“Meticulouslyguides readersonhow toawakenandperfect thepowerofinnateenergytohealandenlighten.”

—TulkuThondup,authorofBoundlessHealing

“These clear and practice-based teachings on purifying thewind energiesaremuch-neededmedicineforourtimes.Rootedintheancientwisdomofdharma and an understanding ofmodern science, the yogas of the body,windenergy,andmindarepresentedinafresh,livelyprosethatisadelighttoread.”

—TsoknyiRinpoche

ABOUTTHEBOOK

Modernscienceandclassicspiritualtraditionsagree:regulatingthebreathleads to radianceandwellnessofbody,mind, and spirit.With the simpleteachingsandcutting-edgeresearchofferedinTheTibetanYogaofBreath,you can start thriving just by integrating breathwork into your dailypractice.Basic Yantra Yoga techniques—also called wind energy training—are

thekeytoachievingthiskindofvitality,downtothecellularlevel.AnyenRinpocheandAllisonChoyingZangmoskillfullyexaminetheteachingsofYantraYogaandBuddhism through the lensofWesternmedical science.Theirwise and accessible instruction reveals practices that arenourishingand transformative, delivering dramatic results—no experiencewith yogaorBuddhistmeditationnecessary.

ANYEN RINPOCHE is a tulku from Tibet of the Nyingma (LongchenNyingthig) Tradition. He primarily lives in Denver, Colorado, where hefoundedOrgyenKhamdrolingDharmaCenterwith a shedra (college) forWesterners.He is the author ofTheUnionofDzogchenandBodhichitta,DyingwithConfidence,JourneytoCertainty,andMomentaryBuddhahood.

ALLISONCHOYINGZANGMOisAnyenRinpoche’spersonaltranslatorandalongtimestudentofbothRinpocheandhisrootLama,KyabjeTsaraDharmakirti.ShehaseithertranslatedorcollaboratedwithRinpocheonallofhisbooks.ShelivesinDenver,Colorado.

SignuptolearnmoreaboutourbooksandreceivespecialoffersfromShambhalaPublications.

Orvisitusonlinetosignupatshambhala.com/eshambhala.

TheTibetanYogaofBreathBreathingExercisesforHealingtheBodyandCultivatingWisdom

AnyenRinpoche&AllisonChoyingZangmo

SHAMBHALABoston&London

2013

ShambhalaPublications,Inc.HorticulturalHall

300MassachusettsAvenueBoston,Massachusetts02115

www.shambhala.com

©2013byAnyenRinpocheandAllisonChoyingZangmoAllrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicor

mechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,orbyanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData

Anyen,Rinpoche.TheTibetanyogaofbreath:breathingexercisesforhealingthebodyandcultivatingwisdom/Anyen

RinpocheandAllisonChoyingZangmo.pagescm

Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.eISBN978-0-8348-2917-6

ISBN978-1-61180-088-3(pbk.:alk.paper)1.Yoga.2.Breathingexercises.I.Title.RA781.67.A682013613.7′046—dc232013011863

WeofferthisbookandallofourefforttowarditscreationtothesupremeYantraYoga masters Khenchen Tsara Dharmakirti Rinpoche and Nyakrung TsunpoDorloRinpoche.

Inallmyfuturelifetimes,MayIneverbeseparatefromtheperfectlypureLama.HavingreceivedthejewelofthegloriousDharma,MayIperfectthegoodqualitiesofthestagesandpathsAndswiftlyattainthestateoftheGloriousLama.

Contents

AcknowledgmentsIntroduction

PARTONEWhyWePracticeBreathYoga1.BreathIsLife:ThePhysicalandElementalWorkingsofBreath2.WorkingwithBreathandNeuroticMind3.UnderstandingtheConnectionofBreathtoStress,Anxiety,andDepression

PARTTWOHowtoPracticeBreathYoga4.BasicWindEnergyTechniques5.MeditatingonImpermanencewithBreathAwareness6.UnlockingOldPatternsthroughWindEnergyTraining7.BreathingthroughLife’sSuffering

Conclusion:BreathIsWisdom

NotesFurtherReadingAbouttheAuthorsE-mailSign-Up

Acknowledgments

WewouldliketoextendourgratitudeandappreciationtoSarahTeagueJohnsonforhermanyhoursof research, editing, and consultation in thepreparationofthismanuscript.Thankyoualso toEileenCahoonandMyraYoungforadviceandtimespenteditingthedraftmanuscript.

Introduction

SincemeetingAnyenRinpochemorethanthirteenyearsago,Ihaveheardmanytalesof thegreatmastersofTibet.Someof themost incredibleandwondrousstories are those of one of his root masters, Tsunpo Dorlo Rinpoche, a greatmasterofYantraYogaandtheprofoundmeditationtraditionofDzogpachenpo:the Great Perfection. The Great Perfection is the most profound style ofmeditation in the traditionofTibetanBuddhismpresented in thisbook, thatoftheNyingmapa SecretMantrayana. TheGreat Perfection is complemented bythe breathing and asana poses thatmake up an ancient style of TantricYoga,calledYantraYoga.YantraYogaistheformalnameofacontemplativetraditionofworkingwiththebody’senergeticchannels,“windenergies”(whichincludesthebreath),andvitalessences.Noteveryone’sbodyissuitedtopracticethestrenuousasanaposespresented

inthetraditionofYantraYoga.Itislight-yearsawayfromtherelativelygentlestyle of yoga many of us practice in modern America. However, AnyenRinpocheoftentoldmethattherootofYantraYogaisworkingwiththebreath,and thatallgreatyogis learn thebasicbreathing techniquesofYantraYogaaspartoftheirspiritualmastery.Practicing Yantra Yoga has enabled the great yogis of India and Tibet to

achievemiraculousfeats,suchaspersonalhealingevenfromincurableillnesses,theabilitytowithstandphysicalhardshipssuchasalackoffoodorwarmthevenfor long periods of time, and, of course, the complete realization of wisdom,whereoneisliberatedfromallconceptsoftheegoandofdualisticperception.DorloRinpochewasanunusualkindofYantraYogamasterforthemodernage.Heexhibitedbehaviorthatreachesthelevelofafairytale,suchashavingsuchpureandcontrolleduseofthebreaththatheonlyneededtobreatheafewtimesan hour. Anyen Rinpoche’s and my own root teacher, Tsara DharmakirtiRinpoche, also relied upon the teachings on Yantra Yoga and the GreatPerfectiontocompletelyhealhimselffromcancerinhisyoungeryears.AnyenRinpoche studiedYantraYogawithDorloRinpoche in a traditional

retreat setting, during the coldest time of year in an earthen dwelling high inKham,Tibet.Thepractitionersof that retreat studied tummo, thegenerationof

inner heat, among other practices. Practicing in a harsh, frigid environment isessential to the practice, as it motivates the retreatants to practice extremelydiligentlyuntil thebodynaturallygeneratesheatdespite thecoldenvironment.At theculminationof theretreat,AnyenRinpochewas tested in the traditionalmanner by allowing the shoulders of his unclothed body to be drapedwith adamptowel,whichthenhadtobedriedbythebody’sowninnerheat.The teachings on Yantra Yoga explain in detail the manner in which the

purification of the breath acts as the cause for healing body and mind and,ultimately, forspiritual realization.Thebreathingpracticesof theYantraYogatradition are referred to as “wind energy training” throughout this book. Thebasisforthesepracticesisintroducedinpart1,andthepracticeofwindenergytrainingisintroducedingreaterdetailinpart2.

IgrewupinthesuburbsofDenver,Colorado,asanordinary,middle-classgirl.Most of my childhood was spent feeling caught between two worlds. Myyearning for a contemplative lifestyle existed in contrast to a society thatbelievesinmaterialwealth,status,andpowerastheultimatemeasureofsuccess.As a result, I experienced isolation, anxiety, and sleeplessness.My traditionalAmerican childhood gaveme few tools to helpme dealwith these feelings. Iwas introduced tomeditation and contemplativepractice at the ageof sixteen,afterwhichIbeganpracticingmeditationseriously.IfinallyfeltIhadconnectedwith the thing thatwasmissing inmy life. Inmy early twenties, I traveled toTibetandthenNepal,whereImetAnyenRinpocheandbecamedeeplyinvolvedinthecontemplativeanddevotionalpracticesofTibetanBuddhism.AlthoughIamacommittedpractitioneroftheSecretMantrayanatradition,I

donottakelightlythedisciplineanddiligencerequiredtoengageinmanyofitspractices.Becauseofitsstrenuousasanaposes,IhaveneverthoughtofYantraYogaasatraditionIwascapableofpracticing.AndtalesofAnyenRinpoche’sownstoryoftraininginthemiddleofwinterseemedmagicalandotherworldlyto me, and completely out of my reach. However, as my understanding ofVajrayanapracticehasgrownovertheyears,Ibegantolearnsomeofthebreathpractices from theYantraYoga tradition that immensely improvedmymentaland emotional stability, aswell as augmentedmyphysical health.ThesewereaspectsthatevenI,anordinarypractitioner,couldlearn,use,andbenefitfrom.Inoticed a change in my ability to balance my body and mind in daily lifesituations,andIbegantofeelmorecomfortablewithmyability toadapt toallkindsofenvironmentsandtoworkmorecompassionatelywithothers.

As I prepared to write this book with Anyen Rinpoche, I delved into themedical research that has been done on the subject of the breath and on thehealthbenefitsofbringingtheproperamountofoxygenintotheblood,withtheassistanceofmyVajraSisterSarahTeagueJohnson.IwasamazedbyhowtheyogisofIndiaandTibet,priortotheinventionofmoderntechnologyorresearchinstruments,gainedathoroughknowledgeoftheeffectofthebreath,properandimproper, on our physical, emotional, and spiritual health.Not only did theseclassicmastersunderstandtheproblemscausedbyimproperbreathinginawaythatperfectlycorrespondstomodernmedicalscience,buttheyalsoknewhowtoremedy these problems with very simple techniques. These breathing“treatments”and“cures”areaseasyasworkingwithposture,nasalbreathing,and the elongation of the inhalation and exhalation. The benefits of thesecontemplativetechniquescanalsobeexplainedwithadetailedunderstandingofmedicalscience.Howremarkablethatthemastersofoldcouldhaveknowledgethatissotrue,soexact,andsopertinenttoourhealthinthemodernworld.

In thisbook,wehaveattempted tooffer themostuseful information for thoseinterestedinstartingtopracticewindenergytraining,usingmedicalscienceasastartingpoint.YantraYoga,withitsrichoralandtextual tradition,has itsownparallel way of describing the negative effects of oxygen and carbon dioxidedeprivation on the body, mind, and emotions. By weaving together theknowledge of these two sources, themodern and themystical,we hopemanyreadersofthisbookwillbeinspiredtostartworkingwiththetraditionofwindenergytraining.Ofcourse, thisbookoffersonly themostbasicof teachingsonwindenergy

training, those that are appropriate for any individual to start applying. Foranyonewhowishestodelveintodeepertrainingandmoredetailedinstructionsthan a book can provide, the importance of seeking out an authentic spiritualmaster cannot be overstated. An authentic teacher who has had a lifetime oftraining inYantraYoga and has become the close student of amaster of thistraditionwillbeable togiveproperandcomplete instructionson thispractice,andpointoutmistakesandpitfalls. In theWest,weareusedto thinkingthatateaching-certificationprogramisenoughtomakeusamasteratsomething,sinceit confers a license to teach others.While thismay be true of some subjects,windenergytrainingisdefinitelynotoneofthem.Trueproficiencyandskillisnot gained in a fewweeks or a fewmonths.A few classes or retreats do notmakeamaster!

WhileIdonotclaimtobeagreatpractitionerofmeditation,IhavefoundthatmanyofthephysicalandemotionalconditionsthatIsufferedfromearlierinlife,such as anxiety, migraine headaches, and chronic lung conditions, havedisappearedsinceIbeganworkingwithmeditation,mindfulness,andthebreath.I am not surprised to find that all of these conditions are associated withimproper breathing and a lack of balance between the oxygen and carbondioxide in the blood.Meditation has not only helped to quietmymind, it hasalsonaturallybroughtgreaterbalance tomywindenergy,whichhashelped tohealmanyoftheimbalancesinmyphysicalandmentalhealth.Iwouldliketobeclearthatwe,theauthorsofthisbook,arenotdoctors.We

believeintakingaholisticapproachtothetreatmentofanyphysical,mental,oremotional imbalance.Webelieve that a combinationof factors—workingwithwindenergytraining,practicingmeditation,exercising,payingattentiontodietand nutrition, following the advice of health care practitioners, and usingWesternandnaturalmedicationswhennecessary—isthemosteffectivewaytotreat any imbalance.We urge you not to stop any treatment plan that you arecurrently following, but instead to add wind energy training to your currenttreatmentplan.Asyoufindgreaterbalanceinbodyandmind,youwillbeinabetterpositiontoevaluateormakechangestoyouroverallwellnessprogram.In thismodernworld, so afflictedby famine,war,weaponry, genocide, and

the swift and unknown effects of technology, how luckywe are thatwe haveavailabletheguidanceofmanyrichspiritualtraditions!Maytheteachingsinthisbookalleviatethesufferingofbeingseverywhere.

ALLISONCHOYINGZANGMO

PARTONE

WhyWePracticeBreathYoga

1

BreathIsLifeThePhysicalandElementalWorkingsofBreath

AFTER THE CONSCIOUSNESS enters themother’swomb, the greatest support andconditionforlifeisthebreath.Inthiscase,whenwespeakofthebreath,wearenot only speaking of the ordinary inhalation and exhalation of oxygen andcarbon dioxide but we are also talking about the air element—one of thefundamental elements of life. Great classical philosophers such as Plato andAristotle described the phenomenal world using the framework of the fourelements:air,fire,water,andearth,andtheirharmonyordiscord.LikeWesternphilosophy, the ancient traditions of Eastern philosophy, medicine, andmeditation all place importance on the qualities and harmony of the fourelements.ThegeneralSutrictraditionofBuddhismnamesthefourelementsandtheir properties as cohesion (water), solidity or inertia (earth), expansion orvibration (air), and heat or energy (fire). Tibetan Buddhist philosophy namesfive elements: air, water, earth, fire, and space. The fifth element, space, isuniquely important because it is the quintessence of all phenomena; spacepervades all material phenomena, and makes it possible to recognize form.Space,conversely,isalsotheabsenceofform.ClassicalEasternandWesternphilosophybothtellusthattheelementsarethe

buildingblocksoflife.Butwhatdoesitmeantosay“breathislife”?Etymologyandthehistoryof languageitselfshowusthatbreathhasalways

beenlinkedtolife.InthelinguisticrootsofLatinandGreek,thenamesgiventothe soulor the spirit aredirectly connected toor synonymouswith thebreath.The Latin words animus (spirit) and anima (soul) are the same as the Greekanemos,meaning “wind.”AnotherGreekword forwind,pneuma, alsomeans“spirit.”Ourancientancestorsoftenassociatedbreathwiththesoul,sincebreathtakesonamisty,ghostlyshapeincoldweather.1Historicallybreathiswhatgivesusoursoulorspirit,butwealsoknowthat

breath quite literally sustains life. The strength and vitality of the body ismaintainedthroughthebalanceofoxygenandcarbondioxideatacellularlevel.Infact,aswewilldemonstrate,Westernmedicalresearchshowsthatouroverallhealthisdirectlyrelatedtohowwebreathe.2

HOWWEBREATHE

Breath isphysiological,psychological,aconditionedbehavior,andavoluntaryaction;itisadynamic,multifaceted,vitalfunctionofthebody.Physiologically,breathingoccursautomaticallybaseduponthemetabolicdemandsofthebody.Thewordmetabolicisusedtodescribeabiochemicalprocessinthebody—thebuildup of some substances and the breakdown of others.On a cellular level,breathingbringsabouttheexchangeofoxygenandcarbondioxidethathasbuiltupintheblood.Forexample,whenwearerunningatfulltiltorwhenwehaveahighfever,ourbodyneedsmoreoxygenpumpedquicklythroughoutourbody.Ourheartrateandourbreathingratearelinkedforthisreason;theybothspeedup and slow down at the same time—and this all occurs behind the sceneswithout any conscious effort on our part.We feel the effects of this withoutneedingtounderstandthescienceoranatomybehindit,letalonehaveamedicaldegree.Breathing isalso influencedbyourpsychologicalcondition:ourperceptions

andemotions.Weeachhaveaparticularemotionaltemperament,whichmaybeinfluenced by genetics, our family environment, and our life experiences.Because of these variables, our breathing rate, depth, and quality change inreactiontoemotions:whenwethinkaboutsomethinginthepastthatupsetsus,or anticipate something exciting in the future, or experience a challengingsituationinthemoment.Breathing is also a conditioned behavior, a habitual response. Over time,

repeated reactions to inner and outer conditions become ingrained tendencies,like any practice or habit.We unconsciously associate breathing patternswithstimuli, and therefore breathing patterns are reinforced and generalized. Themore often certain emotions are associatedwith certain experiences, themorebreathingwillshiftandsettle intoapattern,whichmaynotalwaysbehealthy.Forexample,youmayhaveacoworkerwhoisdifficult toworkwithandsaysunkindthingsthatareupsetting.Afterrepeatedlyexperiencingthis,youmayfeelanxious,yourrespiratoryratemayincrease,andyoumaycarryextratensioninyourshoulderswhileatwork.Perhaps thiscoworker leavesforanother job,sothedirectstimuliarenolongertheretoagitateyou.However,thebody’spattern

of increased breathing ratewith tension in the upper back and shouldersmaycontinue—thebehaviorhasbecomeautomaticandgeneralizedtobeingatwork,ratherthanbeingaroundthatcoworker.Inotherwords,ourbodiescanconfuseconditionedresponsewithnaturalfunction.Thevoluntarycontrolofbreathingisanimportantanduniquecharacteristicof

thebody.Whatothervisceral functionsareweable todirectlycontrol?None!Wecanlearntoinfluenceothervisceralfunctionssuchasourheartrateorourbloodpressure, butwe are not able to directly control them.Wecanholdourbreath,orbreathefaster,orbreatheslower,atanytime,bychoice.Whydoesthiscontrolmatter? Itmatters because breathing is the link between our inner andouterexperiences—wetakeairfromtheoutsideworldintothebodywitheveryinhalation. It is also the linkbetween thephysical and emotional reactionswehavetothoseexperiences.Inotherwords,whatishappeningwithinourbodiesandmindsischanneledthroughourbreathing.Buttheflipsideofthisstatementisthatthewaywebreathecanalsochangewhatishappeningwithinourbodiesandminds.Wecan thinkof thecontrolofourbreathingasexistingalongacontinuum,

from being entirely controlled by the body (unconscious) to being entirelycontrolledby themind (conscious).Onone end is thephysiological/automaticaspectofthebreath,determinedsolelybythephysiologicalrequirementsofthebody.Movingalong thecontinuum,wefind theconditioned/behavioral; this iswhere our body confuses conditioned behavior based on emotions andperceptions with natural function. Physiological function is altered throughrepeated behavior and experiences of the mind. Conscious behaviors havetransformed into unconscious physiological reactions. Next, we arrive at thepsychological/perceptual/emotional qualities of the breath: how we breathe inresponse to our emotions and perceptions based on what is happening in themind at that moment. The interaction of thoughts in the mind produces anaccompanyingphysiologicalresponse.Andonthefarendofthecontinuum,wefindthevoluntaryaspectofthebreath,wherethebreathisdirectlycontrolledbyourmind.Thiscontinuumshowsthatbreathingisthedynamiclinkbetweenthemind and the body. It spans our physical needs as well as our emotionalreactions:itrepresentsourwholeexperienceinthebody.Research shows that our behavioral breathing patterns are so pervasive and

habitualthatevenduringREMsleep,whenthebodyisrestingthemostdeeply,voluntarybreathingpatternscanstillcontrolhowwebreathe.3Again,ourbodiesconfuse conditioned responsewith natural function.Breathing is distinct fromotherbodily functionsbecause it is somethingwecandirectly control throughawarenessandtraining.Unlikeourheartrateandothercoremechanisms,which

wecanonlyinfluenceindirectly,eachofushasthepowertochangethewaywebreathe.

TwoTypesofVoluntaryBreathingWesternmedicinerecognizestwotypesofbreathingpatterns.Thesetwotypesofbreathingpatternscorrelatewiththeareaofthebodywherethebreathingoccurs,andarecalled thoracicandabdominalbreathing.Thoracic refers to the thorax,anareaofthechestencasedbytheribs.Abdominalreferstotheareabelowthediaphragm,oraroundthenavel.Learningthedifferencesbetweenthetwotypesof breathingmakes it easy to understand the basic philosophy and techniquespresentedinthisbook.When we are at rest, abdominal breathing is generally considered the

healthiestpattern.Abdominalbreathingprimarilyreliesuponthecontractionandrelaxationofthemusclebeneaththelungscalledthediaphragm.Thediaphragmpullsairintothelowerpartofthelungs.However,whenourbodiesneedmoreoxygen, such as during strenuous exercise, our body may involuntarilysupplementabdominalbreathingwith thoracicbreathing. In thoracicbreathing,airispulledintotheupperpartofthelungs.Asthenamesuggests,thoracicbreathingcomesfromtheaccessorybreathing

muscles in the upper chest and rib cage rather than the diaphragm. Thoracicbreathing is shallower and faster than abdominalbreathing, andoften includesactive or forced exhalation. The passive relaxation of the diaphragm isaccompaniedbyactivecontractionofadditionalmuscles that forces theairoutof the lungs, rather than simply allowing the diaphragm to relax, as duringabdominal breathing. In otherwords, in thoracic breathing,we are contractingmusclestoexhale,ratherthanjustallowingacontractedmuscletorelax.

Exercise1LEARNHOWYOUBREATHE

Toexperiencethesetwostylesofbreathing,trythisexercise:Placeonehandonyourbellyand theotherhandonyourheart.Nowtakeadeepbreath.Didyoufeelyourribcageelevateandexpand?Thatis thoracicbreathing(exaggerated,ofcourse,bythedeepinhalation).Nowtakeinadeepbreathbutconcentrateonnot moving your rib cage. Instead, slightly push your stomach out into your

hand.Trytobreathesothatthehandplacedoveryourheartdoesnotmove.Thisisabdominalbreathing.Repeat thisafewtimes,exploringthesubtletiesof themusclegroupsworking,untilyoucanfeelthedifference.

