facilitate” the learning of my students.

Wonderful!

Thank you!

Namaste

22 I really like the labeling of stimulus as neutral, neg. or pos. it sort of relieved me of the obligation to think about it. A way for my mind to deal with it and move on.

I work hard at teaching mindfulness to my words and actions. Reactions are extremely important to me and to my students’ progress.

Really great material -- I personally don’t think we can move without a reaction in the mind -- whether we are just doing a “12 oz. lift” or yoga each has a unique and profound effect. It is up to us to become aware.


Appendix Two


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23 Referential -- required more effort

Non-referential -- easier, lighter more freeing which then seems to lead back to more effort.

“Being with” people and their conversation and formulating a response based on their needs versus your ego and your place and what you think.

It’s about supporting them and therefore you experience their experience versus just reiterating your own.

I loved your speaking pace. Your pauses. You said only what needed to be said and didn’t seem to just “fill space” with words.

That was very calming. Appreciated your organized presentation. Thank you! Go happy!

24 Easier to stay focused in referential -- although had trouble breathing in 27 counts initially but got better as I kept at it.

Interleaving mindfulness with yoga asana is a very practical idea! Small doses of mindfulness could be sprinkled in any yoga class.

No response.

25 The counting was very challenging because I sensed I was doing it incorrectly at certain moments. I was also frustrated by counting the breath but not controlling it. The non-referential was much more interesting for me in that it forced me to be non-judgmental. I felt very at peace.

Letting yoga come from an inner place (Be yoga not Do yoga) I’d like to discourage my students from any sense of competitions with themselves as a practitioner. Incorporating with mindfulness into the practice gets rid of all the “mind games” and makes the practice real, humble,

Thank you so much for creating this space of us that we can now share.

Good Luck, M’Tae


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informative work.

26 While it’s easier to stay focused & not let the mind wander in referential practice, I found the sense of spaciousness much deeper and fulfilling in non-referential practice.

I think some mindful movement could be a lovely way to move into a sitting practice, and I hope to give it a try.

Thank you, thank you, for your gift of your time, wisdom & heartfelt presence!

27 Ease & peach in sitting. Breath was easy - smooth.

Starting & then staying in touch with that peaceful/mindful place within.

The joy of your discovery & teaching/sharing from your heat is evident & inspiring. More movement somehow - I heard several say how good the movement felt.


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28 During the seated practice I noticed I counted from 27 easier as I began -- by the time we got to the nostrils I could no longer focus on counting. I liked the open spaces or the non-referential better, in particular

Using the mindfulness at work. Becoming calmer in my poses as I deepen & trust my breath.

Thank you!

29 Non-referential allowed me to get to a special feeling sooner; counting kept me in a thinking pattern.

It seems as if they belong together.

Thank you! I loved the positive/negative

/neutral way to approach my stories.

30 Referential -- when got distracted was easier to get back.

Non-referential time seemed to go faster.

In my own practice -- slow down & take notice. In teaching -- bringing some of these techniques to practice.

Thank you very much! I genuinely appreciated your time -- style and opening to new thoughts.

31 My focus helped me like a road map. Difficulty defining it & letting it go.

Life will be more lived.

No response.

32 Difficult to say because I had a hard time judging negative -- “t” or neutral.

They go hand in hand teaching mindfulness in a yoga class enhances the student’s yoga experience and journey, will promote health and wellness

No response.


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33 The referential provided different experiences than the non. I haven’t noticed the spaciousness before, I like the feeling with the non-referential.

A stronger sense of connection to self.

Thank you so much, M’Tae. What a great experience.

34 Non-referential is much more difficult for me. I need a manta -- something to focus on.

Using your experience of reach during your practice & transferring to real world experience non-judgment of self & others.

Thank you!

35 I was less irritated with sounds, rather than feeling distracted, I was actively listening, naming it and returning to open space

It’s very interwoven and enhances the experience; it brings you more in your body.

It was absolutely lovely! Thank you!

tae to tend the awakened heart 2010 v2 - upaya …to tend the awakened heart 6 this is known as the...

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