SadhanaOriental Meditation and Christian Prayer

To pray with body (taking a breath)

[8] Observing bodily sensations - 2

　Let us now elaborate on Vipassana meditation a bit more.
　We will try to observe sensations of more detailed parts of our body.
　Let’s divide the top of our head into the front, central, and rear parts.  　Observe the sensations of the right side and left side of your forehead, and the tip of your nose and the entire nose.  Divide our upper arms into the top part and the part closer to your elbow.  After observing the sensation on your palms, feel the sensation on the back of your hands and each finger.
　Your ability to feel segmented parts indicates that your focus has been increased and your senses have been sharpened.
　Give a name to each sensation.  Do so in the following way.  Assign 90% of your focus on observing sensations.  Use the remaining 10% to give names to sensations.  In this way of focusing your attention, give a simple name to each sensation like “chilly,” “ticklish,” “warm,” “pain,” and “tingle.”
　Human consciousness normally overreacts to stimuli.  Sometimes, we are even “caught up in” them rather than just “overreact” to them.  We lose our balance when we overreact to stimuli or when we are caught up in them.  The good and harmonious self is lost, and we fall into disturbed, distorted, disordered, or odd being.
　By keeping doing this Vipassana mediation, you can break out of the tendency of overreacting and becoming captivated, which is caused by the assimilation to stimuli.  It becomes easier to fulfill our daily duties without our aplomb being disturbed.  We will also be able to link our words and deeds to our goals more successfully.  This means less mistakes and better efficiency.
　By continuing Vipassana, we will also be able to experience more fresh amazement and excitement regarding “life” in our everyday activities.  Vipassana is a “gyo (spiritual exercise)” that enables us to feel the joy of living in connection with all other lives in the universe and nature and that improves our quality of life.