THESCIENCEOFTHEBREATH

When we are physically and mentally healthy, these two styles of breathingworktogether.Whenthebody’smetabolicdemandsrequireanimmediateshort-termenergyboost,thoracicbreathingsupportsthisincrease.Thoracicbreathingis not necessarily unhealthy; it is just less efficient. When we are at rest,abdominal breathing is more efficient than thoracic breathing. It is slower,deeper,andmorecalming to thebodyandmind,which intuitively leads to thefeelingthatabdominalbreathingmusthavepositive,cumulativehealtheffects.Just as abdominal breathing can have a long-term beneficial effect on the

body,theabsenceofabdominalbreathingmayindicateanabsenceofhealthorthepresenceofamedicalcondition.Indeed,medicalresearchshowsthatpeoplewho are ill takemore thoracic breaths evenwhen at rest than peoplewho arehealthy.4 Somemedical conditions, such as heart disease, asthma, cancer, andcysticfibrosis,areassociatedwithhigherbreathingrates—patientsbreathingintwotothreetimesmoreairinaminutethanhealthypeople.5Excessivethoracicbreathing is not uncommon; in fact, surveys suggest that 60 percent ofambulance runs in major US cities were to provide medical care for personssuffering from symptoms directly related to “overbreathing,”6 also calledhyperventilation.Oxygenintheblood.Whataretheeffectsofthoracicbreathingwhenweareat

rest—inotherwords,breathinginexcessofthemetabolicdemandsofthebody?Whenweoverusetheaccessorybreathingmuscles—themusclesintheshouldergirdleaswellasthechestwall—aswedowhenweengageinthoracicbreathing,theupperlungsquicklyfillwithair.However,oxygenexchangeislessefficientin the upper lungs. The lower lungs are six to seven times more efficient atexchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide, due to gravity, which pulls the bloodsupplyintothelowerlungs,givingmoretimeforoxygenandcarbondioxidetoexchange. Thus, breathing with the upper lungs provides the body with lessoxygenthanbreathingwiththelowerlungs.7Carbon dioxide in the blood. However, less oxygen in the blood is not the

onlyissue;lesscarbondioxideinthebloodisalsoproblematic.Carbondioxideisnecessaryforoxygentobereleasedwithinthebloodstream,anditisalsoanimportantvasodilator;itopensthebloodvesselssothatbloodcanflowthrough.

Additionally,alackofcarbondioxidecausesthesmoothmuscleinthedigestivetract and connective tissue to contract, which restricts blood flow.8When theblood vessels constrict, the blood is unable to carry the necessary amount ofoxygentotheorgansandbrain,andtheheartalsohastoworkhardertocirculatebloodthroughoutthebody.Whenwebreathetooshallowlyandtoorapidly,suchaswhenwebreathethoracicallyatrest,carbondioxideisexhaledfasterthanitisproduced,andcarbondioxidelevelsintheblooddecrease.Eventhoughitseemslikewearegettingmoreoxygenintoourbodieswhenwebreatherapidly,wearenot.Breathingthoracicallyatrestdecreasescarbondioxidelevels in theblood,which in turn deprives the tissues of the body, including the organs and thebrain,ofoxygen.9pHbalance in thebody.And there ismorescientificevidence that links the

effectsofbreathingtoourhealthandwellness.ToolittlecarbondioxideinthebloodresultsinahigherbloodpH,increasingbloodpHfrom7.4to7.5.10Thiscan lead to a medical condition called respiratory alkalosis. Respiratoryalkalosismay sound like a complicated disorder, butwe can understand it byrelatingit towhatweknowaboutsystemsinbalance.Whenasystem,suchasgroundwater,becomeseithertoobasic(alkaline)ortooacidicsuchthatitspHisnotinequilibrium,itbecomesunhealthy,anditsabilitytosustainlifebecomescompromised.Thesame is trueof theblood. IfbloodpH isoutofbalance, inthiscasetooalkaline,thatimbalancespreadsthroughoutthebody.Theblood’sability to sustainourbody’soverallhealthbecomescompromised.Respiratoryalkalosisisassociatedwithmanychronichealthconditions,andcanbeanearlyorintermediateindicatorofcardiacandpulmonarydisorders,diseasesthataffecttheheartandlungs.Cell function. Additionally, the cells in our bodies behave differently

dependingonhowmuchoxygenisavailabletothem.Somedoctorsandmedicalresearchers believe that reduced cell oxygenation is the driving force behindmanychronicdiseases.Cellhypoxiaisadisorderinwhichcellsaredeprivedofoxygen, and some research shows that cell hypoxia encourages the growth ofcanceroustumors.11Also,whenthecellsintheheart-muscletissuesaredeprivedof oxygen, this results in heart problems and a painful heart condition calledangina agony. Other diseases, such as diabetes,12 cystic fibrosis,13 asthma,14bronchitis,15 osteoporosis,16 and gastrointestinal disorders,17 are all associatedwithlowamountsofoxygeninthebrainorotherbodilyorgans.Deep abdominal breathing promotes full exchange of oxygen for carbon

dioxide.An importantpoint tobe awareof is that theworddeep refers to thedepthofbreathinthelungs.Researchshowsthatthistypeofbreathingcanslowtheheartbeatandlowerorstabilizebloodpressure.18Alowerrestingheartrate

andlowbloodpressurearegeneralsignsofgoodhealth.

THEBREATH,WINDENERGY,ANDWELL-BEING

The breath is not only a source of support for the physical body; it is also asupportformental,emotional,andspiritualwell-being.Themental,emotional,and spiritual aspects of the breath are easily understood in the context oftraditionalTibetanlanguageandphilosophy,wheretheairelementiscentraltoalloflife—includingallofourphysical,mental,andspiritualexperiences.In theTibetanBuddhist teachings, theelementofairand thebreathare tied

together through the word lung (Tib. rlung), which is embedded with severallayersofmeaning.Lungdescribesnotonlythebreath,themovementofairwecallwind,andthebasicatmospherearoundus,butithastheadditionalmeaningof“windenergy.”FromthepointofviewofTibetanmedicine,physiology,andthepracticeofmeditation,thephysicalbodyispermeatedbyfivetypesofwindenergy, which support the body’s most basic functions, such as circulation,digestion,andexcretion.Therefore,accordingtoTibetanmedicine,thebreathispartofanintricatesystemofwindenergythatregulatesandsupportsthebody’shealth. For this reason, we often use the words breath and wind energyinterchangeably. However, while the breath is one form of wind energy,referring to wind energy speaks to our entire bodily system, and all of itsphysical, mental, and emotional components. Tibetan medicine tells us thatwhen all thewind energy is in balance, all of the body’s basic systemsworkefficientlyandwefeelhealthy.Althoughtherearesomedifferencesinthestyleofexplanation,theresultsof

imbalancedwindenergyareverysimilar to theexplanationsgivenbyWesternmedical science. From the point of view ofTibetanmedicine and physiology,whenwindenergybecomestooexcessiveandbuildsupintheupperpartofthelungs, asoccursduring thoracicbreathing, thiscan result inaconditioncallednying lung (Tib. snying rlung), literally “heart-wind.” When we experiencenyinglung,thewindenergyintheregionaroundtheheartandlungshasbecometoostrongandtooagitated.Heart-windhasmentalandemotionaleffectsaswellasphysicalones.When

weexperienceheart-wind,theregionaroundtheheartcanfeelagitatedandfiery,especially inside the rib cage, making us feel impulsive, agitated, and short-tempered. The excessive energy of heart-wind canmanifest in differentways.The agitation andvolatilityof heart-wind can lead to anxiety and restlessness.Or, if experienced over a long period of time, the chest and lungs can feel

energeticallyheavyandmaycausefeelingsofdepression.Themanifestationofheart-winddependsonthetemperamentanddispositionoftheperson,aswellaswhatthesensationofheart-windfeelslikeinthebody.Tibetan medicine sees heart-wind as the basis for all kinds of systemic

imbalances. In termsof our bodily health, themedical tantras state that it is asource of pulmonary and cardiac disorders such as high blood pressure, heartdisease,andheartattack.According to our Tibetan tradition, heart-wind does not only result from

habitual breathing patterns. Extreme emotional states, such as rage or despair,can produce heart-wind. These strong emotions can raise the level of windenergyintheupperpartofthechest,andresultinanimmediate,severephysicalandemotionalreactionsuchasaheartattackorsuicidalthoughts.Heart-windisa condition that can be calmed through taking traditional Tibetan herbalmedicine in conjunctionwith breath practices such as are taught in chapters 4through7ofthisbook,tocorrectthevoluntarybreathingpattern.

WindEnergyandtheEmotionsWemaythinkofthebreathassomethingthatissimplyrelatedtotheexchangeofoxygenandcarbondioxideandthatkeepsusalive.However,windenergynotonly supports our ordinary bodily systems but it also quite literally drives ouremotions. Thus, it is more than simply the experience of inhalation andexhalation.Windenergyisalsothephysicalrushofenergythataccompaniesallofourfeelingsandsensations.Ifweexaminethebodyandmindcarefully,wenotice a connection between the breath and howwe feel.When the breath iscalmandrelaxed,wenoticethatthebody’senergyisalsocalm,especiallyintheareasoftheabdomen,lungs,andchest.Asaresult,themindbecomesclearandwe feel relaxed and even-tempered.We feel that we can take things as theycomeandthatwearecapableofdealingwithwhateverlifebringsus.On the other hand,whenwe are emotionally upset,wemay notice thatwe

breatheharderandfaster,orthatweareunabletoinhaledeeplyandexhalefully.Wenoticeasenseofpain,heaviness,ordullnessintheabdomenandchestarea,oreventhroughoutthewholebody,andthatthemindisagitatedbythoughtsoroverpowered by emotion. This overpowering energy manifests in all sorts ofneuroticways,suchasdepression,obsession, fearof intimacy, fearof trust,orfeelingsofgrandiosityorinadequacy.Researchhasassociatedbreathingpatternswithspecificemotionalstates—andithasalsoshownthatwecaninfluenceouremotionsby thewaywebreathe.19 Inaddition,Westernmedicineconnectsour

psychologicalstatewithrespiratoryalkalosis.Respiratoryalkalosisisassociatedwith a lower pain threshold,20 with feelings of discomfort and agitation,21 andwith imbalances such as anxiety and fatigue—all the result of less efficientoxygen delivery to the tissues and organs, including the brain. Some researchstates that dysfunctional breathing is as high as 5 to 11 percent in the generalpopulation,30percent inasthmatics, andup to83percent in thosewhosufferfromanxiety.22Whenputtingthingsinthecontextofwindenergy,alloftheseemotionsare

simplyanexpressionof imbalancedwindenergy.However,eventhoughallofthese states of mind are a sign of unbalanced wind energy, they feel verydifferent.And though the experiences of neuroticmind, energy, and emotionscanappearandfeelverydifferentfromonetotheother,ineverysinglecasethemindcanbethoroughlypacifiedandcalmedthroughworkingwiththebreath.Ofcourse,changewillnothappenimmediately.Butgenerallyspeaking,over

alongperiodoftime,workingwiththebreathiseffectiveatcuttingthroughalltypesofneurotictendencies,becauseitbringsthewindenergyintobalance.Asthe wind energy is brought into balance and becomes more stable, neurotictendencieslessenandevenbegintodisappear.In theTibetanBuddhist tradition,we call this style of practicewind energy

training, or the purification of wind energy. We call the broad tradition ofpurifying andworkingwith thewind energyYantra Yoga. Some traditions ofYantraYogaalsoincludecomplementaryasanas,orphysicalposesandpostures.While these asanas cannot be practiced by everyone, since every person hasdifferentphysicalcapabilities,windenergytrainingcanbepracticedbyanyone,atanymoment,regardlessofageorphysicalcondition.Much researchhasbeendone to show thatworkingwith thebreathbenefits

not only our physical health but also our mental and emotional well-being.Tibetan Buddhismwould also add to these the aspect of spiritual well-being.This research clearly shows that working with the breath balances the twocomponents of the autonomic nervous system by enhancing parasympatheticnervousactivity(enablingbodyandmindtorelax)anddecreasingsympatheticnervousactivity(whichcausesthebodytofeelanxiousoroverlyalert).Italsoimprovesrespiratoryandcardiovascularfunction,decreasesthenegativeeffectsof stress and the production of stress hormones, and improves physical andmentalhealth.23

TheHolisticNatureoftheElements

Onamacroscale,theairelementisvitaltothelifeofallbeingsintheuniverse.On a human scale, air is also vital to themanifestation of the ordinaryworldaroundus.Theatmosphereandtheenvironmentaroundusmirror thewaythatwindenergysupportsourownphysical,emotional,andspirituallife.Weatherchangesare related to themovementsofwarmandcoldairmasses

calledfronts.AccordingtoWesternscience,thetiltintheearth’saxisasitorbitsthesuncausesdifferentpartsoftheworldtoreceivemoreheat,whichmanifestsas the four seasons. The movement of warm air brings spring to the worldaround us, causing the environment to bloom full of color. Rain andthunderstorms, hot and cold temperatures, the falling of snow, and extremeweathersuchasblizzards, tornadoes,andhurricanesarealldisturbancesof theairelement.Andjustasnaturaldisastersoccurwhenthereisstrongagitationintheair,so

itisinthemindsofhumans.Thisissimplythelawofnature.Imbalancebringstheopportunityforgreatdestruction.Windenergyhasthesamerelationshiptoourmentalandemotionalenergyasitdoestotheenvironmentandatmosphere.Whenthewindenergyiswild,agitated,orimbalanced,itmanifestsasphysicalillnessinthebodyorasmentalsuffering,neurosis,oranyotherextremestateinthemind.Wealsoknowthatwhentheairelementisharmonious,calm,andinbalance,

wetendtofeelhappy.Whenthesunisshining,theweatheriswarm,andtheairiscalm,lifefeelsabundant,andwefeelcomfortable.Harmonyintheelementsmakesiteasytofeelgood.One additional piece of information will help us understand how truly

powerfulwindenergy training is.From thepointofviewofTibetanBuddhistphilosophy, each of the elements itself is holistic. This means that the airelementisnotseparatefromtheothers;rather,itincludesthem.Theairelementcontainsaspectsofwater,earth,fire,andspace,justasalloftheotherelementseach contain an aspect of air. So when we work with any one of the fiveelements, we work with all of them. For example, the air element in theatmospherehasaspectsofwarmthorcold(fire),ofmoistureordryness(water),of lightness or density (earth), and of expansiveness or contraction (space).Therefore,whenthereisanimbalanceinthewind,alloftheelementswillfalloutofbalance.Iftheairelementbecomesdominant,thentheaspectsofwater,earth, fire, and space will become weak or unstable. As a result, when oneelementisoutofbalance,anentiresystembecomesunstable,suchasinthecaseoftheatmospherebeingdisruptedbyahurricaneortornado.Ontheotherhand,when each element is balanced, the whole system is balanced—just like a

beautifulspringday.Whenwebalancethewindenergy,webringstabilitytothesystems of body and mind. And this is how wind energy training results inphysical,emotional,andspiritualwell-being.

HOWBREATHOFFERSPEACEOFMIND

Wehaveshownhowbreathisthemainsupportforlife.Wehavealsoexplainedwhy training in thebreath is theessentialmethod forachievingpeaceofmindforoneself,whichenablesus tohelpandsupport thosearoundus.Finally,wehavesaidthatitisthroughtraininginwindenergythatwecanhealandreleaseallphysicalandmentalsufferingcompletely.Ultimately, this is theexperienceofwisdom, or realization. It is said in theBuddhist teachings that there is nohumanbeingwhodoesnotwishforhappiness,butamongallthosebeingswhoarewishing for happiness, it is extremely rare tomeet a personwho actuallyknowshowtofindit.Workingwithwindenergygivesustheopportunitytofindauthentichappinessdayandnight.FromthepointofviewoftheBuddhistscriptures,anordinaryhealthybeing

takesabout21,600breathsinatwenty-four-hourperiod.Westernmedicinealsosays that the average number of breaths per day is around 21,000.24 If wepracticemindfulnessandappreciatetraininginthebreath,wehaveanincrediblenumber of opportunities to balance the body and mind every day. When werecognizetheopportunitythattraininginthebreathprovides,wegiveourselvesagift:theopportunitytotranscendordinarysuffering.Workingwith the breath provides uswith a unique opportunity for healing

because the breath is something that iswith us all the time, everymoment. Itdoesnotmatterwhetherweareawakeorasleep,workingorsitting,lyingdownor doing something active—the opportunity to train in and bemindful of thebreathisalwayswithus.In the Tibetan tradition, not only spiritual realization but other mystical

accomplishments such as perpetual youth and extreme longevity arise fromtraininginwindenergy.FromthepointofviewofTibetanBuddhism,ifwetraindiligentlyinthewindenergyuntilourpracticebecomesstableandwelearnhowtocalmandpurifyanyagitationthatarises,thiscanlessensymptomsofphysicalillness, and our lifespanwill naturally increase. Also, becausewe are healthyboth inside and out, the color and appearance of our complexion can becomeyouthful and glowing. When we are mentally and emotionally balanced andhealthy,itshows.Usually, when we think about how to make ourselves happy, we seek

something on the outside, an external object or event.We look for somethingthatwe thinkwill complete us; “If I only had ‘this’ Iwould feel better.”Butwhenwetraininwindenergy,wedonotneedtolookforanythingoutsideofus.Wedonotneedtogotothestoreandbuyanythingtomakeourselvesfeellessempty,lacking,orunhappy.Wedonotneedtoturnonourlaptops,televisions,orvideogamestodistractusfromhowwefeel,becauseweareabletoinfluenceourown senseofphysical, emotional, and spiritualbalanceat anymomentbyworkingwiththebreath.Thebreathissomethingthatisreadilyavailabletoussimplybecausewearehumanbeings.Wedonotneedanythingelsetoqualify.Howmarvelous!

FindingStabilityinWindEnergyTrainingWhatdoesitmeantogainstabilityinwindenergytraining?Someonewhohasachievedstableandbalancedwindenergy issomeonewhohasasteadfastandeven-temperedmentalstate.Althoughsteady,thatpersonisnotstubborn.Theyarementallyflexible,patient,andnoteasilydisturbedoragitated—likea largebodyofwaterwithout a lot ofmovementon the surface.Notonlywould thatperson’s mental state be pliant and balanced but they would also be calm,relaxed,andhealthy.How many of us can describe ourselves this way? Be honest. We like to

projecta senseofconfidenceandwell-being toothers.Andwhenweperceiveothers,wehavethetendencytothinkthattheyarehappier,moreconfident,andlessneuroticandagitated thanweare.However,whenwehonestlyassessourownstateofmind,mostofushavethetendencytobeemotionallyimbalancedinonewayoranother,whetherthattendencymanifestsasbeingsharp-tonguedandimpatient,withdrawn,orgenerallydissatisfiedandskeptical.Wheneverthemindis dominated or overwhelmed by a particularly strong pattern of thoughts oremotions,manydifferentkindsofphysicalandmentalsufferingsensue.Forexample,someofusexperienceimbalanceasthetendencyforworryand

anxiety. Our wind energy is so consistently unstable that we have becomeaccustomedtothefeelingofinstability.Themomentwefeelcalminthemind,ourwindenergyimmediatelybecomesunbalancedagainandmanifestsasworryand anxiety. We all know people who have this tendency, or we have thistendencyourselves:it’sasifwesimplyneedsomethingtoworryabout.Wemaythink toourselves, “I don’t have any reason tobeworried about this,”butwefind we are unable to stop. The reason we are unable to stop these mentalpatternsisthatwehavebecomecomfortablewith,andinsomecasesaddictedto,

the feelingof elemental instability, ofunstablewindenergy.At times,wecanfeelfrightenedorhesitanttogobeyondourordinarymodeofbeing.

WhyWindEnergyTrainingIsforEveryoneBasedoneverythingwehavelearnedsofar,then,itseemsthattraininginwindenergyandattempting tobalance theelementswithin thephysicalbody isnotsomething thatonlyBuddhists should focuson.Western scienceandBuddhistphilosophy agree that calm, relaxedbreathingmakesus healthier.Because thebreath is suchanexcellentandabundant support for lifeandvitality foreverybeingon theplanet, everyonecanbenefit from training in thebreath,workingwiththeinhalationandexhalation.

THEPOSITIVERESULTSOFPRACTICE

Oneof thepositiveeffectsofwindenergy training is that thenumberof timesweneedtobreatheinonedaylessens.Wemaynoticethiswhenwesitdowntomeditate often and becomemindful of the breath; there will be gaps of timewhere we do not need to breathe. In the case of accomplished or realizedpractitionerswho have trained in any style of breath practice from one of thetraditionsofAsia, includingQigong,TaiChi,andYantraYoga, thenumberofbreaths taken inonehourcanbecomevery few.The resultof suchpractice isclarityandpeaceofmind,andunshakablephysicalhealth.Whyisthis?Westernmedicineanswersthisquestioninpartbynotingthatillpeopleneed

tobreathemoreoften thanhealthyones.25However, thisdoesnotexplainwhybreathinglessoftenalsobenefitsourmentalandemotionalhealth.TheTibetantraditionoftenusesmetaphorstoexplainsuchcomplexorintuitiveideas,whichcan be difficult to understand through more direct means. In this case, if wecomparetheenergyofthephysicalbodytoabodyofwater,thenwecanaccessthelogicbehindthisstatement.Each time a gust of wind blows over the ocean, ripples and waves cause

movementandagitationonthewater’ssurface.However,whentheairiscalm,soisthewater.Itisjustsowiththemind.Themoreoftenwebreathe,themoreagitatedtheenergyofbodyandmindbecomes.Bybreathinglessfrequently,webegin toachieveelementalharmony.This isexactlyhowit is, in thecaseofagreat yogi—as the number of breaths in a minute, an hour, a day begins tolessen, thewindenergybecomes increasingly stable andbalanced.Feelingsof

extrememental sufferingbecome less and less over time, somuch so that thepotential exists for these feelings to completely disappear. This is oneway ofdescribing the experience of realization, whichwill be exploredmore in laterchapters.Additionally,fromthepointofviewoftheTibetanBuddhistteachings,there

are424classesofillnessthatcanariseinthebody.Accordingtotheseteachings,becauseof the lesseningof thenumberofbreaths, thewindenergywithin thebodybecomesmorestable,moreevenandrelaxed,andthisreleasesallclassesofillnessesfromthephysicalbodyaswell.Throughout history, themajority of the great yogis in theworld, nomatter

what other practice they were training in, accompanied their practice with anaspectofwindenergytraining,orbreathyoga.Althoughthespecifictechniquesofbreathyogausedbytheseyogismayhavebeendifferent, theyeachhadthecommon result of self-healing the body and mind and the achievement oflongevity.Theirlivesimplythatthequalitiesofphysicalandmentalwell-beingaredirectlyconnectedtowindenergytraining.Of course, we may not all be able to attain the realization of a buddha or

becomeagreatsageinthislifetime,butwindenergytrainingcanstillbenefitustremendously.Wind energy training not only results in extraordinary wisdomand realization, as described above, but it also results in ordinary worldlywisdom.Whenwehavethequalitiesofcalmandrelaxationinbody,speech,andmind,weareabletoaccomplishmore,andwithbetter-designedplans.Wemakeclear and thoughtful decisions and have more harmonious relationships. Weavoiddoingthingsthatareatoddswithourpersonalgoalsandintegrity,anddonot sabotage our own growth. We avoid making impulsive decisions, orspeakingimpulsivewords,oneswemayregretlater.Whenwelackchaosontheinside,theworldoutsidereflectsoursenseofinnerharmony.Ifwetraininwindenergy,eachofushastheabilitybothtodiscoveramore

joyfullifehereandnowand,ultimately,tocultivatewisdom.

