Inner Work

For the week of: August 20, 2007

Soaking Up the Atmosphere

Without adequate physical energy from food, we cannot function well: our body lethargic and our brain responses slow. Without adequate inner energy, our soul cannot function well: our presence weak and fleeting. In the natural process of living, we do produce some of the inner energy needed for presence. But this natural production proves inadequate to develop our soul, to proceed along the path. So we employ methods that directly, or as a byproduct, increase our supply of inner energy. Such methods include various types of meditation and contemplative prayer, which engage the higher forms of spiritual energies.

But it behooves us also to make good use of a wonderful source of one of the lower forms of inner energies, an energy that feeds the foundation level or outer layer of our soul. That source is the atmosphere, the air that surrounds us, a vast reservoir of inner energy. We can take from this source and we can give to it. Just as plant life builds up the oxygen in the air, we build up the inner energy in the air through our inner work.

The easiest way to tap the energy in the atmosphere is through breathing it: consciously and intentionally drawing the energy from the air as we inhale. Such energy breathing can be a very important part of our path, having been employed since ancient times as a spiritual practice for nourishing the human soul.

A more subtle and direct method opens to those who are well-versed in energy breathing. This is similar to the practice of casting an energy net, but does not require any association with the breath. Simply by using our attention and intention, we draw the inner energy from the air into our body. We do this by creating a “vacuum” within ourselves and allowing the energy to flow into us to fill that vacuum. As we do so, we soak up the energy into our soul by absorbing it into our sensation, into our body awareness, which acts as a sponge to retain the energy. Thereby that energy stays in us, strengthening our basis for presence through sensing this body.

For this week, try this exercise of soaking up the atmosphere. Work at it particularly during your sitting meditation practice, allowing the inner exercise to build up your body of sensation.

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