Glen Schneider - Ten Breaths to Happiness: Touching Life in its Fullness

TEN BREATHS TO HAPPINESS

TEN BREATHS TO HAPPINESS

touching life in its fullness

GLEN SCHNEIDER

Foreword by Thich Nhat Hanh

PARALLAX
PRESS

Berkeley, California

CONTENTS

There are people who say that mindfulness is just one thingbreathing in and breathing out. They are right. With mindful breathing, were more present for ourselves and for the world and we can live deeply every moment of our daily life. Mindful breathing helps us to be calm and happy and to have a clear mind. It helps us transform the suffering within. And it helps us to be in touch with the true nature of reality.

Mindful breathing takes a little training. But a few days of practice can already make a difference. We should be able to bring in a feeling of joy and happiness whenever we want to. We breathe in and bring our minds home to our bodies and suddenly were fully present in the here and the now. Its very nourishing. And were able to recognize the many conditions of happiness that are availablemore than enough for us to be happy.

When you bring your mind home to your body, its in order to be with your body, to be established in the here and the now, and to have a chance to live your life. You have an opportunity to live each moment deeply. Youre no longer pulled away by thoughts about the past or the future, by your projects, or by strong emotions. Taking ten mindful breaths sounds simple, but the effect is enormous.

In your brain there are many well-travelled neural pathways. When you come into contact with something that habitually triggers a certain feeling in you, like the feeling of anger, your frequent travel along that neural pathway turns it into a habitin this case, a habit of anger. With a mindful breathing practice, such as Ten Breaths, you can always open new neural pathways. And when that becomes a habit, we call it the habit of happiness. Any moment can be a moment of happiness.

We can all benefit from more happiness. So take time to breathe. This can make all the difference. You release, and you become a free person. As a free person, you see that there are many ways to respond to the same event, not just one way. When were able to produce the energy of love and compassion, happiness is there. This is what we need most. This is what the world needs most.

THICH NHAT HANH

Breathing in, I am aware that I am alive. Breathing out, I smile to life within and around me.

THICH NHAT HANH

The first time I tried the complete Ten Breaths practice, I was out in my garden on a crisp February evening. I was walking along a path when I looked up and saw the crescent moon framed by the bare branches of our buckeye tree. I stopped to take in this lovely scene, and while I was looking, I decided to take ten conscious breaths while looking at the moon in the branches. During those ten breaths, I noticed that somewhere in my chest I felt nourished in a way that was a little new. It was a small, pleasant feeling. Then I continued on my way.

The following night I went outside on an errand to the garage. I happened to look up and there was that crescent moon again, a little higher now, in the open sky. I stopped for just a momentI dont know whyand as I did, I felt a rush of feeling, as if I were greeting a dear old friend, and these words bubbled up from deep inside: Oh yeah, you and me, we go way back.

That surprised me, because I had never felt such a connection or had such a familiar feeling toward the moon. Then I remembered the link with my experience of the night before.

The Ten Breaths practice is a simple way to use conscious, rhythmic breathing to help us savor life and live more fully. It is quite simple. When something good and wonderful touches usbe it a sight, a sound, or a feelingwe stop and offer it our full presence for the length of ten breaths, so that we can really taste the experience of this present moment.

If we pay close attention, we can see that opportunities for happiness, for touching lifes magnificence, actually present themselves many times each day. Something catches our eye; something touches our heart. Good feelings arise.

Gradually, I have trained myself to stop and experience more and more of these moments while breathing in and out ten times. Trees, birds, flowers, even my own body have all become good friends. I have rediscovered feelings of love and wonder that had been dormant in me since childhood. I have learned ways to deepen my connections with other people. My reverence for life has grown immeasurably, and so has my gratitude.

By happiness, I am speaking of the deep, abiding happiness of contentment, connection, and fulfillment, of dwelling happily in the present moment. This is the experience of opening to the goodness and wonders of life, enjoying life deeply, and feeling viscerally connected to others, the whole of creation, and the spiritual dimension.

Many people I talk with share a deep fear that they are somehow missing life; that they are alive but are not fully experiencing life. They feel they are only getting glimpses of lifes promise. I know that feeling as well, and with me it has been deeply rooted.

Practicing Ten Breaths has shown me how to stop, open my heart, and savor what I love in the worldto let in the good. My life has blossomed in ways I would never have thought possible.

Overview of the Ten Breaths Practice

Here are the basic parts of the Ten Breaths practice. Well go through them in more detail in Chapters Two, Three, and Four, in which you can learn the practice step by step.

When a beautiful moment presents itself and you encounter something that you would like to savor, such as sunlight on a dewdrop:

1 Stop whatever you are doing.

2 Close your eyes, put your dominant hand on your belly, and begin to pay attention to your breathing. Notice the rise and fall of your hand on your belly as you breathe. Take three deep breaths to settle and clear your mind.

3 When you feel more present, open your eyes and look at the object of your concentration. Take a deep slow breath in and out. That is one.

4 Continue counting each breath: two, three, four. Let your encounter unfold naturally. Just behold the object of your concentration and observe it without mental commentary or judgment as you count. Notice its color, shape, sound, or smell.

5 While counting, become aware of your body and any sensations or emotions that may arise. Allow every cell of your body to open up to the encounter. Allow the experience to be as full as possible. Dont hold back.

6 When you have reached ten, rest in the feeling of the moment. Then, if youd like, take ten more breaths in the same way.