2

WorkingwithBreathandNeuroticMind

THEMIND’SFUNDAMENTALnatureisnotneuroticandemotionallyafflicted.Itisoflimitlesskindnessandcompassion.However,becausewehavebecomesousedtotheexperienceofmentalandemotionalinstability,werarelycatchaglimpseof this fundamental nature. In this chapter we will get a sense of how ourhabitualandunexaminedpatternsofthoughtaredirectlylinkedtoourbreathing,anddriveourreactionsinlife,leadingtohappinessorunhappiness.Wewillalsolearnabouthowwindenergyinfluencesourstateofmindmomentbymoment.

SELF-ATTACHMENTANDSELF-ACCEPTANCE

FromthepointofviewofthegeneralBuddhistteachings,thebasisforneuroticmind, or the dualisticmind that is overpowered by emotions and thoughts, isself-attachment.Itcanalsobecalledself-cherishing.Wemayfeelthatthewordneurosisonlyappliestoextremeemotionsandthoughtpatterns.However,fromthepointofviewofTibetanBuddhism,neurosisisanytraceofself-attachmentorafflictiveemotion.Untilwecompletelyrealizethenatureofwisdom,weallpossessneuroticmind.Trueawarenessofourownself-attachmentandself-cherishingiselusive.We

oftendonotfeellikeweloveourselvesatall.Infact,manyofusfeelwedonoteven like ourselves. We may be inclined to self-deprecation, insecurity, andfeeling that we are never good enough. However, feelings of insecurity andundervaluing ourselves like this can be self-attachment in disguise. In otherwords,theycancauseustoturninwardandbefocusedonourselves,ratherthanfocusing on supporting others and the greater community. This lack ofconfidenceanddisparagingofourselvescanmakeusemotionallyandspirituallyunavailable;webecomeisolatedanddistantfromourfriendsandfamily,failing

toofferthemsupportintheirtimeofneed.Because these feelings are so prevalentwithin our culture, the idea of self-

acceptance has come to the forefront of emotional and spiritual healing. Andself-acceptance,when it isnotself-attachment indisguise, isalsoan importantpart of theBuddhist teachings.Accepting ourselves forwho andwhatwe areright now helps us make changes in our lives; we can understand both ourcapabilitiesandourlimitationsandultimatelytranscendthem.Wecanletgoofthe past and focus onwhatwe are doing right now.With an attitude of self-acceptance,wecanforgiveourselvesformistakesmadeinthepastandthepartweplayedinthosesituations.Often,we focuson“what iswrongwithus,”but true self-acceptance isnot

just about accepting our shortcomings. All human beings possess manywonderfulqualitiesaswell.From thepointofviewof theBuddhist teachings,weallhavetheabilitytobelovingandcompassionate.Weallhavetheabilitytochange and improve on the qualities and abilities we have now. We are allworthyoftheloveandaffectionofothers.Thisispartofourunderlyingnature,whichtheBuddhistteachingsdescribeas“basicgoodness.”Thisbasicallygoodnatureissomethingthatallbeingspossesssimplyasaresultofbeingalive.TheBuddhist teachings give the example that even terrifying, carnivorous animalssuchaslionsandtigersarebasicallygood,becausetheycareforandwouldevengivetheirlivesfortheiroffspring.The Buddhist teachings also state that we all have what is called Buddha

Nature.BuddhaNatureissomethingthatdwellswithinallofus:itisthemind’spotential to express wisdom.Wisdom here refers not only to the qualities ofworldlyintelligenceandknowledgethatmakeusadeptandsuccessfulatdealingwithlife’sproblems,butitalsoreferstoanondual,altruisticstateofmindthatisnotlimitedinanyway.Suchamentalstateisdifficulttoimaginebecauseit iscompletelybeyondourordinaryexperience.But from thepointofviewof theBuddhistteachings,wedonotneedtodoanythingtopossessthisquality.Likebasic goodness, Buddha Nature is something we have inside of us naturally,simplybecausewearealive.

STATEOFMINDISANEXPRESSIONOFTHEBREATH

We have a tendency to think that what we see in the world outside of us isactually,objectivelyreal.Buttheworldthatweseeoutsideofusisareflectionofourownminds.Wemayquestionthetruthofthisstatement,butitdoesmakesense when we reflect on our past experiences. In hindsight, we realize that

different choices were available to us, even though we could not see thosechoicesthen.Asthesayinggoes,“IfIhadknownthenwhatIknownow....”Wehave all reflectedon thepast in thisway, and this normal thoughtpatternthatwe all engage in demonstrates that our experiences are indeed subjective,not objective. Everything that we experience is colored by the mental ideas,filters,perceptions,andbeliefsthatwehaveatanygivenmoment.Althoughwemayhavebriefmomentsofcalmnessandclarity,thegreatmajorityofourtimeisspentreactingtosituationsandpeoplearoundusbasedonhowwefeel.IntheTibetanBuddhisttradition,itistaughtthathowwefeelandourmentalstatearedirectlyrelatedtohowwebreathe,andthequalityofourwindenergy.Logically speaking, this connection between our state of mind and our

breathingseemstoholdsomemerit.Mostofusareawarethatwhenthebreathisrelaxed,themindandtemperamentarerelaxed.Buthowdoesthewindenergypush thosedeep thoughts andemotions to the surface?As it turnsout,wearemuchmorefamiliarwiththisphenomenonthanwemightexpect.One examplemanyof us are familiarwith is the strongurge to act out our

emotionswhenweareupset.ThroughthelensofTibetanBuddhistphilosophy,this is a direct result of unstable wind energy. For example, when we feelagitated,angry,or impatient,hotwindenergyarisesandgathersbelow the ribcage around the heart; we often express anger at whoever is in front of us,regardlessofwhetherthatpersonisconnectedtohowwefeelatall.Weblurtoutmore thanwemean to saybecause this accumulatedwindenergy inourchestmakesus incapableofkeepingour feelings insideandmakingdecisionsaboutwhatwewouldliketocommunicate.Likewise,whensadnessanddespairarise,we can become overwhelmed. We start to feel numb and disconnected fromothersorourselves,evenfailingtotakecareofourbasicneeds.Thefeelingofanxiety, or mental obsession, is also fueled by wind energy. When we areovercomeby this expression ofwind energy,wemay feel thatwe need to dosomething,anything,nomatterwhat it is.Asaresult,weoftenmakerashandimpulsivedecisions thatwe later regret. In these cases, imbalance in thewindenergy leads to an imbalance in the mind, which manifests as imbalance inourselves,ourenvironment,andourrelationships.Theouterisareflectionoftheinner.So-called “high” wind energy—which occurs when wind energy builds up

high in thechest insteadofdwellingdeepwithin theabdomenandbelly—canalso cause us to perpetuate self-destructive patterns. We may know that badthings happen when we act in a certain way. We may want to avoid thesenegativeoutcomes,andevenanticipatehowemotionallyunmanageableourliveswillbecomeifwecreateachaoticsituation.Yet,agitatedwindenergyfuelsour

thoughts, driving us until we act out on our impulses and create the exactsituation in our lives that we wish to avoid. It seems like we cannot helpourselves. Propelled by the power of the wind energy, we feel powerless tochange.

WORKINGTHROUGHRESISTANCE

While self-acceptance isharmoniouswith spiritualprinciples, againwe shouldnot confuse thiswith self-attachment. Self-attachment reflects the attitude thatwearesufficientasweare;accordingly,itgeneratesthefundamentalbeliefthatweneednotchange.Thisoppositiontochangecan,andoftendoes,comeunderthe guise of self-acceptance. However, having patience, tolerance, andcompassion toward ourselves is not the same thing as believing that we areperfect just as we are. Our resistance to change is not just a mental andemotionalhabit.Itisalsotiedtoourwindenergyandhowwebreathe,sinceourbreathingpatternsarealsohabituatedandrespondtoinnerandouterstimuli.Wecanstart toseemoreclearlyhowbalancingthewindenergycreatesbalanceinthebodyandmind,whichthenmanifestsasbalanceinourdailylives.

AvoidingaLifeofDisharmonyIn theWest,our senseof individualismmakes it seem that it isbetter togo italoneinmanysituations.Wemayfeelsuffocatedbytheideaofconformingtothewishesofothers,andthatothersshouldacceptusforwhoweare,justasweare.Whenwehave conflictwithothers,we are oftenunwilling to look in themirror and seewhat partwe have played. TheBuddhist teachings tell us thatlisteningtoothers,respondingtotheir thoughtsandfeelings,andbeingwillingtoaccept responsibility rather thanblamingotherscreatesasenseof innerandouter harmony. However, in theWest, the value placed on individualism andutilitarianismteachesusthattofocusonourowndesiresisparamount,andwemust dowhatever is necessary to achieve the desired end. This self-importantfocusbringsimbalancetobothourinnerandourouterlives.How does this imbalance show up in our lives?Whenwemake a habit of

consideringourselvesfirstandfocusingonourownwants,needs,andfeelings,we often act alone.At times,we disregard or ignore thewishes and needs ofothers to better carry outwhatwewant. This can cause us to feel lonely andisolated.Thissame tendencyofputtingourownwishesbeforeotherscanalso

express itself asunwillingness to compromise, damagingour relationships anddividingusfromothers.Inotherwords,theimbalanceontheinsidethatarisesfromfocusingsomuchonourownneedsandself-attachmentmanifestsontheoutsideasalackofcommunityandconnection.Despitethis,wemaygenuinelyfeel justified in not changing a bit. Although we may feel justified in doingthingsourownway,therealquestionis:does“beingright”—thatis,makingupourmindsandstickingwiththatdecision—makeushappy?When we first take up the Buddhist path, one of the first instructions we

receiveistoreflectonhowwearelikeothers.Thiscanbedifficulttoappreciate.After all,muchofWesternculturenotonly focusesondifferences, it shinesaspotlight on them.Noting differences can bewonderful tools for eliciting ourtalentsanduniqueideas,butasenseofharmonyandthehumanitywesharewithothersmaybelost.Itcanbedifficulttolookatothersandimaginethattheyhaveanyofthesamethoughtsandfeelingsthatwehave.Manyofussufferfromthefeelingthatnooneintheworldcanunderstandourexperience,becauseitissounique.Cultivatingempathyisfarmorechallengingwithoutfirstbelieving—orseeing—thatweareeachessentiallythesameasallotherbeings.We are allmore alike thanwe thinkwe are, even if, person by person,we

have very specific differences.Despite the differenceswe have in personality,culture, gender, education, and socioeconomic status, Mahayana Buddhismteaches thatallbeingsequallywish tobehappyand tobe free fromsuffering.So, at themost fundamental level,we have something in commonwith everylivingcreatureintheuniverse.Reflectingonthishelpsuscreaterelationshipandbalance—cuttingthroughourownfeelingsofbeingtoospecialanddifferenttobeunderstood,feelingsthatdivideandisolateusfromothers.Whenwetakeupaspiritualwayoflife,lookingtocreatebalancebothinthe

mindandintheenvironmentaroundus,wemustcultivatetheattitudeofbeingwilling to change; to work with ourselves, others around us, and ourenvironment.Manyofusbelievewearewillingtochange.Butwhenconfrontedwithapainfulordifficultsituation,werevertbacktoourdeeplyrootedpatternsand justification in being who we are. We even think to ourselves, “There’snothingIcando.That’s justhowIam.”Wefeel that“howweare” isbeyondourcontrol.Deeply ingrained in themind, this isoneof the strongest rootsofWestern neurosis.We feel that we do not need to change, or that we cannotchange, even though we know that our inability to change is making usmiserable.Thetruthiswehavecherishedourselvessomuch,wearesoattachedto thewaywe are, despitewhether or not itmakes us happy, thatwe do notknowhowtochange.Wefeelpowerless.

BecomingFlexibleThere are many reasons that we hold on to the belief that we are unable tochange,orneednot change.Change terrifiesus.We fear facing theunknown.Ourmindswillfillintheblanksforus,creatingdreadfulscenarios.Weareoftenunhappyanddissatisfiedwithourownlives,butwepreferthesecurityofwhatwe have now to what we might have if we make a change. Often our well-meaning thoughtsofself-acceptancebecomeaforceofstagnation,ofavoidingchange, and of rationalizing why we should keep on doing things just as wehave.Whenwe are too attached to thewaywe are,wemake ourselves rigid and

uncompromising.Whenwelackflexibility,weareunabletorespondtopeopleand situations around us and to shed the unhealthy habits that cause oursuffering. Wind energy training is a tool we can implement to cultivateflexibility. We become more able to respond in a balanced, thoughtful, anddeliberatemannerineachandeverysituation.Whenwedrawuponwindenergytraininganddevelopawarenessofourrespiratorypatterns,wecaninfluenceandeven change them over time, bringing physical, emotional, and mentaltransformation.Windenergytrainingalsobringsbalanceandrelaxationtobodyandmind.Ifwearewillingtoworkwiththebreathandretrainourmindsaswellashowwebreathe,wewillfindthatfearwillloosenitsdeadlygriponusandwecanfinallyrelax.

RidingtheWindEnergyoftheNeuroticMindInphilosophicalterms,Tibetanscripturesrefertoneuroticmindastheimpureorafflictedmind.Butwithinthecontextofwindenergy,neuroticmindisnotjustcausedbyself-attachment.Themindisalsopropelledbythemovementofwindenergy.TheTibetanlanguagedescribes thisrelationshipbetweenthewindandthemindasthewind-mind(Tib.rlungsems).Thiscompoundworddescribesthewindenergyandtheconceptualmindasalwaysintertwinedandmovingtogether—asingularmotion.Again,ametaphor ishelpful tounderstandhowthemindandthewindworktogether.TheTibetanBuddhistteachingscomparethemindandthebreathtoarideranditsmount.Inthismetaphor,thewindenergyisthemount and themind is the rider. Thismetaphor illustrates how it is thewindenergy thatcarries themindand that influencesandshapes themind’senergy.Thewindenergyistherootofallofourexperience,sinceitprovidesenergyfor

themind’smovement.So,windenergytrainingisapowerfultoolforpurifying,calming, taming, and relaxing the wind energy to impact the expression ofneuroticmind.Manyofusworkhardeveryday todealwith theneuroses thatemergeasa

resultoftheimpurewind-mind.Dealingwithourdifficultiesandunhappinessinthis way, we often look for something (or someone) outside of ourselves toblameforthewaywefeel.Whenwesearchforpeopleandsituationstoblame,wecaneasilyfindmanycircumstancesorpeople in thepastwho,wefeel,didnotmeetourneeds,orteachushealthybehavior,ortreatusinthewaythatwedeserved. But even if these thoughts are true, from the point of view of theBuddhistteachings,analyzingthepastwillnotmoveusbeyondsuffering.Andalthoughwecangetsomerelieffromexpressingouremotions,thesimpleactofexpressingemotionscannotfullyreleaseusfromthebondsofsuffering.Whenwedothis,itisasthoughwearetreatingthesymptomsofadiseaseratherthantheillnessitself.Some schools of modern psychology, such as cognitive therapy, recognize

that looking for outer sources of emotions and emotional moods may not behelpfulatalleviatingmentalandemotionalimbalance.Rather,cognitivetherapyfocusesonthethoughtsthemselvesascreatingourmoods.Similartoinstructiongiveninsomegeneralmeditationtechniques,patientslearntorecognizethatthewaytheyinterpretsituationsaroundthemisbasedonpervasivethoughtpatterns.Because the mind often distorts, interprets, and spins events and situations,cognitivetherapiststeachtheirpatientstorecognizethatwhateverthoughtarisesinthemindisjustathought.Andthoughtsoftendonotreflectreality.1Learningnottograspthoughtsandfeelingssohardandlettinggooflookingforasource—inotherwords,notsearchingforsomethingoutsideofourselvestoblameforourmoodsandfeelings—canalleviatesomeofoursuffering.However,windenergytrainingtakesthepurificationofemotionsandhabitual

thoughtpatternsastepfarther.Effectivewindenergytraining,aswillbetaughtin part 2, works with what is beneath the expression of strong emotions: theimpurewind-mind.Itdealswithwhatisarisingrightnow,atthisverymoment.Afterall,wecanonlydealwithourmindasitiscurrently,inthepresent.Whenwecalmthewind,wecalmthemind.

PURITYANDIMPURITY

Boththepureandtheimpureaspectsofourwindenergyhavebeenwithusrightfromthebeginning.IntheTibetantextsthatdescribethephilosophyofmedicine

andmeditation,thebodyisdescribedashavingnotonlyaphysicalaspect,our“physicalbody,”butalsoanenergeticaspect, the“energybody.”Tibetantextsdescribe the energy body as being a series of channels that are either pure orimpure;inotherwords,theycancarryeitherpurewindenergyorimpurewindenergy.Purityreferstotheaspectofwisdom,andimpurityreferstoneuroticorordinarydualisticmind.Thesympatheticandparasympatheticnervoussystems,thetwoaspectsofthe

autonomic nervous system according to Western medicine, are the closestcomparisonwecandrawtotheTibetanideaofthechannelsthatrunthroughoutthe body. It is not a perfect analogy, because the twomedical systems do seesome aspects of body andmind differently.However, the nervous system hasfunctions that resemble the concept of the channels. For example, like thechannels, the nervous system carries the body’s energy and impulses to thetissuesandorgansindifferentpartsofthebody.Andaswehaveseen,workingwiththebreathcanregulatethesympatheticnervoussystemtoreduceagitationand stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system to invite relaxation. Thebreathbringstheenergyofourentiresystemintobalance.FromthepointofviewofTibetanBuddhistphilosophy,thechannelscarrythe

windenergythroughoutthebodytoallofthetissuesandorgans,includingthebrain.Wetendtoliveinourneuroticmind,which,asexplainedabove,alwayshasatleastsometraceofimpurity,agitation,andimbalance.Becausewetendtobehabituatedtotheimpureaspectofwind-mind,however,itcandominatebothourmind-setandthebody’senergy.Purewind energynaturally resideswithin the body and someof the energy

channels. However, pure wind energy is overpowered and weak because theimpurewindenergyistheprimarytravelerthroughourchannels.Althoughpurewind energy is presentwithin thebody andmind, it cannot express itself.Wecannot see or feel it. So our experience is dominated by the aspect of impurewind-mind.Aswehavealready seen, this impurewindenergy isnotonly thebasis for improper behavioral breathing; it is also perpetuated by improperbreathing.The relationshipbetweenunhealthybreathingand the impurewind-mindisalsoself-perpetuating;ittakesonalifeofitsown.Tibetan Buddhist philosophy also illustrates a strong relationship between

howextremestatesofmindmanifestandhowtheimpurewindmovesthroughtheenergychannels.Whenthechannelsthemselvesareimpure,theyareknottedortwistedratherthanrunningstraightthroughthebody,causingextremetypesofimbalances.TheTantrasstatethatwhenwindenergygetscaughtinthetwistsandturnsofthechannels,ourenergyisvaried,erratic,andunpredictableinthesamewaythataturbulentriverrunsthroughextremetwistsandturns.However,

when a yogi eradicates the very last traces of neurotic mind and realizes thenatureofwisdom,thechannelsareunknotted,untwisted,andunblocked.

KARMAANDWINDENERGY

AnotherwaythattheTibetanBuddhistteachingsdescribeimpurewindenergyiswiththephrasekarmicwind,orlelung(Tib.lasrlung).Theteachingstellusthatin order to tameour neuroticmind,wemust dispel the karmicwind from thelungs,where it generally dwells. This enables us to experience a softer,morenatural typeofbreathcalledwisdom-wind,whichnaturallyabides in theheart.These two names point out two aspects of the wind energy: that which is“karmic” is impure, or related to the aspect of ordinary, conceptualmind; andthatwhichis“wisdom”ispure,orrelatedtotheaspectofwisdomthatishidden,butdwellinginsideofus.Butwhat does it reallymean to describe thewind energy as karmic wind?

First, let’s thinkofwhat our ordinaryunderstandingof karma is.Most peoplehaveasensethatwhattheydowillcomebacktothem—theGoldenRule.Whenwedogoodforothers,wehaveafeelingthatotherswillalsocareforus.Andlikewise,whenweharmothersorcreatechaosinourrelationships,wefeelthat,onewayoranother,ouractionswillcomebacktohauntus.Anotherwayweunderstandkarmaissimilartofate.Inourordinarylanguage,

wecanuse thewordkarma todescribesomethinghappeningoutsideofus,orhappening to us, that we feel we have no control over. When an unpleasantsituationarises,weshrugourshouldersandsay,“That’smykarma,”meaning,“There’s nothing I can do about it.” But this view of karma is limited; forsomeone practicing wind energy training, neither of these is a properunderstandingofhowkarmainteractswiththebody,themind,andthebreath.Everysituation thatmanifests inour livesarises fromcausesandconditions

comingtogetheratthatmomentintime.Thesecausesandconditionsrepresentthe confluenceof amultiplicity of circumstances—people, places, energy, andevents.Wecouldalsosaythattheexperienceswearehavingrightnowaretheinteractionofthekarmawehavealreadyaccumulatedinthepastandthekarmaweareaccumulatinginthepresent.

ThreeTypesofKarmaGenerally speaking, it can be helpful to think about karma in three different

ways. From the point of view of the Buddhist teachings, some karma wasaccumulatedcountlesslifetimesagoandisjustnowripeninginthislife’sbody,speech,andmind.Otherkarmawasaccumulated in thisparticular lifetimeandwillripeninthisorafuturelifetime.Butwearealsoaccumulatingkarmainthisverymoment.This presently accumulatingkarma is basedonour perceptions,responses, andbeliefsaboutallof theexperiences that arecurrentlyappearingbeforeusandhappeningtous.Alltypesofkarma,withoutexception,canbepurifiedbyworkingwithwind

energy training. The purification of karma with wind energy training is likedammingariversoitcannolongerflow.Ofcourse,theeffectsofdammingtaketimetosee;thepurificationofkarmaistheresultofcommitted,long-termwindenergytrainingaswellasthepracticeofmeditationingeneral.

PurifyingKarmicCyclesWhat drives our perceptions, responses, and beliefs? According to TibetanBuddhistphilosophy, thewind-minddoes.Althoughwearenotaccustomed tothinking of our perceptions, responses, and beliefs in this way, they are allshapedandinfluencedbyourpreviouslyaccumulatedkarma.So,thewind-mindcouldbemorepreciselydescribedas the“karmicwind-mind.”This isbecausethewind-mind is constantly expressing karma accrued in the past, and it alsoacts as the mechanism for accumulating karma moment by moment as weinteractwithourresponsesandperceptions.How is it that we accumulate karma? When the karmic wind agitates the

mind, the agitatedmind expresses a strong thought or emotion that we graspontoand respond to.The five rootafflictedstatesofmind,alsocalled the fivepoisons—ignorance, attachmentordesire, anger, pride, and jealousy—all arisemomentbymoment.When,basedonthewind-mind,suchanemotionarisesandthe mind grasps onto it, we accumulate karma in the style of that particularemotion.Forexample,whenwegraspontoorreinforcetheexperienceofgreed,we add energy to that mental and emotional tendency. Our grasping andresponsetothewind-mindislikeanimprint,whichmakestheneurotichabitsofthemind stronger and stronger.Aswe perpetuate this cycle, thewind energybecomesmoreandmoreagitatedandcoarse,andourhabitsbecomestrongerandstronger.Webegintodevelopkarmicpatterns,orrespondinginahabitualwaytothekarmicpatternswehavealreadydevelopedinthepast,whichcontinuetoreinforceandhardenthem.This idea of creating and reinforcing patterns is not foreign to Western

scientific thought. For example, neuromuscular memory, motor learning, andemotionalmemoryalldeveloponthebasisofpatterns. In thesecases,patternsdevelop because our neurons become accustomed to firing in a certain way.Overtime,thisbecomesthepathofleastresistance,likeawell-worntrailinthewoods.Thebehaviorthatreliesuponthesepatternscanbecomeanunconscioushabit.A fewsimple examples:howmanyofus thinkabout thegestureswemake

whiledrivingacar,ortypingonthecomputer.Whenwetrytothinkaboutwhatwearedoing,itbecomeshardertodowhatweordinarilydonaturallyandwithease.Thefact thatourhabitsaresostrong iswhywehave toconsciouslyandeffortfullyworktochangeourhabitualpatterns.Sustainedeffortisessentialformakingachange,becausewehavetocreatenewpatternsandstrongerpathwaystooverrideourestablishedwaysofactingandreacting.Wind energy training is a key tool for overriding these habitual patterns.

