Doha on the First Gatha of Breathing

First Gatha on Breathing Expanded
through Tenabah, copyright 2011

breathing in a long breath
gently thinking and intending
"i am breathing in a long breath"

breathing out a long breath
gently thinking and intending
"i am breathing out a long breath"

making the in breath
as long as possible
without any strain
without any effort
stopping before
strain and effort appear

expanding the belly
expanding the rib cage
making the inhale
deep and full

feeling a gentle push outwards
lungs expanding
sensitive to any strain
stopping if any straining is felt

making the out breath
as long as possible
without any strain
without any effort
stopping before
strain and effort appear

softening the belly
softening the rib cage
making the exhale
relaxed and smooth

feeling a gentle relaxing inwards
lungs relaxing back
sensitive to any hurry
slowing down if any hurry is felt

gently feeling
inhale becoming exhale
without pause or hesitation
smooth and unhurried

gently feeling
exhale becoming inhale
without pause or hesitation
smooth and unhurried

feeling long gentle inhale
feeling inhale gently becoming exhale
feeling long gentle exhale
feeling exhale gently becoming exhale
feeling one smooth continuous
circle of breathing
letting a relaxed rhythm form
feeling the heart gently beating inside

staying within this easeful breathing
letting go of thinking and analysis
letting go of
addictive craving and clinging
resisting and condemning negativity
dull and obscuring delusions

noticing how thought repeats its story
noticing how thought moves in time
noticing how thought conjures
a feeling of self

noticing how thought grabs
anger, fear, and sadness
and says to itself
"i am angry at this"
"i am angry at that"
"i am sad about this"
"i am sad about that"
"i am anxious about this"
"i am anxious about that"

noticing how thought adds
this feeling of self
to each and every emotion
how it attaches to
and keeps alive
the emotion

the feeling of self
conjuring and repeating
each emotion
across the span of time
lifetime after lifetime
through conditioned reflexes
activated by sensations

staying with the sensation
stopping thought
feeling the pain
without the thought story
and without the thought self
that lives in the story

breathing and feeling
the empty space
surrounding
every thought, emotion,
and sensation
being larger than
whatever is arising

not shrinking down
into the little self
inside each emotion
not playing out
a bardo drama
in present life
or after life

moving outside
of action and reaction
moving outside
conditioned patterns
of listening, reacting,
and speaking to each other,
letting silence, peace,
and love
be there first

listening only to hear
speaking only what is
kind, honest, and useful

letting go of trying to get
anything from anyone
letting go of resisting
what anyone says

not going into a dull
unattentive haze,
where we are
lost in our own thoughts,
only seeing others
as stimuli
for our own thinking,
only seeing others
as objects to control,
to cling to,
or push away,
all within our own
internal theater,
but instead being sensitive
to what is arising,
without judgment or analysis,
without reacting
or even feeling a need to react
or to respond in any way,
and then letting
a silent, unpressured,
creative response
come from the silence itself

feeling the third eye gently tingling
with the nourishing energy
of the breath
feeling intuitive wisdom arise
naturally and easily
living in this flow
sustaining it with the breathing
feeling that every breath
is sacred,
every breath is life