KH and all,
One of the best meditations of them all deals with
breathing in as close a way as possible. It may
also have been the very first meditation. Here is the
Soham technique (from our site, Meditation Station
( http://www.meditationsociety.com/week39.html ) Enjoy!

The Bible tells us that in the beginning there
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. But in the beginning, there were
no words, no languages, or even sounds of humans
or animals. So what was the Word that was in the
beginning. This has been a great mystery, but like
the solution to many mysteries, the answer has
been right under our nose all along. And that is Soham.

Soham is referred to as the "Mahamantra", the
Greatest Mantra, and is considered along with Om
to be the most powerful of all techniques. This
was the first meditation technique, both in
antiquity and in our own lives. The ancient
cavemen, before they had invented language or
fire, would sit in their dark caves and have
nothing else to focus on but the sound of their
breath. Similarly, the first sound we heard when
we were in our mothers' womb was the sound of her
breath, and this sound has been with us ever since
we drew our first breath. It negates the need to
rely on any of the words of the languages of the
world to use as a mantra. It has brought people to
transcendence of worldly limitations from time
immemorial and continues to do so. It can be done
even while driving, working, and doing other acts
of daily life and thereby offers a continuous
experience of being in the present. This is a great
present, because Reality takes place now, in the
present. Soham is a wonder-full meditation technique
and I hope will bring you the experience of Knowledge,
Consciousness, and Bliss that is your birthright.

In the Bible, when God was asked what his name is,
He answered " I Am That I Am'. In Sanskrit, the
most ancient of languages, the sound of the inhalation
is termed So, and the exhalation is Ham. Combined,
the word Soham is translated as "I Am He/That". So,
whenever you are doing this technique, you are calling
on God. Every breath thus becomes a prayer and adoration.

The Soham Meditation Technique

At the time and in the place where you feel most
comfortable, place your body in the position that
you have found to be the most beneficial for
meditation. Close your eyes. Close your ears by
putting your thumbs in them, or by using earplugs.
This will intensify the sound of your breath while
diminishing the distractions that sight and sound
bring. Command your mind to be silent, your emotions
to be calm, and your body to stay relaxed. Focus on
the sound of your breath coming in. Associate it with
the word So. As your breath leaves, listen to the
sound and associate it with the word Ham. To pronounce
So and Ham correctly, listen to how they sound. As with
most pranayama (breathing techniques), Soham is done
either in 3 cycles of 12 or 12 cycles of 12. One
inhalation and one exhalation are one respiration.
12 respirations are one cycle. For those just starting
to use this technique, it is usual to silently say the
word So with each inhalation and the word Ham with each
exhale. When you are focused consistently, consciously,
you will flow into simply listening to the sound of
Soham. Soham is by far the easiest meditation. It comes
to all living creatures without any effort. And yet it is
the deepest possible technique, as it presents the
opportunity to meditate on the great mystery of life
and the life-giver itself.

No matter how we have acted and reacted, with each
breath we are forgiven for our so-called sins and
rewarded with another breath, another heartbeat,
and another moment of life to cherish. No act of
will on our part can give us breath. Literally, we
are graced with this gift of life from a power greater
than ourselves. A corpse has every bone, every organ,
and every bodily system that we have, and yet it
doesn't have life or healing energy filling every
cell with every breath, as we have. As you merge more
and more with Soham, you surrender your reactivity to
your thoughts, emotions, and sensory impressions.
These are all just heavy earth-bound suffering-causing
limitations. The divine energy of Soham is limitless
heavenly love and light. Witness, surrender all effort,
and fill with this most precious gift of Grace.

ryu.anime <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> KC,
>
> Thank you for your response. I feel that breathing is the best way
> to begin meditation. I find it very calming and rejuvenating too. I
> started learning more about Zen meditation just recently. It has
> opened up many new paths for me, especially training the mind on one
> subject. Have you tried Zen? I learned that you can do more than just
> one type of meditation or several it all depends on what you feel.
>
> KH
>
>
> --- In meditationsocietyofamerica@yahoogroups.com, medit8ionsociety
> <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> > --- In meditationsocietyofamerica@yahoogroups.com, ryu.anime
> > <no_reply@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I am new to the group. I do apologize to the old posts that I
> > > > replied to but I am hoping that I can help others out and
> continue to
> > > > learn myself from everyone no matter new, old, or great. I have
> > > > practiced several meditations for 20 years. I am still trying to
> > > > learn other types of meditations to broaden my horizons. I am
> > > > currently working on Taiji, QiGong, and Yoga of course.
> > > >
> > > > KH
> > > >
> > I've been practicing for less than a year. Working with my
breathing,
> > and trying to lessen the discursiveness of my mind is challenging,
but
> > I think I've already experienced some initial reductions in my daily
> > stress level. Anyway, I'm new to this forum, and it was nice to read
> > your note. I hope this is a good response to your question.
> >
> > -KC
> >
>