Thesepracticesarenot just about relaxing thebodyandmind,andnot simplyaboutbringingtheelementsintobalancesothatwebecomemorephysicallyandemotionally healthy. They are also about purifying karma on a moment-by-momentbasis.Whenweengage inwindenergy training,weareworkingwithourkarmicpatternsanddeeplyingrainedhabits.Althoughitistruethatthereisnothingwecandotostoptheripeningofkarmainourlivesatthismoment,wecanchangeourexperienceofkarmabychangingourstateofmind,whichalsochangesourfuturekarmicpatterns.Thespecificwindenergytrainingtechniquestaughtinchapters4through7canhelpustointerveneinourhabituatedpatternsby introducing abdominal breathing, lowering our respiratory rate, andalleviatingstress.Wecanseethatthisistruebytakingtheexampleoftwodifferentpeoplein

thesamesetofcircumstancesandobservinghowdifferentlytheyexperienceandreacttothatsituation.Forexample,mostpeopleareagitatedbyplacesthatarecrowded,noisy,andbusy,suchasasubwaystation.Webecomeimpatientandfrustrated.Weprefertobeinacalmandrelaxedenvironment,becausetheouterenvironmentmakesiteasiertocalmandrelaxthemind.However,forapersonwhopracticeswindenergy training, calmand relaxationcome from the insidebecauseofrepeatedawarenessofthebreath,theuseofabdominalbreathing,andthe ability to influence the respiratory rate. As a result, the wind energypractitioner in the same crowded subway station does not feel impatient,frustrated,oroverwhelmedbythenoiseandallofthepeople.Thatpractitionerbringsthecalmandstabilitywithinthemindintotheenvironmentaroundhimorher.It isnottheouterenvironmentthatdetermineshowheorshefeelsbutthequalityofthewind-minditself.Thisillustratesthemostempoweringpointofall:

thekeytoourownexperiencelieswithinourbodiesallthetime.Weneednotlook outside of ourselves to find peace or to resolve conflicts. We have thepowertodothatwithinourselves.

BECOMINGSKILLFUL

Inawell-knownstoryfromtheBuddhistscriptures,thequestionisasked,“Ifthegroundaroundyouwascoveredwith thorns,howwouldyoubestprotectyourfeet?”Theanswerisgiveninseveralways,toillustratethevaryingdispositionsof spiritualpractitioners.Oneanswer is, “Iwouldattempt to cover thegroundaroundmewithleather,sothatnomatterwhereIwalked, thesolesofmyfeetwould not be torn open.” This method is not only impossible but it takes somucheffort.Weareconstantlytryingtocontrolandinfluencetheworldaroundussothatwhatweperceivewithourfivesensesdoesnotbotherussomuch.Themoreskillfulansweris,“Iwouldmakemyselfapairofverythick-soledshoessothatnomatterwhereIwalk,IwillbeokaywithwhateverIencounter.”Purifyingthewindenergyissimilartoputtingonapairofshoessowearen’t

constantlyprickedbythornswhenwewalk.Themind’sexperienceof“thorns”is eradicated by purifying the impure wind-mind so that we don’t need toexercise control over our environment and the people in our lives, such ascoveringthethornyground.Wedon’tneedtoshieldourselvesfrombeinghurt.Instead, wework at bringing themind into balance so that we can deal withwhateverlifebringsus.Anotherpossibleanswertothequestionmightbe,“Iwoulddiguptherootsof

theplantsoitcannolongergrow.”Inotherwords,bylookingfortherootoftheproblem,wecan try toeradicate it so itdoesnot ariseagain.Delving into the“earth”ofthepasttoaddress“root”issuescanprovideuswithsomerelief,butitrequiresalotofeffort.Andthereliefofferedisnotcomplete.Afterall,itisnotpossibletocompletelycontrol theenvironmentaroundussothatwecannotbehurtbyanything;norisitpossibletodiguptherootsofeachneurosisthatarisesin the mind so that we won’t be overpowered by it. And often we are notobservantenoughtomakesurethatwedigupeachandeveryone.Wesimplydonothavethatmuchcontroloverourownmindsandtheworldaroundus.Aswetransitiontowardbecomingindividualsmoreabletocareforourown

emotionalneeds, itbenefitsus to takeupapractice likewindenergy training.Oncewemastersomeofthetechniquespresentedinlaterchapters,wecanmoreskillfullydealwithstrongemotionsanddifficultsituationsmomentbymoment,eachtimethebreatharises.

3

UnderstandingtheConnectionofBreathtoStress,Anxiety,andDepression

APPROACHINGPHYSICAL,mental,andemotionalhealthfromthepointofviewofthefiveelementsandwindenergybringsustoanewlevelofunderstandingtheinterconnectionbetweenbodyandmind.Through learningaboutwindenergy,we have seen that we are each made up of intricately interrelated levels ofphysical,psychological,andemotionalenergy.Thismeansthat thoughwetalkaboutthephysicalbodyasadiscreteentity,wecannevercompletelyseparateitfrom the mind and the emotions. Because of the body’s energetic channels,throughwhichthewind-mindtravels,physicalhealthisthesupportsystem(andcontainer)formentalandemotionalhealth.Andreciprocally,theflowofhealthymentalandemotionalenergysupportsahealthybody.

THEBODY-MINDCONNECTION

What causes the more extreme mental and emotional imbalances, such aschronic illnessoranxiety?Harmonyamong the fiveelements in thebody (air,fire, earth, water, and space) is disrupted when one element becomesdisproportionatelystrongorweakinrelationtotheothers.Moreoftenthannot,stress, caused by a strengthening and increase of the wind element, plays atremendousroleinthedevelopmentofmentalandemotionalimbalances.Inoursociety,anxietyanddepressionarethemostcommonoftheseimbalances.Mostofussufferfromstresseveryday.Whenwedonotknowhowtocope

withthephysicalandemotionalresultsofstress,itaffectsusinaprofoundway.Studies show that 90 percent of all doctor visits are related to stress, becausestress exacerbates so many medical conditions.1 Chronic stress contributes tobreathrelatedpulmonaryandcardiacdisorderssuchasheartdisease,highblood

pressure, and hardening of the arteries, the three health conditions that mostthreatenourmortality.2Researchalsoshowsthatstresscontributestoemotionalimbalancessuchasanxietyanddepression.3Anxiety is themost common class ofmental disorder worldwide, affecting

millions of people. Anxiety is a broad term and includes panic disorder,generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, andseparationanxietydisorder.Depressionisanotherprevalentdisorder,impactingpeople inallareasof theworld.Depressionandanxiety,bothfueledbystress,areoftenseentogether.Someresearchsuggeststhattheyareonedisorderwithtwodifferentfaces.4Inonestudy,5percentofthosewithmajordepressionwerealsodiagnosedwithgeneralizedanxietydisorderwhile6percenthadsymptomsof panic disorder.5 Some researchers even suggest that anxiety precedesdepression,suchthatdepressionmaybetheresultoflong-standinganxiety.6Thisresearchillustratestheinterrelatednessofstress,anxiety,anddepression.

Even thoughmillions of us are touched by these painful states ofmind everyday, understanding the imbalances of body andmind inmore detailmay helptake away the power these painful states hold over us. The good news is thatthroughworkingwiththebreath,weactuallyholdthekeytohelpingourselvesbringbodyandmindintobalance.Nomatterhowoutofcontrolwefeel,howlowourenergyis,orhowlargeour

problemsseemtoloom,windenergytrainingisaneffectiveinterventionforallemotionalimbalances.Whenweworkwiththebreath,weworkwiththerootoftheproblem.

APROFILEOFSTRESS

Stress perpetuates the survival of every species and it is the body’s naturalresponse to danger. The release of stress hormones enables us to have almostsuperhumanresponseswhentheyareneededmost—likesingle-handedlyliftingacarafewinchesoffthegroundtosavethelifeofachildtrappedunderneath.Whenwefeelstress,oursensesheightenandbloodrushestothemajormusclesofourarmsandlegssowecanrunortakequickaction.Stresshormonesgiveusachargeofstrengthandagility.Oncethesehormones

arereleased,theydothrowthebodyandmindoutofbalance,butthisimbalanceis necessary to face short-term dangers. Under ordinary circumstances, wephysicallyexertourselvesinordertofacethedanger.Then,whentheimmediatedangerisnolongerpresent, thechemicalsdisperseandthesystemcomesbackintobalance.

Butwhat happenswhen the danger we face is not immediate?What if thedangerswe perceive are actually coming from themind rather than theworldaroundus?Likeeveryotherkindofstrongreaction,stresshas todowithhowweperceiveourselvesandtheworldaroundus.Mostofthetime,stressiscausedbyafearormentalobsessionofsomekind,whosepresencecontinuallytriggersthestressresponse.We could respond to this statement by saying that some causes for stress

aren’t just tricks of the mind. There is actual, real suffering that each of usexperiencesinourlives.However,aswewilldiscussinlaterchapters,ifwearespirituallyhealthy,ifwehavethoroughlycontemplatedtheimpermanentnatureof all phenomena—including ourselves as well as our loved ones—and if wehaveacceptedthatthereisnowayforanylivingbeingtoavoidtheexperienceofsuffering,theneventheordinarysufferingofourlivesneednotbecauseforstress.Instead,wecanbravelyfacewhatunfoldsinourliveswithpatienceandacceptance.Stress causes problemswhen the chemicals released into the blood have no

chancetodisperse,suchaswhenweexperiencethenon–life-threateningstressesof ordinary life, like fightingwith a friend or loved one or getting cut off intraffic. For the most part, these ordinary stressors do not require a physicalresponse.Whenwedonotphysicallyexertourselves to resolvea“dangerous”situation, it takes longer to restore the balance between the sympathetic andparasympathetic nervous systems. This is because stress hormones do notdisperse quickly without physical exertion. Additionally, when a stressor ismentally relived as part of a cyclical thought pattern, then the same stress isperceivedoverandoveragain,andthebodydoesnotgetadequatetimetorelax,rebalance,andresetitself.Whenstresshormonesremainpresentinthebloodoveraperiodoftime,the

systemfallsoutofbalanceandstaysthatway.Ourheartrateincreasesandwetend toholdourbreath.7Asa result,weareunable tobreathedeeply, andweengageinshort,shallowthoracicbreathing.Thus,thesameresponsesthatsaveusfromimmediatedangercanalsosuppresstheimmunesystem,restrictbloodflow,anddrainusofphysical,mental,andemotionalenergy.8Stressisanimbalancethatexacerbateseveryotherextremetendency.Inother

words,whenwe are under stress, it ismore likely thatwewill fall into someotherimbalance—whetheritbephysicalillness,anxiety,ordepression.

StressandWesternCulture

We experiencemany kinds of stress because we live in an economically andtechnologicallydevelopedsociety.MaterialconvenienceandahighstandardoflivingmakeWestern life fast-paced and gratification-oriented.We are used togettingwhatwewantwhenwewantit.Technology,suchascellularphonesandtheInternet,provideuswithsomuchinformationsoquicklythatweforgetwhatitisliketohavetowaitforanything.Thehigh-pacedandinstantaneousnatureofoursocietymayofferusmanyconveniences,but italsoincreasesourstresslevel. Research actually shows a higher prevalence of stress-related disorderssuchasanxietyanddepressionineconomicallydevelopedcountries.Accordingto the World Health Organization, unipolar depression was the third mostimportantcauseofdiseaseburdenworldwidein2004.Unipolardepressionwasin“eighthplaceinlow-incomecountries,butatfirstplaceinmiddle-andhigh-income countries.”9 Estimates of the prevalence of anxiety disorders are alsogenerallyhigherindevelopedcountriesthanindevelopingcountries.10Indevelopingcountries,themajorityofthestressthatpeopleexperiencehas

to do with mere survival. Food, water, and shelter are basic needs that oftenrequire daily physical labor. Of course, people do suffer and feel stress as aresultofhavingtoworkharddespiteharshweatherconditions,or if itappearsthat theywill notbe able to feed their family in the comingwinter.However,people are so busy laboring to support themselves and their families that theyhavelittletimetoreflectonthesefeelings.Aftermeetingsuchcheerfulpeoplerelativelyunburdenedbystress,travelers

whovisitcountriesinthedevelopingworldoftenidealizeandromanticizelifeineconomicallypoor societies.Weseeevidenceof this idealizationwhenpeoplewholiveinaffluentcountriesrejectthematerialworldandpledgetolivesimply.However, if theyhavenotchanged theirhabitualwayof thinking, feeling,andresponding to inner andouter conditions, thiswill notbring lastinghappiness.Therearenoshortcutswhenitcomestomentalandemotionalhealth!In some ways people are happier in less-developed societies. People from

NorthAmericaorEuropeareoftenshockedbylifeincountrieslikeIndia,whichseemtorunontheirownschedule.Forexample,itisnotunheardoftoarriveata rural airport to catch a flight only to find that it has been canceled andrescheduled foranunknown timeanddate,or tobe solda seatona train thatdoes not exist.Even in the face of such apparent stressors, local people laughand smile at these events, and feel relatively undisturbed by the changes ofcourse.ImaginethestressanddisplayofemotionifaflightwascanceledinNewYorkCity and everyonewas told to go home and come back the next day tocheckwhentheflightwoulddepart!

Cravingalightheartedmind-set,wetendtoignoretheabundanceofphysicalhardship and suffering in less economically developed societies. Lackingtechnology and medical care, people experience the sweeping sufferings offamine, illnesses associatedwithunsanitary living conditions andwater, and ahighinfantmortalityrate.Aswewilldiscussinlaterchapters,anyparticularsetof lifecircumstancesbringswith it itsownsuffering.There isnoescape fromthepainfulrealitiesoflifeforanyofus.Theeconomicbenefitsoflifeindevelopedcountriesmeanitscitizensarenot

consumedbythoughtsofhowtosurvive.Ourmainconcernsarewhetherwelikethewayourlivesaregoingandifwhatwehaveseemstobefairanddesirable.Becauseourbasicneedshavebeenmet,ourdesiresdominateourminds.Inthisway,wearebothluckyandcursed.Ourmindsarefree tofindthingstoworryabout.Andthiswedo,overandoveragain.

StressandSocietalRolesAnothercauseofstressweexperienceindevelopedcountrieshastodowiththeflexibilityofoursocieties.Inmostdevelopingcountries,thetraditionalcultureisstillintact.Thetraditionalcultureassignsstrictrolestoeachmemberofsociety.In turn, each role in society is associated with a routine and a set style ofbehaviorandconduct.Take the example of Tibet. Traditionally, people take on the role of being

either amonk or a nun, a family caretaker, a nomadic herder, a farmer, or aspiritual retreatant.Nomatterwhich rolepeople takeon, theyunderstandhowtheirroleistobecarriedout,andwhattheyshouldandshouldnotdoalongthepath. Such roles do not allow for much variation, or much individuality.Whatever their role is, ithas tobecarriedouteachandeveryday in thesamemanner.Asaresult,therearenotalotofchoicestobemade.Thereisnotalotofthinking,“ShouldIdothis?”or,“ShouldIchangethat?”Theycannotthinkinthiswaybecause theyhave to carryout their role to survive. If they try tobesomethingorsomeoneelse,whatwilltheyeat?Wherewilltheylive?Whatpartofsocietywillacceptthem?This is very different from life in theWest,where society itself varies and

wherewecanfindaplacetofitinnomatterwhowewanttobe.Ifwewanttobeanartistorawriter,wecanjoinanartist’scommunity.Ifweliveinanareawefeelistoopoliticallyconservative,wecangosomewhereelsethatmatchesourvalues,ratherthantryingtomakeourselvesfitin.Herewearefreetoallowourminds to wander wherever they want to go, whether or not this mental

wandering is healthy or constructive. “Should I sell my house and get a newone?ShouldIleavemyspouse?ShouldIchangemyjob...myfriends...myreligion...mydiet...mywardrobe...myhair...?”Thenumberofchoicesweconsiderdaybyday,momentbymoment,goesonandon.Theironyisthatwe often resent roles and routines, thinking they limit our freedom of choice,when instead it is freedom of choice that often limits our ability to focus ourenergy.

TheStressofChoicesOurindividualisticculturethrivesonchoice.Itisourprerogativetodowhatwewanttodo,whenwewanttodoit.Welosetouchwiththefactthatfoodandrestare supposed to nourish body andmind so that we are balanced and healthy.Instead,weofteneatbecauseitgratifiesusorwesleepinbecausewefeellikeit.However, sometimes being free tomakemany choices contributes to the self-perpetuating energy of emotional and physical imbalance. There are somanyideas and possibilities before us that we are not sure which to choose.Uncertaintygivesrisetostressandworry.Someresearchindicatesthatwhenwesufferfromstressandanxiety,thechemicaleffectonthebraincausesdifficultymaking connections and processing information, especially related to makingchoices.11Theinabilitytochooseisexacerbatedbythesheernumberofchoicesavailabletous,addingtotheenergyandmomentumofanxiety.Otherresearchshowsthatwithincreasednumbersofchoicescomesdecreased

well-being.12Whenwehavemorechoices,weoftenfocusonwhatseemstobethe perfect choice. We find it hard to make a decision, searching for whichchoice is the best one, andwanting to avoidmaking the “wrong” choice.Thetime and mental energy we expend worrying about mundane things, such aswhichstereosystemisbest,orwhichbrandofcerealtobuy,contributestoourmental exhaustion. Have you ever been overwhelmed by searching forsomethinginparticularinthegrocerystoreorthesuperstore?Thereareshelvesandshelvesofdifferentvarietiesandoptionstochoosefrom.As a result, we often feel less satisfied with what we have and regret

possibilities not pursued once we realize our choice was not perfect after all.Emotionally,wefailtounderstandthattheendresultofanychoicewemakecannever be lasting happiness, because lasting happiness is impossible to achieveexceptonaspirituallevel.Ordinarythoughtsandactionscannothelpusescapethesufferingoftheworldwelivein.Despitemakingeventhebestchoices,allofthesameoldunknownsanduncertaintiesofliferemain,andlastinghappiness

eludes us. No matter how many choices we have at our fingertips, we lackcontrol over life and death.Althoughwe tend to equate choicewith freedom,choicealonewillneverfreeusfromsuffering.Another aspect of choice that can be stressful is that it involves our

appearance to the rest of theworld.Our self-attachment can grow as a result.Every choicewemake is a statement to those aroundus about “whoweare.”Becausewearesopersonallyinvestedinourchoices—becauseweidentifywiththem—wefeelevenmorepressuretomaketheso-calledrightchoiceandevengreaterregretifwefeelwehavemadetheso-calledwrongone.Constantlyseeinglifethroughthelensofcountlesschoicescancontributeto

feeling a lack of stability and continuity in our day-to-day lives. It can alsocontributetofeelingalackofpurposeandcommitment.Whenweareconstantlyconsidering alternatives to what we are doing right now, wemay feel unsureabout our present path.With the distraction ofmany possibilities, staying thecourse can be difficult. The stress andmental anxiety caused by this thoughtpatternalsofuelsotherstrongphysicalandemotionalresponses.Astheenergyofstressbuildsupanddevelops,webegintoworryunnecessarilyabout thingsthatwillnevercometopass.Wedonotfeellikeourselves.Welosesleep.Weare tense and restless. This, in turn, leads tomore stress, and becomes a self-perpetuatingcycle.Stagnation. Physical movement contributes to our physical, mental, and

emotional health.Butwhenwe think aboutphysical activity,we tend to thinkabout serious exercise, such as running, hiking, or liftingweights.We do nothave to run amarathon to bring ourselvesmore into balance.While physicaltrainingdoessupportahealthybody,anykindofmovementandanyeffortthatwemaketowardbalancingbodyandmindwillbenefitus.In the past, when our own society was less technologically developed,

movementwasapartof everyday life.Wewalkedorbiked insteadofdrivingeverywhere.Wedidnot spendeight to tenhoursaday in frontofacomputerscreen,and then timeathome in theevening in frontof the television. In lesseconomically developed countries, most people are still very active. Forexample, in Tibet, farmers are out working with the livestock, or nomadicgroupsareintheprocessofmovingtoanewcamp.Insuchcountries,stayinginbedlateandnotdoingdailychoresandactivitiesisnotachoice—peoplehavetomove! They have to get up even if they are tired, and because they lackmachinesandtechnologytodothingsforthem,theyhavetousetheirbodiestoget thingsdone.Theendresult is that inthesesocieties,peopleareinconstantmotionandthebody’senergyisnotstuckandstagnant.Withoutaphysicalresponsetostress,thestresshormonesreleasedwithinour

bodiestakelongertodisperseandcanaccumulate.Stressbuildsup,andwegetstuck in that stressed-out state. This is anotherway of saying that the energywithin the body and the wind-mind cannot move, flow, or adapt properly.Physicalmovementhelpstobreakdownanddispersethisstagnantstateofbodyandmind, regardlessof the causeof stress.Thus,movementhelps tobringusbackintobalance.Whenwethinkofyogisandretreatants, itmayseemliketheyarenotreally

workingwiththephysicalbody.Wemaythinkthattheyarejustsittingstillallthetime.Butaswewilltalkaboutinthenextchapter,sacredmovement,properposture, andwind energy training are all forms ofmovement that provide animportantbasisformental,emotional,andspiritualhealth.Researchshowsthatsacred-movement systems such as yoga reduce the presence of stress-relatedresponsesinthebody,therebyreducingpainresponsesaswellasthecausesforstress-relateddisorderslikeanxietyanddepression.13Yogis and retreatants work with movement when they practice traditional

forms of Tibetan Yantra Yoga, or engage in prostrations—devotionalmovementsthatalignandsoftentheenergeticchannelsinthebody.Aswewilldiscussinthenextchapter,sacredmovement,workingwiththewind-mind,andpurifyingtheenergeticchannelsareanintegralpartofasacredsocietysuchasthatofTibet.Physical rigidity. Notice how your body feels when you get up in the

morning.Often,thebodyishardandcold, likeice.Ithurtswhenwemove,sowedonotfeel likedoinganything.Whenthebodyis inflexible, thequalityofthebody’senergeticchannelsisunnaturallyrigid.However,thisrigiditydoesn’tjust occur in themorning. It is often part of our daily life, andwe carry thatrigiditywithus throughout theday.Whenthebodyandthechannelsarerigid,thewind-mindcannotmovefreely,andourenergygetsstuckincertainpatterns.Therigidityandinflexibilityofthebodycontributestothecycleofimbalance.Anxiety. Anxiety is a state of mind brought about by extremely high wind

energy:wind energy that is sohigh it buildsupon itself.Whenweexperienceanxiety, we overestimate the strength and number of stressors in ourenvironment.Asstressbecomeschronicandrepeated, the increase in thewindelementbecomesstrongerandmorepronounced.Thisdisruptsourphysicalandmentalhealthinmorenoticeableways.Forexample,increasedwindfuelsracingandobsessive thoughtpatterns thatcauseus to relivepainfuloruncomfortablesituations.Wechaseafterthesethoughts,bringingworryandunease.Ouruneasegives rise to even greater wind energy, which brings even more thoughts tochaseafter.Whetherornotthesethoughtsandworriesarereasonable,wearesooverwhelmedby theenergyand themomentumofanxiety thatwedonot take

the time to examine them.Wedo not, or cannot, dismiss them.Our emotionsspinoutofcontrol.Welongforrest,but themind,ridingtheracingenergyoftheheart-wind,ismovingsofastthatwecannotseemtocalmdown.Theharderwepushourselveswithoutallowingthebodytorestandrecharge,thecloserwegettoamentalorphysicalbreakdown.Overstimulatedmind.Wecanfeelthatweareinastateoftremendousmotion

becauseof themotionof thewind-mind.Becauseof theexperienceofmotion,wedonotrealizethatanxietyisactuallyastateofstagnation,anotherexpressionofimbalancethatwegetstuckin.FromaWesternmedicalperspective,anxietyis a cyclic overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, or, using theconcepts of Tibetan medicine, the buildup of heart-wind. Because of thisincrease in thewind element, the nervous system is unable to relax and resetitself.Traditionally, according to Tibetan philosophy, the tendency toward high

wind energy, or heart-wind, ismore prevalent in intelligent individuals.Windenergy, or the air element, is related to thoughts, creativity, and mentalflexibility. With intelligence naturally comes an abundance of thoughts andideas.Workingwithwindenergytrainingcanhelptorelievetheanxietycausedbyhavinganoverabundanceofthoughtsandideas,notonlybyhelpingtocalmthesympatheticnervoussystembutalsobecauseithelpsusgraduallypurifyandletgoofourhabitualthoughtpatterns.Whenweexperienceanxiety,weengageinshallow,thoracicbreathing,which

stimulatesthesympatheticnervoussystemsothatweareunabletorelax.Wearein great need of rest and relaxation because the body’s normalmechanism tohelpusrelaxisnotfunctioningproperly.Evenwhentheanxiousbodyandminddoes sleep, that sleep is often disrupted in quality or length, sowe rarely feelrecharged. Being deprived of rest, we also begin to eat improperly. Withoutproperrestandnutrition,mentalimbalanceleadstophysicalimbalance.Astimepasses,thebodyisnotcapableofsustainingitshighenergy,sotheentiresystemcancollapseandwecanexperienceburnout.Theenergyof thebodybecomesheavyandexhausted.

