From the Vigyan Bhairav Tantra: “Radiant one, this experience may dawn between two breaths. After breath comes in, (down) and just before turning up (out) – the beneficence.”
Sarita says: “This meditation is very, very special. It is the meditation Buddha used to become enlightened. This particular sutra has become known as Vipassana meditation – when you become a witness of the cycles of your breath.
Witnessing the breath is a very useful tool, because the breath is always in the present moment. As we come into that awareness of the present moment we enter into expanded consciousness and awareness of eternity.
This meditation has helped millions of people to come into awakened consciousness, for centuries in the East and more recently in the West. This is the first meditation I ever practised and it’s been my mainstay for many, many years. It’s really helped me tremendously to empty my mind and come into that state of openness, of wonder and oneness with all that is.
How to practise the meditation
- Sit comfortably so your spine is straight.
- Allow yourself to settle and take a few deep breaths in and out.
- Bring your attention either to your nostrils or your belly and witness the rise and fall of your breath. If your mind starts wandering, you feel pain or discomfort or there’s some emotional turmoil, just keep coming back to the awareness of the breath – rising and falling, rising and falling.
Do this for 40 minutes.
After the sitting phase, you may want to take this meditation into a slow, walking meditation, called a Zen walk. You are walking very slowly and very consciously, continuing to witness your breath.
- Place your hands at the level of the lower belly, thumbs together.
- With each in breath, raise your leg up, and with every out breath, place your leg on the ground.
Do this for 20 minutes.
This is a very beautiful way to complete the Vipassana meditation. This is how Buddha practised it – 40 minutes sitting, 20 minutes walking, until he became enlightened.
I really encourage you to try a Vipassana retreat for 7 or 10 days. In the UK, you can go on a Vipassana retreat at Dharma Dipa in Hereford.”
Enjoyed this meditation? Want to try more like it? Check out Sarita’s online Vigyan Bhairav Tantra club, or by email, or or see her book, Divine Sexuality.