Inner Work

For the week of January 26, 2009

Body Calm

(Part 2 of 9 in the Inner Work Series: Stages of Body Presence)

After thoroughly relaxing our body, we can immerse ourselves in a deeper relaxation, a more profound calm. Tensions exist in layers, from coarser to finer. Having released the first layer of physical tension, we begin letting go of the finer tensions in the next layer. These finer tensions reside not only in our body, but also in our thoughts and emotions, and even in our will. To relax thoroughly takes patience, equanimity, and calm, non-interfering and non-doing. These are attitudes of will, attitudes we adopt in our practice of deep relaxation.

From this stance, our thoughts and emotions recede in importance and even begin to recede from view, as they naturally abate when we stop falling under their spell. We no longer resist or buy into them. We give up trying to change or direct anything. We let our thoughts be as they are. We do not follow them or think about them. We just notice them as thoughts, arising and passing by of their own accord. We do the same with emotions. We let go of all our preoccupations of mind and heart.

Because our body is so entwined with our thoughts and emotions, it relaxes further when they do. When our body is calm, we can be calm. When we are calm, our body can be calm. And so we discover a new level of calm, physical and mental, a level of utter contentment, of just seeing, just being. Entering this calm opens the door of our inner world and sets the stage for further inner work. Relaxing inwardly, we allow ourselves to settle more and more fully into our body.

For this week, practice deep relaxation. Let go of all physical tensions. Let go of resisting or pursuing self-generated thoughts and emotions. Settle into your body and be there.

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