PROFILEOFDEPRESSION

Likeanxiety,depressionisanimbalanceoftheairelement,asitisaccompaniedbycloudsofnegativethoughts.However,depressionisalsoanexpressionofanimbalance in the earth element. This results in the mental, emotional, andphysicalheavinesswefeelwhenwearedepressed.

FromthepointofviewofTibetanphilosophy,depression isastateofmindthatishighlyinfluencedbyourattitudesandthoughtpatterns,ourbreathing,ourkarma—perhaps some of us might say our deeply ingrained habits—and ourday-to-day behavior. And likewise, depression is treatable becausecontemplative practice and wind energy training address all of these majorcausesofdepressionsimultaneously.FromthepointofviewofWesternmedicine,depressionmanifestsasaresult

of genetics, environment, nutrition, habits ofmind and thought patterns, brainchemistry, and/or physical illness. When enough of these depression-pronefactors present—or even a strong dose of one of these factors presents—adepressedstateofbodyandmindcanresult.Theremaybenocommoncauseofdepression,butthereisacommonresult.Though the origins of depression vary, depressed individuals share the

tendencies of feeling exhausted, defeated, and powerless. When we aredepressed,weunderestimateourabilitytocopewithdailystressors.Ouroutlookon life becomes gloomy, coloring our thoughts and interactions and causingthemtospiraloutofcontrol.Feelingexhaustedandemotionallyoverwhelmed,ourabilitytodealwitheverydaysituationsiscompromised.Weoftenchoosetowithdrawfromeverydaylife.Becausedepressionarisesfromavarietyofcausesandconditions,itcanalso

betreatedinavarietyofways.Alteringbrainchemistrywithmedicationclearlyhelpssomepeople.Exercisehasalsobeenshowntobeaseffectiveatrelievingdepression as medication in some studies.14 But medical research alsodemonstratesthatbrainchemistryandfunctionisalteredbychangesinthewaywethink!Forexample,cognitive therapyhasbeenshowntobeaseffectiveasmedicationinthetreatmentofdepression.15Thereareclearlythingsyoucandoandpracticetobenefityourstateofmind,

regardlessoftheoriginofyourdepression.Workingwithoneoracombinationofthecontributingfactorsofdepressionhelpsustoputourenergyinmotionandcreatechangeinbodyandmind.Ifdepressionweresolelybasedononecause,such as genetics or the chemical balance in the brain,wemight be correct infeeling that there is nothing we can do to heal ourselves. But thinking ofdepressionasanimbalancein theelementscanbeempowering.Weeachhavetheabilitytobringsomethingthatisoutofbalancebackintobalance.We tend to thinkof anxiety anddepression as beingverydifferent typesof

imbalances. However, as we have already learned, depression and anxietyfrequentlyoccurtogether,anddepressionisoftenprecededbyanxiety.Onewaytounderstandthisisthattheracingthoughtpatternsofanxietyandthecontinualreleaseofstresshormonestaxthesystemsomuchthatitsimplycollapses,and

canmanifestasdepression.Fromthepointofviewofwindenergy,depressionandanxietyaredifferent

expressionsofthesameroot.Westernmedicinehasasimilarview.Forexample,anxiety and depression often respond to the same sorts of interventions:cognitivebehavioraltherapy,medications,yoga,andbreathyoga.Additionally,decreased oxygenation of brain cells is implicated in both anxiety anddepression,andbothconditionsarecharacterizedbyshallow,thoracicbreathing.Thissuggeststhatdeepabdominalbreathingisbeneficialtothosesufferingfromanxietyanddepression.How does abdominal breathing benefit us?Aswe discussed previously, by

breathing abdominally, we increase the oxygen available in the blood, andtherefore the brain. But also, when we breathe deeply with prolonged nasalexhalation,thisactionenablesthevagusnervetoresetitself.16Thevagusnerveis an aspect of our nervous system that brings equilibrium and balance to thewhole. It either stimulates or calms the system, depending onwhat is needed.Therefore, working with wind energy training actually delivers the necessaryantidote to everyone, nomatterwhat typeof stress imbalancewe suffer from,despitedifferencesinourstateofmindandphysicalhealth.

IMBALANCEANDTHENERVOUSSYSTEM

Drawing a line between stress and anxiety can be difficult. From the point ofviewofthefiveelements,anxietyismerelyastrongerexpressionofstress.Itisalso challenging to find the line between anxiety and depression, as the twofrequentlyoccurtogether.Thatiswhyitmakessensetothinkoftherootofallofthesedisordersashavingacommondenominator:elementalimbalance.WhileTibetanphilosophydescribes thiscommondenominatoras relating to

theelements,Westernmedicinedescribes it asan imbalance inourautonomicnervoussystem.17Wehavealreadylearnedthattheautonomicnervoussystemismade up of the complementary interaction of the sympathetic andparasympatheticresponses.However,wecanaddonemorecomponenttothistohelpusunderstandhowthebodyreactstodifferentandmoreextremeformsofstress:heartratevariability (HRV).HRVisan important indicatorofbothourmentalandourphysicalhealth.HRV refers to the variation in our heart rate in response tomany different

things—emotions and stress; physiological factors such as hormones; andbreathing.HRVispartofafeedbackloopconnectingtheheartandbrainthroughthenervous system.Agreater variability inHRVpoints togoodhealth,while

decreased variability inHRV is associatedwith a number of unhealthy states.Even the coremechanisms of the body, such as heart rate, need to be able toadapttoavarietyofconditions.Aswediscussedinthecontextofmovementandenergy, stagnation, or a lack of variability, is unhealthy. A lack of variabilitypoints to a habitual cycle, reaction, or behavior that may or may not beappropriate under the circumstances. In our own lives, we recognize that afailure to adapt to new circumstances usually brings usmental and emotionalsuffering,andevenillness.WhatdoesHRVhavetodowithanxietyanddepression?Bothdepressionand

anxiety are associated with low HRV.18 This means that both anxiety anddepressionarecharacterizedbyaninflexibleandunbalancedautonomicnervoussystem. The rebalancing of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervoussystems,whichhappenseachtimeahealthyindividualbreathesabdominally,isdisrupted.When a healthy person inhales, HRV increases, as the sympatheticnervoussystemisactivated.Withexhalation,HRVdecreases,duetoactivationof the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic and parasympatheticsystems are actually self-regulating, constantly bringing themselves back intobalance.Whenweareanxiousordepressed,ourheartratehastroubleadaptingtothe

constantlychangingenvironmentaroundus.Thismeansthatthenervoussystem,which ordinarily functions dynamically, becomes stuck in a pattern. Throughconsciousawarenessofourbreathing,weareabletostimulatetheaspectofournervous system that is underactivated in both anxiety and depression: theparasympathetic nervous system. We are able to elicit a relaxation responsethroughelongatingourexhalation.Properabdominalbreathing,accompaniedbyexhalationthroughthenose,supportsahealthybalanceinourbodilysystems.

HRVandtheBreathFrequent shallow breathing, or thoracic breathing, and breathing through themouthbothconsistentlystimulatethesympathetic(excitatory)nervoussystemata lowlevel.Thismeans that formanyofus,beingstressedout is theordinarywayofbeing.Evenwhenthereisnoactualorperceivedstress,simplybecauseof our breathing habits, our sympathetic nervous system is overactivated.Notonly that, but because our HRV is low when we suffer from depression andanxiety, our parasympathetic nervous system is underaroused. Our body isunabletocounterthisexcitedstateandcalmitselfdown.The parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated by slow breathing and

prolonged exhalation,19 such as when we engage in wind energy training.Shallowbreathingthroughthemouthintothechestleadstoshorterexhalations,as thevolumeofair ismovedquicklyinandoutof the lungs.However,whenwebreathe through thenostrils and into the abdomen,notonlydowebreatheless frequently but our exhalations are prolonged. What this means is thatabdominalnose-breathingnotonlymakesmoreoxygenavailable toourbodiesinamoreefficientmannerbutitalsostimulatesthesympatheticnervoussystemlessfrequently.

BREAKINGTHECYCLEOFSTRESSWindenergytraininghelpsusbreakthecycleofallstress-relateddisorders.Aswepurifyandcalmthewind-mind throughengaging infocuseddailypractice,weareabletorebalancebodyandmindandreleasethemental,emotional,andphysicaleffectsofenergeticstagnation.WorkingwiththebreathaswewilllearntodointhechaptersthatfollowhelpsustobringthenervoussystembackintobalanceandincreaseourHRV.Itbringsusintoelementalbalance,andenablesustoapproachlifewithtoleranceandacceptance.Herearesomeofthewayswecanbreakthecycleofstressandanxietyinour

lives:Cultivatedisciplineandroutine.Routinehelps tobringcalmandstability to

ourmind and emotions.This feeling of stability reduces our stress levels.Wemight develop a daily routine that includes wind energy training and yogapractice.Our routinemight includewakingup at a consistent time, having setmealtimes,leavingandreturninghomefromworkonaschedule,andpracticingwindenergytrainingatacertaintimeeachday.Weneednotgiveupallofourchoices and restrict all of our activities, but we can find a balance betweenroutineandspontaneity ifwemakeascheduleforcertain, important thingswedoeachday.Keepingadailyschedulemakesiteasiertonotgetcaughtincyclesof unhealthy or stagnant energy because we keep ourselves in motion doingthingsthatweknowkeepushealthyandbalanced.Exercise regularly. Movement, ordinary exercise, and especially yoga help

keepbodyandmindhealthy.Alongwithanyextremestateofmindcomes thefeeling of being stuck in a particular kind of energy. When we engage inphysicalmovement, thebasisof thestagnation isdispersed,andouremotionalstatechanges.Itisespeciallybeneficialtoworkwithasacredmovementsystemsuchasyoga,which isdesigned toworkwith the channels and tobalance thewindenergy.Evenifwejustdoasimpleformofexercisesuchasrunning,themovementofthebodycausestheenergyofthebodilychannelstomove.Asthe

channels move, the movement causes the channels to relax and soften. As aresult, thewind-mindbecomesunstuckandisabletomovemorefreely.Inthenextchapter,wewill learnabout thephysicalaspectsofwindenergy training,whichwecanincorporateintoourdailyroutine.Payattentiontobasicneedssuchasdietandsleep.TheBuddhistteachings,

aswellasmedicalscience,pointouthoweatingandsleepingpatternscontributetoimbalancedstatesofmind.Eatingandsleeproutinesareuniquelytiedtoourmental outlook. For example, when we have low energy or are emotionallyupset,weofteneattoomuch.Thiscanberelatedtowantingtofeelfullorfeelphysicallycomfortedbyfood.Whenweeattoomuch,weoftenfeelheavyandunhealthy, and as a result, this candisrupt our sleeppatterns. In the case of ahighwindstateofmindlikeanxiety,weofteneattoolittlebecausewearenotabletositdownandfocusoneating.Ourwindenergycanbesohighthatwedonotnoticethatwearehungry.Thereisagenerallackofawarenessofthebody’sneeds because we are so highly stimulated. Be sure to get enough sleep andmakethoughtfulchoicesforhealthyeating.Avoideatingontherun—planaheadformealssoyoudon’tfindyourselfbuyingtakeoutonthewayhome.Wecanalsotrytocheckinwithourbodyseveraltimesadaytonoticehowwefeel,orevenkeepa journal thatdetailswhatweeat tohelpusevaluateournutritionalintake.Relax.Weshouldalsotakethetimetodothingsthatweenjoy,includingour

spiritualpractice!Whenweareoverwhelmedbyanemotionalimbalancesuchasanxietyordepression,weoften forget,ordonothave theenergy, todo thingsthatmakeusfeelgood.Evenifwefindwearenotabletoread,orpaint,ordosomeofthethingswenormallywoulddotorelax,thereisonesimplethingthatwe can do to relax and improve our mental perspective: get out into nature.Someresearchshowsthatdepressionandanxietyareactuallyrelievedbylivingincloseproximitytoopen,greenspace.20ThismaybebecausepeoplewholivenearopenspacearemorephysicallyactiveorgetmoresunlightandvitaminD;however,youdonothavetorelocatesimplybecauseyoufeelblue.Gooutsideand get some fresh air, or take a walk around your neighborhood. Take yourcoffeetotheparkandreadonablanketinthesun.Walkorrideyourbiketothegrocerystore.Findashorthikeclosetohome.Whenwerelax,thewindenergyand the elements in the body naturally begin to bring themselves back intobalance.Makesmallchanges.Allofusengageinbehaviorthatweknowisnothealthy

forus,butwedoitanyway.Weshouldcultivateanattitudeofbeingwillingtoputasideandstoptheseunhealthybehaviors.Wewillnotbeabletodoitallatonce.However,wecanmakesmallchangesinourbehaviorthataccumulateinto

abiggerchange.Forexample,wecouldsetouralarmtenminutesearlyandusethattimetonotberushed,ortoworkatourcontemplativepractice.Overtime,wecouldincreasethatamounttofifteenminutes.Workwithhealthcarepractitioners.Mental andemotional imbalanceshave

allsortsofcauses.Someofthem,suchasalackofvitaminD,foodallergies,ordiet,canbeaddressedbytraditionalornaturopathichealthcareprofessionals.Asstatedearlier,wearenotdoctors,andwebelieveintakingaholisticapproachtoall imbalances. We should not leave any potential causes for imbalanceunexamined.Seek spiritual guidance. Ifwe are serious about a contemplative practice or

windenergytraining,weshouldseekanappropriateteacher.Weshouldputourtimeandenergyintodevelopingtherelationshipaswellasthespiritualpractice.Wemayconnecttospiritualpracticebyreadingbooksandtherebyhaveaplaceto start, but without cultivating a relationship with an authentic teacher, ourpracticewillnotdeepen.Whenweworkwithateachertodevelopaconsistentcontemplativepractice,wehavethesupportweneedtoengageinwindenergytraining, which will reduce our stress and other imbalances and improve ouroverallqualityoflife.

PARTTWO

HowtoPracticeBreathYoga

4

BasicWindEnergyTechniques

INTHELASTSEVERALCHAPTERS,we reflectedon the importanceofwindenergytrainingtoourphysicalandemotionalhealth.Windenergytrainingdispels thecausesofmanyserioushealthproblems thatare related toa lackofoxygen inthe blood, tissues, and major organs. We have also noticed the relationshipbetween wind energy and our emotional state—how our strong feelings andneuroses rise up upon a rush of wind energy, or we can become emotionallystuckwhenourwindenergyisstagnant.Eitherway,ourlackofflexibilitycankeepusinanunhealthyplace.Nowthatwehavespentsometimecontemplatingtheimportanceofworking

withthewindenergy,wemaybefeelinginspiredtopractice.Inthischapter,webegin to learn several basicwind energy practices through the three yogas, orpractices, of body, speech, andmind.These three yogas are the foundation ofwind energy training techniques, andmust bemasteredbeforewemoveon tochapter5.

SUPPORTINGSPIRITUALHEALTH

First, let’s take a look at how physical and emotional health supports ourspiritualhealth.Whatisspiritualhealth?Afterhavingspentsometimereflectingon the difference between self-acceptance and self-attachment (chapter 2), wehavegottenapreviewtotheanswertothisquestion.OnewaythattheBuddhistteachingsdefinespiritualhealthishavingasenseofinterconnectionwithotherliving beings on the planet, as well as respect for the natural environment.Recognitionofthisinterconnectionwithothersisdevelopedaswecalltomindthethingsthatallbeingshaveincommon:thewishtoattainhappinessandavoidsuffering.Wecanreflectonthisbythinkingthatallofthewonderfulthingswe

want for ourselves, otherswant them too. Just so, all of the painful thingswewouldliketoavoid,otherswishtoavoidthosethingstoo.However, spiritualhealth is farmore thanamere senseofconnection.True

spiritual health arises from discovering love and compassion for all sentientbeings. In doing so, we cut through our own painful feelings of anger,resentment,andstrongdesire,whichcauseussomuchpersonalunhappinessandsorrow.By bringing ourselves back into harmonious relationshipwith friends,family, and the larger community, even those we may dislike, we ourselvesbecomespirituallyrich.TheBuddhist teachings describe this attitude of love and service toward all

beings on the planet as “benefiting both self and others.” Another way ofexpressingthisistosay,“Bybenefitingothers,Iactuallybenefitmyself.”Whenwe give to others, such as giving them our time, love, attention, or even ourwealthandbelongings,wehelpourselvesbyfreeingourselvesfromourdeeplyingrainedselfishness.Also,byfocusingonthehappinessofothers,wealsooftenforgetourownsorrowandlonelinessintheprocess.Forexample,wemayfeellonely for a close friendship, butwhenwe see someone else enjoying a closefriendshipandrejoiceinthat,weoftenforgetourownfeelingsofsadness.Theoverallresultisthatwefeelhappierandmorecontent.Whenfindingbothinnerandouterharmony,connectiontoothersandthecommunityarekey!Thethemeofinnerandouterharmonyemergesagainandagaininthecontext

of wind energy training. Spiritual health, or the state of harmony with otherbeingsontheplanetasdescribedinBuddhistphilosophy,manifestsbecauseofinnerharmony,calm,andasenseofsatisfactioninthemind.Andbycalmingthewindenergyinthebody,wecalmtheheartandmind.

HOWTOBEGINWINDENERGYTRAINING

Thesimplestwaytobeginwindenergytrainingis tobeginpayingattentiontothe breath and to become aware of patterns of inhalation and exhalation.Wenoticehowthebreathchangesincertainsituations,andwhatfeelingsarisealongwiththosechangesinthebreath.Extensiveanddetaileddescriptionsforworkingwiththewindenergycanbe

foundinTibetanBuddhist teachingsonYantraYoga.Asstatedabove, thereisno substitute for a master teacher who has had a lifetime of training. Whatfollows in this chapter is only an introduction to this rich Tibetan Buddhisttradition—threeaspectsofwindenergytraining:Trainingrelatedtothephysicalbody,includingpostureandthemovementof

thebody,iscalledtheYogaoftheBody.Training related to thewind or the breath includesworkingwith the breath

itself, as well as the pervasive movement of the wind energy throughout thebody.This iscalled theYogaofSpeech.However, in thecontextof thisbook,wewillrefertoitastheYogaofWind.Finally,trainingrelatedtothemindiscalledtheYogaofMind.Reflecting on the relationship between body, speech, andmind,we can see

that themindis thekingof thebodyandspeech.Anyexpressionsof thebodyandspeechoriginate in themind.Whenweworkwith thebodyandwind,ourgoal is to bring harmony, calm, and compassion to themind. In doing so,weappeaseallthreeaspectsofthewindenergy.

YogaoftheBodyYogaof thebody, thephysicalmovement andposture aspectsofwindenergytraining and meditation practice, is very important. The Wish-FulfillingTreasury, a famous text by the great Yantra Yoga master Longchen Rabjam(1308–64),describestheyogaofbodyindepth.Thistexttellsusthatengagingin physical yoga postures, or asanas, right before doing any wind energytraining, is beneficial. Practicing asanas opens the energetic channels in thebody. In theTibetan tradition, there is a specific set of twenty asanas that aredonebeforepracticingwindenergytraining.WhenTibetanyogisandyoginisgointocavesor isolatedmountainhermitagesaftermakingaseriouscommitmentto stay in solitary retreat, they train seriously in these twenty asanas. Thereasoning is that when the body’s disposition is natural and relaxed, theenergeticchannelsinthebodyarealsonaturalandrelaxed.Inturn,thisrelaxesthewindenergyandthewind-mind.We recommend practicing yoga asanas for fifteen to twentyminutes before

sitting down to work with the wind energy. Here in theWest, instruction inmany different styles of physical yoga is readily available.All of these stylesincorporateanaspectofworkingwiththebreath,andwillservethepurposeofopeningand softening the channels. It is perfectly fine to choose anyphysicalyoga tradition that one finds appealing. Practicing a set sequence of asanaswould be impractical, since each person has different physical abilities. Basicwindenergytrainingisapracticethatanypersoncanworkwith.Forthatreason,wehavenotspecifiedparticularasanastoworkwith,thoughwedorecommendaperiodofphysicalyogapracticeprecedingwindenergypractice.

