Written by Anyen Rinpoche and Allison Choying Zangmo, Rinpoche’s personal translator and student. Anyen Rinpoche is a Dzogchen Tulku in the Nyingma lineage.
Chapter Reviews
Chapter 1:
Breath Is Life
This chapter shows through several exercises the different types of breathing, thoracic & abdominal.
Chapter 2:
Working With the Breath & Neurotic Mind
Good explanation of how the mind is affected by the breath (mind-Breath) and how correct breathing can eliminate karma.
Basic Wind Energy breathing Techniques
This chapter sets the foundation of the practice with an explanation of The Seven Point Posture of Vairocana and explains how they are connected to the 5 Elements.
Chapter 6
Unlocking Old Patterns through Wind Energy Training
This part of the book shows how to see and purify our old habits, emotions, and the five poisons (attachment, aversion, ignorance, pride, & jealousy, and anger) based on wind energy or breathing techniques.
There are 5 different meditation exercises to examine and change our kleshas or mental states that cloud our minds.
- Basic Mindfulness Technique
- Sitting on the Cushion to Train In Mindfulness and Wind Energy
- Using Wind Energy Training With Everyday Anger
- Training In Rejoicing
- The 5 Senses And Wind Energy
The last section talks about creating new habits. It has taken a lifetime to build the habits we have now and to take on new habits will take even more effort because we have not done them before.
By paying attention to our wind energy breath we can clear negative thought patterns and easily redirect focus to something more substantial.
I think this may be the best chapter in the whole book besides the instructions chapters.
Conclusion
This is an excellent book for a beginner to start a breathing meditation practice. Also if you are trying to strengthen your daily practice the exercises are easy step-by-step instructions to deepen one’s practice.
This book is available in paperback, Kindle or audio on Amazon
The Future of American Buddhism
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