PhysicalPosture:TheSeven-PointPostureofVairocanaThephysicalpostureisanimportantsupportforpracticingwindenergytraining.ExperiencedTibetanBuddhistpractitionersarealreadyfamiliarwithwhat is

calledtheSeven-PointPostureofVairocana,orsimplytheSeven-PointPosture.The “seven points” refer to seven details of the posture, and each one has aspecific benefit or support role for calming the mind and readying thepractitionerforwindenergytraining.Additionally,eachhasadirectrelationshiptothewindenergythatnaturallyresidesindifferentareasofthebody.Theseatedposture.Thefirstpoint tellsushowweshouldsit.Traditionally,

we are instructed to sit in full lotus posture. However, many of us are notcapableofsittinginfulllotusbecausewedidnottrainourselvestositthatwayfrom childhood. If we are unable to sit in full lotus posture, we shouldworktoward sitting in Sattva posture. Sattva is a Sanskrit wordmeaning “hero,” aspiritualherowhoworksfor thebenefitofothers.Becauseit is lessphysicallydemandingthanfulllotusposture,mostofuswillbeabletositinSattvapostureif we work at it over time. Sattva posture is done differently by males andfemales, but both canbeginby sitting cross-leggedon the floor.Elevating thehips so that they rest above thekneesmakes thepostureeasier tohold, sowemay choose to sit on a pillow or cushion. Formales, the left leg is tucked inclosertothebodyandtheleftfootplacedontheinnerrightthigh,whiletherightlegrestsinthefront.Forfemalesitistheopposite:theleftlegrestsinthefrontandtherightlegistucked,withtherightfootrestingontheinnerleftthigh.Thispostureissimilartoahalflotusposture,exceptthatonelegrestsinfrontofthebodyforbalance.Theplacementofthehands.Ordinarilythepalmsrestonthethighs;however,

there is another technique we can use called vajra fists. To make vajra fists,toucheachthumbtothebottomofthecorrespondingringfinger,andthencurluptheremainingfingersarounditso itmakesafist.Thefistsarepressedintothecreaseofthethighswiththebacksofthehandspressingdownwardandthethumbsfacingawayfromthebody.Wecanchoosewhicheverhandpositioniscomfortableforus.Thealignment of theback.Oneof themost important aspects of the seated

postureisforthevertebraetobeasstraightasanarrow,suchthatonevertebraisstacked upon another. Having a straight spine is essential to our posture, thepractice of meditation, and wind energy training in general. If we cannotstraightenthespinewhensittingonthefloor,wecansitonachairinstead.Thesetoftheshoulders.Theshouldersshouldbesetbacklikethewingsofa

vulture.Manyofushavenotseenvulturesoftenenoughtovisualizewhat thisinstructionmeans.Avulturehasatremendouswingspan,anditswingsareabletostretchoutperfectlystraight.Justso,ourshouldersshouldrollbackandopen,orwiden,sothattheymimicthevulture’sbroadbackandwingspan.Whenthevertebraearestackedstraight,theshouldersnaturallyrollbackandaresetwide.Theplacementof thechin.Thechin isslightly tucked in toward theneck to

betterinviteaslightlydownward-turnedgaze.The placement of the tongue. The tongue touches the roof of the mouth,

restingnaturallyabovetheteeth.Thedirectionofthegaze.Theeyesareopenandthelineofvisiongrazesthe

topofthenose.Theeyesareopen,natural,andunmoving.The Seven-Point Posture supports an important aspect of wind energy

training:tobringthewindenergythatisdispersedthroughoutthebodyintotheenergetic “central channel,”which runs like a pillar through the center of thebody.Whatisthebenefitofbringingtheimpurewindsintothecentralchannel?Simply put, it purifies them. As we discussed in the previous chapters, bypurifyingtheimpurewinds,strongemotions,conceptualthoughts,andneurotictendencies diminish and the mind naturally becomes calm and even. Thishappensnaturally, inpart simplybysitting in theSeven-PointPosture,even ifwedon’tknowanyotheraspectofwindenergytraining!Becauseofthisveryimportantroleoftheposture,itisdesirablethatwemake

an effort to develop mindfulness about all of its seven aspects, and workdiligently at sitting in this manner whenever we sit down to practice until itbecomesanaturalhabit.Wemayfindthatsimplylearningtositinthispostureisitsownformofmindfulnesstraining.

YogaoftheWindPhysicalposturebelongstothecategoryofouteryoga.Thenexttypeofyogawearelearninghere,theyogaofthewind,iscalledinneryoga.Innerreferstothesubtleormoreprofoundnatureofthisyoga,ascomparedwiththemoregeneralnature of outer yoga. The physical posture of the body enables the centralchanneltoopenandthewindenergytoenter.Eachofthesevenaspectsofthephysicalouteryoga—theSeven-PointPosture

ofVairocana—are linked to the five root typesofwindenergy.Theseare fivemaintypesofwindenergyfoundinthebody.TheLowerWinds.Thewindenergythatabidesintheareaabovethegenitals,

the“secretarea,”iscalledthelowerwinds,oneofthefiverootwindenergies.

Thesewinds perform the function of excretion.Whenwe sit in the full lotuspostureofouteryoga,thelowerwindnaturallyentersthecentralchannel.SittinginSattvaposturesupportsthisprocessaswell.TheWindsintheAbdomen.Anotherofthefiverootwindenergies,thewinds

thataiddigestionarefoundinthelowerabdomen.Whenweplacevajrafistsinthe crease of the thighs, this naturally causes the belly to poke out.When thebellypokesout, this relaxes thewind that is abiding in the lower abdomen sothatthedigestivewindsnaturallyenterthecentralchannel.ManypeopleintheWesthavethehabitofhunchingover.Thereasonforthis

isthatweareraisedsittinginchairsorsofas,ratherthansittingonthefloorasistaught inmanyAsiancultures.Whenwesit,weofteneitherbendoveror leanback on something. Slouching compacts the abdomen,which closes the belly,restricts breathing, and improperly curves the spine.Thismeans that basedonourhabitualpostures,thecentralchannelremainsclosed.

AnyenRinpochedemonstratesvajrafist:Placeyourthumbunderyourringfinger,andcloseyourfistaroundit.

Sattvapostureandplacementofthebackofthehandsonthecreaseofthethigh.

Sattvapostureandplacementofthebackofthehandsonthecreaseofthethigh.Theplacementofthevajrafistsonthecreaseofthethigh,andthemalesattvaposturearedemonstrated.

SevenPointPosture.Theseven-pointpostureinfulllotus—notethealignmentofthespine,thesetoftheshoulders,theplacementofthechin,andthedirectionofthegaze.

Inhalation/exhalationthroughtheleftnostril.Fingerplacementtoclosetherightnostrilforinhalation/exhalationthroughtheleftnostril.

Fulllotuspostureandbeginninginhalation/exhalationthroughtherightnostril.Placementoftheleftfingerontheleftnostrilforbeginninginhalation/exhalation

The Life-Force Wind. In the heart center resides another of the root windenergies,thewindthat“holds”thelifeforce.Themostimportantofallthewindenergiesandknownastherootofallthewinds,thelife-forcewindiswhatkeepsusalive.Keepingthespinestraightasanarrowenablesthewindenergyintheheart center to enter the central channel.This brings us to another instruction,whichpoints out the necessity of keeping the spine straight like a hawk in itsnest. Again, thismetaphormay not feel accessible at first becausewe do notoften see hawks in their nests. However, the meaning of the example is thathawksareveryproudbirds.Whentheysitintheirnests,theyraisetheirbodiesup in a regal posture.We, too, should not only straighten the spine, but feelalmostasthoughtheheadisbeingpulledupfromabove.Thisnotonlyaidsthewindenergyintheheartcenterinenteringthecentralchannel,italsowakesusupandgivesthemindalight,joyousfeeling.Whenwearemindfulofourposture,focusingontheSeven-PointPostureof

Vairocana,thenthewindinthesecretplaceabovethegenitalarea,thewindinthebelly,andthewindintheheartcenterwillnaturallyenterthecentralchannel.Withthesedetailsinmind,wecanbegintoappreciatethenecessityofhavingaskillful teacher. If thewindenergydoesnotproperlyenter thecentralchannel,butinsteadcomesupintothechestareaandmixeswiththewindabidingthere,mental or physical illness can develop. This is actually the source of manyillnesses, because, as a result of various conditions in the body and the

environment, the winds that normally abide in different parts of the bodybecomemixedintheheartcenter.Inthepreviousfewchapters,wetalkedaboutheart-windandhowitcanleadtocardiopulmonarydisorders,aswellasmentaland emotional imbalance. Improperly working with wind energy can actuallycauseheart-wind.Wemustbecarefultoadheretothebeginninginstructionsinthisbook,andseekoutamasterofthistraditionifwewishtoworkwithwindenergytrainingseriously.TheUpward-MovingWind.Slightlytuckingthechintowardthechestcausesa

naturaldownwardbendintheneck.Thisaspectof thepostureisrelatedto thefourth of the root wind energies, the upward-moving wind, which naturallyabides in the throat.Because of this detail of the posture, the upward-movingwindentersthecentralchannel.TheAll-PervasiveWindEnergy. The last of the rootwind energies, the all-

pervasivewindenergyabidesbetweentheskinandtheflesh,coveringtheentirebodyunderneaththeskin.Movingtheshouldersbackandwidelikethewingsofa vulture helps us sit completely motionless. Sittingmotionless helps the all-pervasivewindenergyenterthecentralchannel.Also,whenwetuckvajrafistsinto thecreasesof the thighs, it iseasier tokeep thespinestraightand for theshoulderstonaturallymovebacklikethewingsofavulture,alsocausingtheall-pervasivewindenergytomoveintothecentralchannel.Mastering theWinds.Thesixthpoint isnot related toanyspecificaspectof

thepostureortoonespecificrootwindenergy.Wehavejustlearnedthatwhenwe sit and incorporate the first five points of the Seven-Point Posture ofVairocana, the five root wind energies will enter the central channel. This iscalledbindingormasteringthewind.Whenwebindtherootwinds,the21,000windsthatgiverisetotheafflictiveemotionsnaturallyenterthecentralchannel.Thus,thisposturebindsthewindsoftheafflictiveemotions.SeeingNonconceptualWisdom.Theseventhpointofthispracticeincorporates

boththeaspectsoftouchingthetonguetothetopofthemouthandthatofeyesopenandgazingalongthetopofthenose.Whenthetonguetouchesthetopofthe mouth, the jaw naturally drops down and creates space in the mouth.ThroughthelensofTibetanBuddhism,this,combinedwithopeneyes,enablesustoseethenatureofnonconceptualwisdom.Whenwemeditate,itisessentialthatoureyesbeopen!

PrecautionsThegreatmasterMilarepasaidaboutphysicaldiscomfort,“Iamhappy to feel

painbecauseIknowIamexhaustingmykarma.”Eachofusshouldworkwithsome kind of physical yoga, which will enable the body, and especially thejoints, to becomemore flexible and the hips to open so thatwe can sitmoreproperly in the Seven-Point Posture.We should try to counteract how spoiledourbodiesmayhavebecome.Ordinarily,wedonotpracticephysicalyoga,nordowesitintheSeven-Point

Posture. We are content to just let the body do whatever it wants to. Whensomethinghurtsduringoursittingpractice,thenweuseapillow,wechangeourposture,orwepropourselvesup.Wemustinsteadteachourselvestosit intheSeven-PointPosturebeforeweattemptwindenergytraining,otherwise,thefiverootwindenergieswillnotenterthecentralchannel,andwewillnotbeabletobind the wind energy. If the five root wind energies do not enter the centralchannel,wecannotmasterthe21,000windsoftheafflictiveemotions.Instead,afflictionswillcontinuetoariseinthesamemannerthattheyalwayshave.Weshouldanticipateandacceptsomephysicaldiscomfortasweworkatsitting inthis posture. Of course, we do not want to injure ourselves; we should workgradually and steadily at this practice.Wemay have physical limitations andneed to sit in a chairwhenwe practice. Even so,wewill still receive benefitfromphysicalmovementandstretching.

WorkingwiththeFiveElementsWejustlearnedabouthow,fromtheinnerpointofview,thefiverootwindswillenterthecentralchannelbasedontheSeven-PointPosture.WhenwesitintheSeven-PointPosture,thefivebranchwinds,whicharedescribedasthewindsofthe fiveelements (earth,water, fire,wind,andspace),will rest in theirnaturalplaceinthebodyratherthanbeingscatteredhereandthere.Wecallthisbindingtheelements,becausethewindenergysettlesintoitsownplace.Thefollowingpartoftheexplanationisgivenfromthesecretpointofview,meaningthattheseteachingsarenotgivenindepthtoinexperiencedpractitioners,becausetheyaremorespecific,moreprofound,andmoresubtlethantheouterandtheinner.TheWindofSpace.Wehavealready talkedabout thestraightspinebeinga

very crucial part of the Seven-Point Posture. In addition to allowing the life-forcewindtoenterthecentralchannel,wealsosaiditgivesthemindajoyousand awakened feeling. With regard to the five elements, this aspect of theposturebindsthewindofthespaceelement.TheWindofWater.Touching the tongue to the roofof themouthbinds the

windofthewaterelement.

TheWind ofWind. Setting the shoulders back in themanner of a vulture’swingsbindsthewindofthewindelement.TheWindofEarth.Placing thehandseither invajra fistsorpalmsdownon

thethighsbindsthewindoftheearthelement.TheWindofFire.Slightlytuckingtheneckbindsthewindofthefireelement.

Whenwe take the sum of all of these actions together,we bind the five rootwindenergies,andthenthefivebranchorsecondarywindenergiesrelatedtothefiveelementsbasedonourposture.

PRACTICINGYOGAOFWINDANDMIND

Asageneralnote,windenergypracticeisbestdoneearlyinthemorningbeforewehaveeaten.Evenifwedonotpracticeintheearlymorning,weshouldallowourfoodtodigestforanhourortwobeforewestarttopractice.Afterpracticingphysicalyoga for fifteen to twentyminutes,wesitdown in

theSeven-PointPosture.Beforecontinuing,weshouldtakeamomenttonoticeourintention.Meditationshouldalwaysbeginwithacompassionatewishtohelpall sentient beings, including ourselves. So if that wish is absent at first, weshouldcultivateitbythinking,“MaytheresultofthispracticebethatIamabletoloveandsupportothersselflessly.”InMahayanaBuddhism,wecallthiswishto benefit all beings everywhere “generating the mind of bodhichitta.”BodhichittaisaSanskritwordthatmeans“enlightenedmind.”Now that we have engaged in some physical movement, cultivated our

intention,andsatintheproperposture,wewillengageinanexercisethathelpsustodispelthekarmicwindenergyfromthebody.Thisbreathworkcanbethegateway to our sitting practice.We can use it once daily or each timewe sitdowntopractice.ItiscalledtheNineCyclesofInhalationandExhalation.Theninecyclesarebrokenupintothreegroupsofthreebreaths.Thefirstsix

setsofinhalationsandexhalationsaredoneusingalternatingnostrils.Themouthremains closed the entire time and we breathe only through the nose. As ageneralnote,theteachingsonwindenergytrainingandYantraYogaemphasizebreathing through thenostrilsduring theentirepracticesession.Unlesswearegiven specific, personal instruction by a master on how and when to breathethroughthemouth,weshouldalwaysbreathethroughthenosewhenwepracticewindenergytraining.

Westernmedicalresearchershavefoundavarietyofbenefitsthatcomefrombreathingthroughthenostrilsratherthanthemouth.First,breathingthroughthenostrils results in more oxygen being absorbed into the arteries. This occursbecausenitricoxideismadebyournoseandsinusmembranesandcarriedintothe lungsduringnostrilbreathing.Nitricoxiderelaxesandwidens thearteries,enabling them to absorb more oxygen. This gas, when inhaled even in smallamountsintothelungs,canincreaseoxygenabsorptionsignificantly.1Theairweinhalethroughournoseisalsohumidifiedandwarmed,whichallowsforbetteroxygen–carbondioxideexchange.2Nostril breathing also increases the absorption of oxygen because of the

resistanceprovidedbytheactofexhalingthroughthenasalpassages.Sincetheairmovesmore slowly than it would if exhaled through themouth, it spendsmoretimeinthelungs,andthereforemoreoxygenisabsorbed.Thisresistanceduringtheactofexhalingisexerciseforthelungs,increasingtheirefficiency.Finally,becausenostrilbreathingprolongsexhalation,itstimulatesthevagus

nerve.Stimulatingthevagusnerveresultsinlowerbloodpressureandheartrate,alowerbreathingrate,andalsodecreasesinflammationinthebody.3

Exercise2THENINECYCLESOFINHALATIONANDEXHALATION

Guidedinstruction:Beginbytakingasoftinhale,pressingtheleftnostrilclosedwith the left index finger, and exhaling through the right nostril. Next, inhalethroughtherightnostril,andthenswitchsides:theleftindexfingerreleasestheleft nostril while the right index finger closes the right nostril. Then, exhalethrough the left nostril, inhale through the left nostril, and continue as before,alternatingnostrils.Eachinhalation/exhalationthroughasinglenostrilcountsasone set. Thus,whatwas just describedwere two of the nine cycles or sets ofbreathing.Werepeatthisuntilwehaveinhaledandexhaledatotalofsixtimes—three through each nostril. Finally, we take three sets of inhalation andexhalationthroughbothnostrils.Generalnotes.This is general advice forhow thebreathing shouldbedone

during thisexercise.Theexhalation isa littlestrong,but itshouldbe longandrelaxed.Continueexhalinguntilthebreathcompletelydissolves,andtheninhaleagain,alsoinaveryelongatedandrelaxedmanner.Alwaysbreatheasdeeplyaspossible,pullingthebreathdownintotheabdomen,andtryingtofeelitpervadethe entire body. Since we are working with abdominal, and not thoracic,

breathing,besure that thechestandshouldersdonot risewith thebreath,andthatonlythebellyexpands.

Exercise3VISUALIZATIONINTHENINECYCLESOFINHALATIONANDEXHALATION

Nine-CycleBreathing.Theninecyclesofbreathingcanbecomplementedwithavisualization practice. In the beginning, you may wish to just becomecomfortablewiththeactualbreathingpracticetaughtabove.Before starting, you can either visualize that in the space above your head

there is pure, clean, unobstructed energy, or, if you are a practicingBuddhist,you can visualize an array of wisdom beings. Regardless of your level ofexperienceorspecificreligiousorspiritualbeliefs,thissimplevisualizationcanbeusedbyanypractitioner.Topracticevisualization, beginby inhaling softly and thenmaking the first

exhalation through the right nostril. Think of dispelling the afflicted mind ofangeroutwiththebreath.Whenexhalingthroughtherightnostril,wesendoutmasculineenergy,ash-coloredandintheformofsnakes,whichissymbolicofanger.We should also think toourselves thatweare sendingout all impurity,obstacles,andsourcesofillnesses,especiallycancerandillnessesrelatedtotheliver.Next, inhaling through the right nostril, we take in either the pristine, pure

energyvisualized in the spaceaboveusor theblessingsof thewisdombeingsvisualized above. Engaged focus and concentration are very important whenworking with visualization because they allow us to feel that we are actuallybeing filledwith pure energy and blessings. Next, we exhale through the leftnostril, this timesendingoutfeminineenergy, theafflictedmindofdesire.Weseethebreathasbeingredincolor,intheformofroosters,whichissymbolicofdesire.Wealsothinktoourselvesthatwearesendingoutobstaclesandillnessesthatare related toa lackofwarmth in thebody.Theseare illnesses thatcausewounds and sores on the body, and also back and joint pain.We repeat thispatternofwhite/rightand red/left as justdescribed, for three setsof inhalationandexhalationfromeachnostril,foratotalofsixsets.Finally,breathingthroughbothnostrils,wereceivepureenergyandblessings,

andthensendthebreathoutthroughbothnostrils,thinkingwearesendingouttheafflictedmindofignorance,theantithesisofwisdom.Weseethebreathlikedarksmokeintheshapeofpigs,whicharesymbolicofignorance.Wethinkto

ourselves that we are dispelling all illnesses in general that are related toimbalances in the wind energy. We also dispel all faults, nonvirtue, andobstacles,whichhavemanifestedasimpurechannelsandwindinthebody.Wedo this a total of three times, making a total of nine sets of inhalations andexhalations.

SUGGESTEDDAILYPRACTICEFORWINDENERGYTRAINING:ANOVERVIEW

WehavelearnedtheSeven-PointPostureandtheNine-CycleBreathing,soweareclosetobeingreadyforacompletewindenergypracticesession.Atypicalsession is structured like this: Begin with a short session of physical yoga.Practice for about fifteen to twentyminutes, or however long youwish.Thentake your seat on a cushion. Take a moment to reflect on your motivation,makingsurethatthewishtopracticeforthebenefitofallbeingsispresentinthemind.Next,engageintheNine-CyclesBreathingtodispelthekarmicwind.Thisshortsequencewillprepareyouforengaginginashortsessionofwindenergytraining, using one of the techniques introduced in the chapters that follow:reflectingon life’s impermanence, training inmindfulnessandcomingback tothe breath when the mind is distracted, and training in a compassionate andaltruisticmotivation.TheTibetanBuddhist teachings say thatwheneverwe sit on the cushion to

practice,we sit in twokinds of solitude.First, the body is to be in solitude—meaningwe should be in a relaxed environmentwithout distractions. Second,themind is insolitude—that is,quietand focused.Beawareof thiswhenyouchoosethetimeandplacetodevelopyourpractice.

5

MeditatingonImpermanencewithBreathAwareness

MEDITATING ON IMPERMANENCE is an important part of wind energy trainingbecauseithelpsustodevelopmomentaryawarenessofthebodyandthebreath,aswellas to releasestress, thebasisofmanymentalandphysical imbalances.When we emotionally understand that both we ourselves, our loved ones, allbeings, and the entire world are impermanent, we feel more relaxed whenunwanted and painful situations arise. In this chapter, we will learn whatimpermanence is according to the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, how tocontemplate impermanence,andhowtousethatcontemplationas thebasisforwindenergytraining.

FIRST,CONTEMPLATEIMPERMANENCEINTELLECTUALLYThe general Buddhist teachings explain that the manifestation of all ofphenomenal existence, including both beings and the outer environment, ispossiblebecauseof amultitudeof causes and conditions coming together at acertainpointintimeandspace.Thismanifestationishappeningonamoment-to-moment basis, again and again, and each moment is an expression of freshcauses and conditions coming together. This is called the nature ofimpermanence.Whatarethesecausesandconditions?Onewaywecananswerthisquestion

isthatthefiveelementsactassomeofthecausesandconditionsthatexpressasphenomenalexistence.Basedonhowtheelementscometogether,weperceivetheappearanceofphenomenainacertainway.Forexample,atanygivenpointintimeandspace,thevariouselementseitherareinharmony,areincreasing,orare decreasing.We can even understand our own lives in this way. The five

elements come together to form a life in the mother’s womb. Based on theincreaseoftheelementswetakebirth,andcontinuingincreaseoftheelementsfurtherexpressesmoment-by-momentasourgrowthanddevelopmentashumanbeings. As we grow older, the elements begin to decay, and this expressesmoment-by-momentassicknessandaging.Finally,astheelementsdissolveandfalloutofconnectionwithoneanother,weexperiencethedeathofthephysicalbody.Anotherusefulwaytothinkaboutthisideaistoreflectonthephrase“causes

and conditions.” Because both of these words, causes and conditions, aredescribedintheplural,wecanbesurethatthemanifestationofeachandeveryphenomenonismadeofamultitudeofthingscomingtogethertoexpressasthatoneparticularappearance,inthatoneparticularmomentintime.Inotherwords,there is no single cause for anything. There are always various energies,influences,andkarmaatwork.Whydoesitmatterthatthephenomenalworldmanifestsbasedoncausesand

conditions? It matters because this is the logical proof of the nature ofimpermanence.Anything that ismadeupofcausesandconditionscanalsobebroken down into its constituent parts. At some point, all things that cometogetherwillseparate.That iswhywesaythatwhatever is impermanentis,bydefinition,changeableanddestructible.Whenwethinkabouttheouterworldaroundus,itcantakeaverylongtime

to see the changeable nature of phenomena.But ifwewait long enough, it isimpossible for us to find anything lasting and permanent. Ifwe reflect on thewaythattheworldhasevolvedfromeonsagountilnow,basedontheincreaseandthedecreaseoftheelements,evenvastphenomenasuchastheoceanhavegonethroughgreatmetamorphoses.TheHimalayas,whicharenowthehighestmountains on the planet and still growing to this day, were once completelyunderwater.Around250millionyearsago,duringtheMesozoicera,theTibetanplateauwascoveredbytheTethysOcean.Today,fossilsofunderwatersealifecanbefoundhighonsnowymountainpeaks.TheGreatSaltLakeinUtahisaninland saltwater sea in transition. It once covered over 22,000 squaremiles—mostofUtahandportionsofNevadaandIdaho.Aboutsixteen thousandyearsago,itbegandryingupandisnowjustalargesaltwaterlakeflat.Contemplatingexamplessuchasthese,whichseempermanentandlastinginourminds,helpsustogainintellectualinsightintothefactthatthereisabsolutelynothinginthisworldthatislastingorunchanging.

NEXT,UNDERSTANDIMPERMANENCEEMOTIONALLY

Impermanenceissomethingthateveryhumanbeingneedstoknowintimately.Ifweunderstand impermanence first intellectually and thenemotionally, throughand through, then all of the comforts of life—the wealth that we cherish somuch, our family, friends, and loved ones, and even the difficult or painfulconnectionswehavewithothers,becomelessimportantandlessweightyinthemind. When we understand that even these things are impermanent, ourunhappinessandmental suffering lessen. Ideallyspeaking,ourgeneraloutlookand feelings toward everything and everyone become less intense and morebalancedasaresultofunderstandingimpermanence.For thoseofuswhohavenever reflectedon impermanencebefore,wemay

grasp onto our own version of reality so tightly that thinking aboutimpermanencecan seempainfulordepressing.Wearenotwrong for thinkingso. However, when we try to avoid the truth of impermanence by pushing itawayorignoringit,wearejustthrowingourselvesdeeperintothesamedenialthatwealwaysfindourselvesin.Actually,thesufferingofdenialisevenworsethanordinarysuffering.Denialimpliesthatthereissomeawarenessthatwearetrying to reject. We know something but refuse to see the truth. After anunwanted situation occurs andwe experience the suffering thatwe knewwasboundtocomesoonerorlater,weexperiencesufferingheapeduponsuffering—firstthesufferingoftheexperienceitself,andthenthesufferingofknowingthatwecouldhavedonesomethingtoemotionallyandspirituallyprepareourselvesbutdidnot.

UnderstandingImpermanenceIstheBasisforSpiritualPractice

In the Buddhist teachings, the nature of impermanence is taught to each andeverypractitioner.Itisthebasisforallotherpracticeyettocomeonthepath.Itisabasicattitude,anoutlookthatthemindhasadoptedinordertomaintaintheinspirationtopractice.Withouttheknowledgethatphenomenaareimpermanent,wehavenoreasontomakeaspiritual journeyatall.Wemightaswellsimplyhope that things inour liveswillgo inahappymanner,or foolourselves intothinkingthatitispossibleforlifetobefullofhappiness,withnoupsanddowns.Once we realize that happiness is not a state that can ever be permanentlyachieved, and that it is impossible to avoid sorrow and unhappiness, we feel

much more committed to taking care of our spiritual lives and making someeffortataspiritualpractice.Inthebeginning,impermanenceisalwaystaughtasanintellectualreflection.

Weneedtounderstanditlogically.Weneedthemindtobecompletelycertainthatthereisnoavoidingchange.Becomingcompletelyconvincedofthetruthofthisstatementisthekeytospiritualpractice.Attimes,especiallywhentimesaretough,weglimpsethechangeablenatureoflife.Wethinkbacktohappiertimeswithlonging,wonderingwhatwentwrong.Thetruthis,nothingwentwrong.Itis simply impossible for life to continue on in the samemannerwithout end.However,when thingsaregoingwell, thoughtsof life’s impermanencedonotevenenterthemind.Wewantsomuchtobelievethathappinesswillcontinueonforever.Whenwereflecton impermanence,wemustuseour intellect to teachourselves the truth of impermanence—with the knowledge that the mind isalways easier to convince than the heart.However, it is based on the truth ofimpermanencepenetratingourheartandmindthatwewillbeabletocarrytheknowledge of impermanence into our everyday life. This knowledge mustbecomesecondnature.

Exercise4MEDITATINGONTHEIMPERMANENCEOFOUROWNLIVES

Afterwearedeeplycertainabouttheall-pervasivenatureofimpermanence,thenwecanstart tomeditateon itanduse itasamethodforwindenergy training.Before we begin contemplating impermanence, we will have already done ashortsessionofyoga,perfectedourposture,generatedapositivemotivation,andpracticed theNine-CycleBreathing, as taught in chapter4.Then,wecan startwith the following simple contemplation: “Because all phenomena areimpermanent,Iknowthatmyownverylife,myveryownbodythatIcherishsomuch, is impermanent.” The Buddhist teachings describe the body as aguesthouseandthemindorconsciousnessasaguest.Takingthismetaphorasastarting point,we can then combine our contemplation of impermanencewithwindenergytrainingbyworkingwithinhalationandexhalationaswereflectonourownpersonalimpermanence.Beginningwiththeexhalation,aswesendthebreathout,weshouldthinkto

ourselves,“Thisverylifeisimpermanent.Imaynothavetheopportunitytotakemynextbreath.”Aswethinkthis,weshouldactuallyfeelalackofconfidenceabout the continuation of the next moment of our lives. There is nothing to

assureusthatwewillactuallybealiveanothermomenttotakeanotherbreath.Calltomindallofthecausesandconditionsthatcouldhaveledtodeathinthisverymoment:ananeurism,aheartattack,astraybullet,acaraccident,akitchenfire, a building collapsing, or simply not waking from a dreamless sleep.Weshouldone-pointedlyfocuson this feelingofcertainty in the impermanenceoflife.Next,asweinhale,weshouldthinktoourselves,“Itisbecauseofgoodkarma

accumulated in the past”—or if you do not believe in the idea of karma—“Because of supportive conditions in the world aroundme, I have had thegood fortune to take this breath.Who knows if those conditions are going tocontinueinthefuture;whoknowsifthosegoodconditionswillsustainmylifeevenanothermoment?”This contemplativemeditation can easily be incorporatedwithwind energy

training.Thebestwaytousethistechniqueistoreflectonimpermanencewhiledirectly working with the breath—using each exhalation and inhalation as apointtorefreshanddeepenourknowledgeandunderstandingofimpermanence.If we are not comfortable working with a contemplative practice in

conjunctionwithbreathwork,wecanchangethepracticeslightly.Westartoutbyreflectingonimpermanence.Atthemomentthatwereallyfeelconvincedoflife’s impermanence—we really feel the groundlessness of this world, theenvironment, and our entire being—fear or doubt may arise. We may think,“WhatwillIdo!HowwillIexistinaworldthatiscompletelyunpredictableanduncertain!”Atthatmoment,wecancomebacktothebreath.Wecanjustnoticeand follow the inhalation and exhalation one-pointedly.Whilewe do this,weshouldnotletthemindbecomedistractedbyanyfear,doubt,orstrongfeelings.Instead,weshouldkeepfocusingone-pointedlyon thebreathuntilallof thesedoubtsandfearscompletelydissolve.Asweareworkingwithwindenergytraining,wesometimesneedtochange

thefocusofourpractice.Ifweworkwiththebreathfora longtime, themindcanbecome tiredof this singular focusandbecomedistracted.At themomentthatwenoticethatwearenolongerabletomaintainconcentrationonthebreath,we should go back to a contemplative reflection on impermanence. Anotherthingthatmighthappenisthat,asaresultoffocusingsomuchonthebreath,thebreathitselfbecomesunnatural.Thishappenssimplybecausewearepayingsomuch attention to it.We find that we are unable to breathe in a relaxed andordinaryway.Then,too,weshouldbegintoreflectonimpermanenceinamorecontemplativeway.

Exercise5ALLOFLIFEISLIKEADREAM

The impermanent nature of phenomena is not difficult to understand; it issomething that every single person knows. But to actually feel that all ofexistenceandevenourverylifeandthepeoplethatweloveareimpermanentisonacompletelydifferentscale.Wecanreflecton thisusing themetaphor thatallof life is likeadream.Aswegoback toourcontemplativepractice, think,“Not only myself, my own physical body, but those I love, all people I amconnectedto,andtheentirephenomenalworldincludingoceansandmountains,allofitisjustlikeadream.”Dreams are the perfect analogue to what we are talking about, because

everybodyknowsdreams are not real.Nobody expects a dream to have cometruewhen theywakeup.Andnoneofuswould try to convince someone elsethatwhatwesawinadreamwasreality.Ourpersonalfeelingofcertaintyintheimpermanent nature of all phenomena should rise to the level of certaintywehavethatdreamsarenotreality.As you contemplate impermanence, see in yourmind’s eye, that everything

happeningaroundyouisjustlikeadream,eventhoughitisordinarilytakentobereal.Thisiswhatitmeanstotrulymeditateonimpermanence.Anotheruniquequalityofadreamisthateventhoughithasnorealorlasting

quality,asweareexperiencingit, itseemscompletelyreal.It isonlywhenwewake up thatwe realize that the experience that seemed completely real, thatcompletelyengulfedthesenses,wasn’ttrueatall.Thinkingaboutthefactthatourownlivesarelikeadreamisnotaneasything

todo.Wegraspourlivesasthoughtheyarerealateachandeverymoment.Weconstantly grasp at phenomena and beings that are impermanent as beingpermanentand lastingand real.And thiscausesusgreatmental,physical, andemotionalsuffering.Oneofthestrongestformsofsufferingthatweexperienceis a result of feelings of strong emotional attachment to our family and closefriends.Whenchangecomes,weoftenbecomeemotionallyupsetandunabletocopewiththeexperience.However,oursufferingisnotlimitedtojustemotionalsuffering.Sometimestheshocktothesystemevenhasphysicalsymptoms,suchasfatigue,headaches,orlossofappetite,whichcanleadtoillness.Ourgrasponphenomena and beings, which are actually impermanent, as permanent is sostrongthatitaffectsouremotional,mental,andphysicalhealth.Ifwecouldhaveknownwithcertainty in theverybeginning that those relationshipsandbeingscould not continue in the samemanner, our sufferingwould not be nearly so

intense.Thesameistruenotonlyofpeoplebutalsoofexperienceswedislikeorwish

toavoid.Whenwehavementalapprehension,anger,resentment,ordislike,thisalso brings suffering to body and mind. At times, when there is a situationcoming that we particularly want to avoid, we may not only create intensementalandemotionalsuffering,wecanalsobecomephysicallyillasaresultofourwishtoavoidtheexperience.These symptoms of mental, emotional, and physical imbalances are

physiologicallyrelatedtoourinabilitytobreatheproperly,andarementallyandemotionally related to our grasping at impermanent phenomena as permanent.Remember: our lives are like a TV drama. Sometimes things look good,sometimestheylookbad.Sometimestheyarehappyandwewishthingswouldgo on forever, and then suddenly something happens—things fall apart. Lifeseems unbearable and painful. This ismerely the impermanent nature of life.Thereisnocontrollinganyofit.Thereisnocontrollingourphysicalbody;thereis no controlling the process of aging; there is no controlling the environmentaroundus,thestateoftheworld,thegovernment,orthenatureofpolitics.Theonlythingthatwecancontrolandmasterisourownspiritualpath.Afterreflectingonhowalloflifeisimpermanent,gobacktothefocusonthe

inhalationandtheexhalationofthebreath.

Exercise6THENATUREOFLIFEISLIKEAWATERFALL

Anothercontemplation thatwecanworkwith is themetaphorofwater fallingfromahighcliff.Thinktoyourself,“Mylife,alloftheconditions,environment,andpeoplearoundmearelikewaterfallingfromahighcliff.Awaterfallonlymoves.Itisneverstill.Itcannotbecaughtorfrozenintime.”Eventhoughwemaywish that timewouldstop foramoment, thatwecould freezea frameofthatwaterfallandsuspendthewaterinthinair,themomentsofourlivesarelikethatwaterfalling.Theycanneverbestopped.Whetherit isacertainperiodoftimewhenwefeelmentallyandemotionallyhappyandstable,whenthereseemsto be harmony with our family and friends, or our life just seems to beparticularly easy and full, none of it can remain. Like water falling, it willcertainlychange.When suffering comes, such as experiencing the pain of an illness or being

plaguedbyfinancialproblems,alsorememberthat thissituationwillpass.Just

likethatwaterfallinconstantmotion,theexperienceoftroubleandsufferingwearehavingrightnowwillcertainlychange.Afterreflectingonhowlifeislikeawaterfallinconstantmovement,goback

tothefocusontheinhalationandtheexhalationofthebreath.

Exercise7LIFEISLIKETHEBLOWINGWIND

The Tibetan masters of old gave many traditional ways to reflect on life’simpermanent nature. Another metaphor that can be particularly vivid is themetaphor that life is as impermanent as the blowingwind.Wind is always inmotion.Itcanneverbecaughtintime;itisthenaturalandelusivemovementofair.Wemay think about our own life andwish that itwas longer, but this isimpossible.Justaswhatwemeanwhenwethinkof“wind”implicitlycontainstheideaofmovement,sowhatwemeanby“life”actuallycontainstherealityofdeath. Think to yourself, “Neither my life nor anything in my life can beprolonged.Allof itwillmoveandchange just like theblowingwind.”Try tofeel with certainty that although the physical body, as well as relationships,situations, and the environment appear to be stable and motionless, they willcertainlytransform,decay,andchange.After reflecting on how life is like the wind, go back to focusing on the

inhalationandtheexhalationofthebreath.

Exercise8LIFEISLIKEABUBBLE

Thismetaphorspeaksnotonlytotheimpermanentnatureoflifebutalsotoourmind’sinsatiablecreativity.Eachofusislivinginabubbleofourownmaking.Simply put, we see what we want to see. Even when we see the nature ofimpermanenceinourlives,weignoreit,pretenditisnotthere,andwishitaway.Think to yourself, “My mind constantly superimposes my own ideas onto

everything.Eventhoughthingsaroundmeareconstantlyinastateofflux,Iseethemasbeinginastateofconstancy.Eventhoughphenomenahavenotrueandlasting essence,mymind sees them as having a real and lasting nature. EventhoughIknowthatallthingswillchange,Ibelievethatmylifeandmyphysical

bodyaretheexception.”Theimageofabubbleburstingalsofitswithourexperienceoflife.Wehave

no ideawhatwill cause the bubble to burst, so to speak.We only know thatwhen it does, it can feel like our lives are in ruins. If we had known in thebeginningthatwhatweseeisabubbleofourownmaking,andthatitcannotbetrusted or depended on, the suffering we experience in the wake of itsdestructionwouldbesomuchless.Afterreflectingonhowthenatureoflifeislikeabubble,returntofocusingon

theinhalationandexhalationofthebreath.

Exercise9LIFEISLIKEAMAGICIAN’STRICK

Aschildren,wesitbeforeamagicianandarethrilledbyhistricks.Webelieve,in part because we want to, that there is no actual trick but that we havewitnessed amiracle, something trulymagical. Aswe grow older, we becomesuspiciousofthisso-calledmagician.Webuyabookwherewecanreadexactlyhowthetrickwasdone,stepbystep.Wefeeldisappointedinnotbeingabletobelieveinthatmagictrick—orthemagician—anylonger.Life is like a magician’s trick. At first glance, things seem beautiful, even

perfect.Butastimegoeson,webecomesuspiciousofourownillusions;ofourbelief that things will go according to our wishes; and that change will notinterruptourwell-laidplans.Thinktoyourself,“Forsolong,Ihavebelievedinthemagician’sillusionofpermanence.Iwanttowakeupfromthisillusionandseemylifeandtheworldforwhatitis:thenatureofconstantchange.”Afterreflectingonhowlifeislikeamagician’strick,returntotheinhalation

andexhalationofthebreath.

Exercise10LIFEISLIKEANEVENINGPRIMROSE

An evening primrose is a flower that only blooms early in themorning, thenwiltsintheheatofthesun.Eachandeveryoneofusislikeaneveningprimrose.We have good, supportive conditions to sustain life for a time. Butwhen thetimecomesforustodie,noonecanstopit.

Thinktoyourself,“Whereverthereisfullness,declineanddecaymustcome.”We put so much of our energy into avoiding and fending off the process ofaging. Yet, like the evening primrose that only likes the early-morning light,evenourownlivesandourownbodieswillwiltintime.Remindyourselfthatifonemoment is happy, sorrow or sadnessmay come in the next. Once thingshavegatheredtogether,itiscertainthatsoonerorlater,theymustpart.Itisonlyamatteroftime.After reflecting on how life is like an evening primrose, return to the

inhalationandexhalationofthebreath.

GeneralAdviceonContemplatingImpermanenceDevelopingacontemplativepracticeisaprocess.Noonecantellyouhowlongyourpracticesessionshouldbe.Itisbesttochooseanamountoftimethatseemsmanageableand thatyoucankeep toonadailybasiswithout feeling like it istoomuch. If you choose an amount of time that is too long, youwill becomediscouragedandquit.Instead,youcanstartwithfifteenortwentyminutes,andincreasethelengthofyoursittingpracticeovertime.Ofcourse,ifyouwishforparticularguidanceinhowtodevelopapracticethatismorespecificthanwhatis presented in this book, you should seek a teacher who can give youmorepersonaladvice.As you read through these suggested contemplations, somewill seemmore

vivid and evocative to you than others. Startwith those.Over time, youmaywanttousetheothercontemplationsasawaytodeepenyourpracticeandreflecton impermanence in a new way. In one practice session, you can work witheitheroneor severalof thesemetaphors tohelpyoucontemplate thenatureofimpermanence.Itisuptoyoutousewhateverseemstobemosthelpful.You may also want to start keeping a journal where you note down other

evocativeandpersonalexamplesofmetaphors,orobjectsofcontemplationthatyounoticeinyourownlife.Indoingso,youmakeimpermanencepracticeevenmorepersonalandapplicabletoyourself.

Exercise11CELEBRATELIFE

Now thatyouhave taken some time to contemplate the impermanenceof life,

you shouldbeoverjoyed that youhave this opportunity tovalue anduse eachandeverymomentforyourowngoodandthegoodofothers.Howwonderful!At theendof thewindenergy training session, spenda fewmomentsusing

the breath to channel this attitude of rejoicing. As you inhale, you can think,“Howfortunate!Mylifelastedlongenoughtotakethisbreath.”Asyouexhale,youcanthink,“MayIusetheremainderofmylifewisely.”Youmayalsowanttoapplythisthinkingasyoufallasleepatnight,rejoicingthatyoulivedanotherdaybeforeyou fall asleep, andasyouawaken in themorning, aspiring tousewhattimeyouhaveleftwisely.

6

UnlockingOldPatternsthroughWindEnergyTraining

BECOMINGAWAREofourownemotionaltendenciesisanimportantpartofwindenergy training because through this awareness, we notice the connectionbetweenourstateofmind,howwefeel,andthebreath.This,inturn,helpsustobreak old habits and patterns, and develop new responses to inner and outerstimuli.Thesestimuliareconstantlysurfacing—andsoisthebreath.Asaresult,it is no coincidence that the breath is the perfect tool to use on amoment-to-momentbasis.Whetherweareeating,sleeping,sitting,working,engagingwithothers,ordriving,wecancultivateawarenessofthebreaththroughoutthemall.In thischapter,wewillexplore theemotional tendencies that tend todominateourminds,andhowtorelease thatemotionor train inanewresponse throughwindenergytraining.

HOWDOWEREACT?

Eachoneofushasdevelopedunhealthyhabitsandpatternsover thecourseofour lifetimes. In saying this,we do notmean to denigrate or judge ourselves,implying “That part of me is good, and that part is bad.” We do not helpourselvesbyfeelinginferior,inadequate,orincapable.Wearewhoweare,andthatiswhatwehavetoworkwith.Atthesametime,thereisnousedenyingourimperfections.Allofusactin

ways that we know are not healthy. We make choices, conscious orsubconscious,todothingsthatarenotinourbestinterest.Attimes,weevenseeourselvesactingout thesepatternsofunhealthybehavior,yetweareunable to

stopourselvesfromdoingtheverythingweknowweshouldavoid.Wedonotneed to have an addiction to have an unhealthy behavior that seems toperpetuallyfuelitself.Beingimperfectissimplypartofbeinghuman.Reflectingonthesemostdifficultaspectsofourpersonalities,weshouldnot

giveuphope.Noneofusistrappedintobeingsomeonewedonotwanttobe.Ourlivesaretotallynewandfreshinthemoment.Evenmoreimportantly,nowwearelearningaboutwindenergytraining.Wearelearningtobemoreflexibleby working with the energy that lies underneath old patterns of unhealthybehavior. And, as we already know, life is impermanent and change isimminent!Wherewewanttogoisuptous.

SeeingOurOwnHabitualTendenciesIntheBuddhist teachings,wedescribeeverypatternofbehaviorasa“habitualtendency.”Thereisnojudgmentintheuseofthisterm.Wemayhavehabitualtendencies toward healthy behavior as well as toward harmful or unhealthybehavior.Fromthepointofviewof theBuddhist teachings,allsentientbeingshave developed their own individual habits, both positive and negative, overtime. Ifweaccept the ideaofpast livesandkarma, itmakes sense to say thatbasedonthestrengthofthekarmaandhabitswedevelopedinpastlives,certainhabitsandemotionaltendencieshavebeencarriedintothislifetime.Evenifwedonotaccepttheideaofpastlives,itstillmakessensetothinkthatduringthislifetime,wehavedevelopedourowndistinctwaysofrelatingtoothersandtheworld around us. Each of us reacts strongly to certain things and passively toothers. Our reactions have to do with our habitual outlook, the lens throughwhichweperceivetheworld.AccordingtotheBuddhist teachings, thefivepoisonsarethebasisforallof

our emotional responses. Of course, all types of emotional responses candevelop based on our basic disposition and our life experiences. Our habitualtendencies are expressed through body, speech, and mind. However, as wereflectonthesepatternsinthecontextofwindenergytraining,wewillstarttoseeourpersonaltendenciesasthefoodforwindenergypractice.Ouremotionaltendenciesare themostpowerfulenergieswehave toworkwith,because theycoloreverythingwedo,say,andthink.Ifwecanstarttoworkdirectlywithouremotionalhabitsandreactions,wecanmakerealandlastingchangesinourownlivesandbehaviorbydevelopingmoreemotionalstability,kindness,flexibility,andappreciation.

PurifyingOurDeepestHabitsWe now know that our emotional tendencies are an expression of the windenergyinourbodiesatanygivenmoment.Andweallbearwitnesstothehabitsandcyclesofouremotional lives.Taking thisunderstanding toadeeper level,we can see that ourwind energymust be amirror image of these habits andcycles.Otherwise,itwouldnotbepossibleforthesehabitualemotionalreactionsto rise up upon the wind energy. So we are not only working on makingbehavioral changes on the surface, we are working to purify the habits andimpuritiesintheenergythatfuelsthesepatterns.

Exercise12RECOGNIZINGOURDOMINANTEMOTIONALTENDENCIES

To practice the style of wind energy training presented in this chapter, firstestablish a focus for the practice. The focuswill be your dominant emotionaltendency ormind-set. In otherwords, how do you tend to react emotionally?Whatemotionaltendencywouldyoumostliketoalleviate?Youprobablyhavesomeideaoftheanswertothisquestionbecausewhateveryoureacttothemostprobably causes you the most mental and emotional suffering. What kind ofemotionalreactionscauseyouthemostpain?Forexample,youmightthink,“IfIdidn’tgetsoangrysooften,I’dfeelsomuchbetter.”Each of us has a sense of our own temperament; however, we often see

ourselves differently than others see us. We sometimes lack insight intoourselves. For example, we might not think of ourselves as a particularlyimpatientperson.However,thisperceptionmightnotbesharedbyotherswhomweinteractwithonadailybasis.Becausewemaylackinsightintoourselves,weshouldtaketimetoreflectonandtakestockofourdominantemotionalhabitssowecangetamoreaccurate“self-portrait”beforestartingthesepractices.Onewaytodothisisbytalkingwithaspouseortrustedfriendwhomyoucan

countontogiveyouhonestandcompassionatefeedback.Youmightaskthemhow they perceive you, or how they characterize you in their own mind. Ofcourse,theywilllikelyoffersomepositivefeedback,buttheywillprobablyalsosharesomeinsightintoyourvulnerabilitiesoremotionaltendencies.Ifthisapproachisnotsuitable,anotherwaytogainsomeinsightistocarrya

notebookwithyouduring theday.Whenyounotice thatyouare frustratedoremotionallyupset,youcanmakeanoteabouthowyouseeyourselfreactingto

emotional triggers. Later, as these notes and personal reflections accumulate,youcanseethecommondenominators.Itmightbehelpfultokeepinmindthatseveralemotionaltendenciescanplayoffofoneanother—maybeyoudonotjusthaveone!Thereareseveraldominantemotionalpatternsthatmightbeatworkinyour

mind.Doyounoticeanyofthefollowingpatternsinyourdailylife?

Some of us are extremely hot-tempered. We become easily angered,impatient,orfrustrated.Some of us are extremely emotionally attached to our friends and lovedones,andhavedifficultydoingthingsormakingdecisionsonourown.Some of us have an extremely strong craving for creature comforts.Wemightspendallofour resources,both timeandmoney,makingourselvesandourenvironmentbeautiful.Someof us are greedy, even at the expense of our ownhealth.Wedenyourselveshealthcare,healthyfood,andothernecessitiesbecausetheycostmoney. We might have a poverty mind-set, never feeling that we haveenough.Wecouldbe so tightwithourmoney thatwe refuse to spend it,andinsteadhoarditinthebank,fornootherpurposethanassavings.Some of us are extremely neurotic. Ourmind has the quality of being a“firestarter.”Wemakesomethinghappenthroughthesheerpowerofoursuspicionsanddoubtsbyfinding,andmaking,troubleevenwherethereisnone.Someofushavethetendencytobejealous.Wecreatedisharmonybecausewefeelexcludedornotgoodenough,andhavedifficultyconnectingwithothers.Wecanneverquitegetcomfortablewithourselves.Someofusareextremelyarrogant.Weneed tobe thecenterof attentionandwecravepraiseandtheadorationofothers.

Afterwehaverecognizedourstrongestemotionaltendencyandestablisheda

focus,weuse that emotionas thebasis forwindenergypractice.Thepracticehas two components: a formal sitting practice and an integrated daily-lifepractice.Eachoftheseaspectswillbediscussedindetaillaterinthischapter.Theformalsittingpracticecanbecomethemainpartofourdailywindenergy

training.Theintegrateddailypracticeofwindenergytrainingcanbeappliedonthe spot, whenever we see a particular emotional tendency rise up during theday.

MINDFULNESSASABASISFORWINDENERGYTRAINING

Mindfulness is the link between wind energy training and our emotionalresponses.Howdoesmindfulnessenableustonotchaseafterunhealthyhabitualresponses and emotional tendencies? To understand this, take a moment tounderstandhowmindfulnessworks.IntheEnglishlanguage,mindfulnessisasingleword,whichmanyofushave

come to understand as meaning “being extremely aware.” In the Tibetanlanguage,mindfulness, ordren she (Tib.dran shes), is a compoundwordwithtwo aspects. The first aspect of the word, dren, can be translated as“remembering,”and is theaspectofourmind that remembers topractice.Thesecondaspectoftheword,she,means“introspection.”Inthemind,introspectionislikeagatekeeperorashepherdwhoisconstantlywatchingwhatisgoingonaround us, what influences are coming into the mind, and what the mind isreacting to. So, reflecting on the Tibetan etymology, when we have truemindfulness,wefirstnoticethatthemindhasbeensnaggedbysomething,andthenweremembertopractice.Workingdirectlywithouremotionaltendenciesandreactionsrequiresstrong

mindfulness.Without strongmindfulness,wewillnotnoticewhenanemotionhasariseninthemind,andwewillnotrealizethatweneedtoapplywindenergytraining.

HowAttachmentsFormTo introduce how to practicemindfulness as a basis forwind energy training,let’susetheexampleofthestrongemotionaltendencyofdesire.Theemotionaltendencyofdesirecanmanifestinallsortsofways,suchaswantingorseekingmaterial,emotional,orsexualcomforts.Wemightnotthinkofcomfortasbeinganexpressionofdesire.Wecoulduse thewordattachment insteadofcomfort.We express the emotional tendency of desire when we want to possesssomethingorsomeone,wanttomaintainacertainexperience,orwishtopossesssomeoneorsomethinginthefuture.Desireisgenerallyanemotionbasedontheappearanceofsomekindofform

perceivedbytheeyes.Someformsareextremelypleasingtolookat;theyalmostseemmagnetic.Wewant themas soonaswe see them.We feel anemotionalattachmenttothem.Yetwecouldhaveotherreactionstotheperceptionofformaswell.Someformsmakeusangry,unhappy,orcauseustofeelstrongdislike.

Someformsarecompletelyneutral;wedonotevennoticethem.We accumulate karma, strengthenour existing emotional patterns, and even

createnewpatternsandhabitsfromourreactionstotheformswesee.Anotherway of saying this is thatwe accumulate karma and strengthen our emotionaltendencies based on chasing after, andwanting to possess, certain perceptionsandexperiences.Forexample,ifwearecaughtupinthewhirlwindofromanticintrigue,suchasatthebeginningofarelationship,weareoverwhelmedbytheintensityofourattachmentwhenweseeourbeloved.Chasingafterthatintensefeeling and enjoying the energetic charge of that emotion strengthens theemotionaltendencyofdesire.Butdesire is not limited to thepeoplewe love.Wecandesire anything the

mind isattached to.Forexample,wemightgasp inamazementandawewhenwe see a beautiful mansion, an expensive and elegant automobile, incredibleartwork,orgardensfullofflowers.Attachmentarises towardanythingwefindaestheticallypleasing, ifwecrave itorwish topossess it.Thedifficulty isnotwiththebeautifulappearanceitself.Thedifficultyiswiththemind’scravingformore.Arealizedyogiseesthesamebeautifulappearanceswithoutthatcraving.Whenwe crave and chase after the forms and sensory experiences that the

minddesires,we reinforce thehabitof attachment.Themorewe reinforce thehabitofdesiring,themorewedesire.Withoutmindfulness,whichgivesustheability to break the cycle, we are sure to experience suffering based on theseattachments. Ordinary attachment lacks the emotional understanding that ourloved ones and the things we love are impermanent, and cannot be kept ormaintained.Withoutthisemotionalcertaintythatalloflifeisimpermanent,wearesuretosuffer.

Exercise13BASICMINDFULNESSTECHNIQUE

When we have mindfulness and introspection, it’s very easy to apply windenergy training to any scenario we can think of, whether it be pleasant,unpleasant,painful,ordistracting.Itdoesnotmatterifthesituationiscurrentlyhappening,orissomethingthatappearsinthemindasamemoryorthoughtthatwe can’t seem to put down. Even during our sitting practice, the mind isbarragedwithmemoriesof thepast, sensationsof thepresent, and thoughtsofthe future. Our thoughts and emotions are fueled by our wind energy—the“mount” that keeps the mind in perpetual motion—rather than being a direct

result of outer circumstances. If this were not the case, the mind would becalmed simply by being in a quiet roomwith no distractions. Remember, theouterisareflectionoftheinner.Wecanusemindfulnessatanytimetohelpuscalmthewind-mind,whether

sittingonthecushionorwalkingaboutinourdailylife.Itcanprovideuswithgreat emotional support if we cultivate it properly. To understand howmindfulness andwind energy training break the cycle of unhealthy emotionalresponses,let’susetheexampleofathoughtorscenariothatcausesangertoriseuponthewindenergy.First, we actually see, or the mind suddenly remembers or imagines,

somethingthatupsetsus.Supposewehaveworkedincrediblyhardplanningandcookingaspecialdinnerforourbeloved.Aswebegintoshareitwiththem,theypushasidetheplatesayingtheydonotreallylikewhatwe’vepreparedandthatthey would rather order in. The moment that the mind “sees” the scenariounfold,wereactwithangeranddisappointment.Unbelievable!Wehaveworkedsohard,andtheydon’tevenappreciatealloftheeffortwemade.Basedonthatreaction, we accumulate negative karma and strengthen the tendency for themindtoexpressanger.However, if in the first moment that the mind sees our beloved not

appreciatingus, introspection causes us to think, “Thismakesme feel angry,”and then in the secondmoment,we remember to focus on the inhalation andexhalation of the breath,we avoid accumulating karma and strengthening thattendencyofangerinthemind.Themomentweremembertofocusonthebreathandelongateourinhalationandexhalation,ourrespiratoryrateandthebuildupofwindenergy in thechestbegins todecrease,asdoes thephysical feelingofanger. Here too, wind interacts with how we feel. So, by working withmindfulness,weareactuallypreventingtheaccumulationofkarma.Mindfulnesspracticegivesusthechoicetotakeproperandwiseaction.After

focusing on the breath andgainingmental and emotional space,wehave newchoicesavailabletous.Weareabletothinkclearlyandmakethebestdecisionsabout how to act and what to say, or to evaluate if an action is wise andappropriate in the particular circumstances.We lose the tendency of bouncingaroundfromonethingtothenextbasedonourimpulsesandreactions.Working with wind energy training in conjunction with any emotional

reactionmakesusfeelmorerelaxed.Whenwerelax,ourmentalandemotionalpeaceofmindgrows.Howdoesitfeeltobeabletoletgoofsomethinginsteadof letting it run around and around through the mind, getting stronger andstronger? This feeling is the true result of practicing meditation and workingwithwindenergy.

Exercise14SITTINGONTHECUSHIONTOTRAININMINDFULNESSANDWINDENERGY

Wearenowawareofourdominantemotionaltendency,andweunderstandhowtoapplymindfulnessandintrospectiontoanysituation,whetherweareactinginthe moment or recalling past moments. When we sit down to work withmindfulnessandwindenergyasaformalpractice,weneedtofocusonourmostdominantemotionalreactionfirst.Whatwouldthatlooklike?Astaughtinchapter4,wheneverwepreparetodowindenergytrainingasa

formal practice, we first do a short period of yoga practice, work with theposture, develop a compassionate motivation, and engage in the Nine-CycleBreathing.Next,webringtomindthefocusofourpractice.Wethink,“AsIamworking

with inhalation and exhalation of the breath, I’m going to abandon the stronghabitIhavetowardemotionalattachment(orwhateveremotionaltendencyhasbeenchosen).IamgoingtonoticewhenIamtemptedtochaseafterthatfeeling,and instead let it remain in its own place by focusing one-pointedly on thebreath.”Thisfocusedmotivationhelpsusdevelopanothergoodquality:strengthofmindandthedeterminationtoengageinmeaningfulspiritualpractice.Thenweshouldbeginfocusingontheinhalationandexhalationofthebreath

for as long as we are able without distraction, making our breath even andelongated. We can return to this strong determination to avoid a particularhabitualtendencyrepeatedlyduringourpracticesession.Ifwesitforanyperiodof time, wewill probably notice our primary emotional tendency showing itsfaceinourthoughtsanddaydreamswhilewesit.Noticewhenthemindbecomesoverpoweredbythattendencyusingintrospection,andthenrememberthestrongmotivation toabandon thehabit.Afterweagainvowtocut through thishabit,weshouldreturntofocusingone-pointedlyonthebreath.

MindfulnessandtheFivePoisonsWecanworkwithmindfulnessandwindenergytraininginconjunctionwithanyof the five poisons. Some of them we have already talked about: desire(emotionalattachment);anger (dislike, resentment,or impatience);oraneutralreactionthatisgenerallyclassifiedasignorance.Theothertwopoisonsareprideandjealousy.The pride that is considered a poison is not the pride that is similar to

rejoicing,wherewe feelgoodabout things. It is anarrogance, the feeling thatothersarelessthanus.Areactionbasedonprideis,forexample,whenweseesomebodyonthestreetandthink,“Iammoreattractivethanthatperson,”or“Iamsmarterormoreknowledgeablethanthatperson.”Jealousystemsfromthefeelingthatwehavelessthanothershave.Wethink,

“Whydon’tIhavewhatthatpersonhas?”and“Whyistheirlifesomucheasierthanmine?”Nomatterwhat emotion comes up,we can rely onmindfulness and a one-

pointedfocusonthebreathtobreakthehabitualcycleofenergythatfuelsthatemotion. This basic technique is so simple, so beneficial, and so powerful,whether we are doing it as a sitting practice and reflecting back on certainsituationsordoingitinthemoment.

Exercise15USINGWINDENERGYTRAININGWITHEVERYDAYANGER

Anger,distaste,dislike,orresentment—anywaywewanttocharacterizeit—issomethingthatweallstrugglewith.ItissaidintheBuddhistteachingsthatthenegative karma accumulated based on anger is stronger than any other karmaaccumulated.ThegeneralBuddhistteachingssaythatpatienceistheantidotetoanger.Wecanusetheone-pointedfocusontheinhalationandexhalationofthebreaththatwehavelearnedtohelpuspracticepatience.Onespecificexampleofeverydayangerthatmostofuscanrelateto:Youare

drivingonthehighway,andsomebodycutsyouoff.Assoonasthatpersoncutsyouoff,youhonkthehornandshoutatthatperson.Youimmediatelyfeelangry,asifthatpersonhasdonesomethingtowrongyoupersonally.Ifwepracticemindfulnessandintrospectionandwindenergytraininginthat

moment,assoonas thatpersoncutsusoff,wethink,“Whata jerk!What’shedoing?”Then, in thenextmoment,we think, “I should startworkingwith thebreathratherthanreactinginangertowardthatperson.”Weimmediatelytakeupwind energy training, one-pointedly focusing on elongating the inhalation andexhalationofthebreathandbreathingdeeplyintotheabdomen.Asaresult,themindfocuses,ourrespiratoryratedecreases,andwebegintorelax.

Exercise16

TRAININGINREJOICINGHow else can we transform the mind’s emotional reactions? As we did withmeditationonimpermanence,wecanagainworkwiththepracticeofrejoicing.Becausethispracticeworkshandinhandwithmindfulnesspractice,itcanalsobeusedbothwhenweareon thecushionandinourdaily life.Wecan justaseasilypractice rejoicingbasedona recalled, imagined,orprojected thoughtorideaaswecaninanactualsituationinourdailylife.Forexample,whenwedrivebyabeautifulmansionwithbeautifulgardens—

or in the case of sitting practice, recall or imagine a similar situation—ournormal reaction might be one of jealousy, “Why does he or she deserve thishouseinsteadofme?”Or,wemightjudgetheownerofsuchbeautifulgrounds,thinkingthatthebeautifulhouseisevidenceoftheownerbeingflawedinsomeway—suchasbeinggreedyorhavingtakenadvantageofsomeone.Becauseourtendency toward jealousy is so strong, oftentimeswe judge peoplewhen theyhave good things.We do not feel happy for them and for what they have toenjoy.Wecanapplymindfulnessandwindenergy trainingbynoticingour jealous

reaction,focusingone-pointedlyonthebreath,andthencultivatingaresponseofrejoicing: “How wonderful! The owner of that house is able to enjoy such abeautifullivingspace;theyhavebeautifulgardenstouplifttheirspirit.Wouldn’titbewonderful ifall livingbeingshadabeautiful livingspaceandgardens toenjoy!”Inthatmoment,wecanalsoone-pointedlyprayforeachlivingbeingtohavecompleteabundance,andsendoutthatwishwiththebreath.Wecanalsopracticerejoicingwhileworkingdirectlywiththeinhalationand

exhalationofthebreath.Wedonotevenhavetodirectlyseeanything.Wecanalsosimplymentallyimaginewhateverdelightswewishtooffertoothers.Todothis, we simply breathe in deeply, and then as we send the breath out, think,“Mayeachandeverysentientbeingenjoyperfectabundance,suchaswhatIseebeforeme!”

Exercise17THEFIVESENSESANDWINDENERGY

Untilnow,wehavebeen talkingaboutouremotional tendencies inconnectionwiththesenseofsight.However,wereactemotionally in thesamewayto theperceptionsofourother senses.Aswith theotherpractices in this chapter, all

fivesensescanbeincorporatedintobothoursittingpracticeandduringordinarydailylife,sinceoursensoryperceptionsdonotstopsimplybecausewesitdowntomeditate.Soundperceivedbytheear.Somesoundsarebeautifulandmelodious,some

areloudandharsh,andsomesoundsareneutral.Wecouldrejoiceinabeautifulsound,thinking,“Howbeautifulthatsounds!Mayallotherbeingshearasoundasbeautiful.”Ifthesoundagitatesus,orisoverwhelminglyloudorpiercing,wecan immediately notice that and turn one-pointedly to the inhalation andexhalation of the breath. This is an example of working with sound as anexpressionofwindenergytraining.Smells perceivedby thenose. Some smells are delicious and fragrant, some

areputridandrotting,andsomeareneutral.Aswithsound,wecaneithernoticethe reaction in the mind and rejoice in that experience as soon as we smellsomething,orwecansimplyabideone-pointedlybyfocusingontheinhalationandexhalationofthebreath.Tastesperceivedbythetongue.Wehavestrongattachmenttodelicioustastes,

suchashoneyorbrownsugar.Oncewetakeataste,wewantittolastandlast.Sometasteswedislikebecausetheyaresourorbitter.Andthenthereareneutraltastes.Asyoueatameal,noticeyourreactionstothefoodsyoutaste.Aswithsoundandsmell,wecaneithernoticethereactioninthemindandrejoiceinthatexperienceassoonaswetastesomething,orwecansimplyabideone-pointedlybyfocusingontheinhalationandexhalationofthebreath.Touch perceived by the skin. We can work with touch and wind energy

traininginjustthesamemanneraswedowiththeothersenses.Gotoaclothingstoreandtouchsilksandsoftfabrics.Touchpuppies,flowerpetals,sandpaper,and salt crystals. Notice your reaction to these different textures—which arepleasantandwhichareuncomfortable?Thensimplyfocusontheinhalationandexhalationofthebreath.

CREATINGNEWHABITS

Meditation is a process of habituation. In the Tibetan language, the wordsmeditation,orgom(Tib.sgom),andhabituation,alsogom(Tib.goms)arefromthe same root and have a similar spelling. This shows the deep connectionbetweenthetwowords.Thepurposeofallwindenergytrainingislettinggoofoldhabitsandpatterns.

Butwe are not only letting go of the old.We are also developing newhabitswithhealthieroutcomesaswepracticemeditation.Themindisnotgoingtobe

withouthabitualwaystocopeanddealwith thesituations thatcomeupinourlives.Thesenewhabitsarenoteasytodevelop.Ittookalifetimetodevelopallthehabits thatwehaverightnow!Whenweareworkingwith the reactions inourownmindsandapplyingwindenergy training,weshouldnot imagine thatwewilldevelopthesenewhabitsquicklyandeasily.Itwilltakealotofeffort.Introspection,noticingwhatishappeninginthemind,takeseffort;rememberingtopracticetakeseffort,andactuallyworkingwiththeinhalationandexhalationofthebreathtakeseffort.Whydoesestablishinghealthierhabitstakesomucheffort?It isbecausewe

haveneverdone itbefore.But ifweworkcontinuouslyat trying tomaster themindfulness techniques and simple wind energy training exercises in thischapter, there will come a point at which they come naturally. When theybecomeanaturalexpressionofthemind,wecallthemournewhabits.After we begin to practice wind energy training, gradually, whenwe see a

beautifulform,wewillnotgiverisetodesire,competitiveness,orjealousy.Wewillnaturallyrejoice,andexperiencethewishthateachandeverysentientbeinghavethatsameauspiciousandexcellentconditioninhisorherownlife.Inthesameway,whenwemeetwithasituationthatwouldnormallycauseustofeelprideorarrogance,givingrisetothefeelingthatwearesuperiororknowbetter,wewillinsteadfeelhumble,andwishthatallsentientbeingshavetheabilitytosucceedinallundertakings.Andwhenweseesomeonewhohasmorethanwedo,wewillsimplyrejoiceintheirgoodfortune.

7

BreathingthroughLife’sSuffering

KNOWINGTHATALLoflifeispervadedbysufferingisoneofthebasictenetsoftheBuddhist path.We sometimeswish to avoid reflecting on this basic truth.However, contemplating the nature of suffering is the perfect complement towindenergytraining.Throughthispractice,notonlydowehavetheopportunityto train in deep, abdominal breathing, but this style of contemplation can alsolessen our stress, worry, and anxiety. As we begin to intellectually andemotionally realize that all beings are suffering, we can let go of painfulemotions, such as basic feelings of loneliness or dissatisfactionwith our ownlives. We can develop greater empathy, compassion, and patience towardourselvesandothers.Coupledwithafocuson the inhalationandexhalationofthebreath,contemplatingthenatureofsufferingcangraduallyhelpustopurifyandreleaseoldemotionalpatternsandunhealthywaysofthinking.

ALL-PERVASIVESUFFERING

TheBuddhist teachings tell us thatwhenwe takebirth in this ordinaryworld,what we call cyclic existence or samsara, that suffering is all-pervasive. Thewordall-pervasivehasseriousimplications.Itmeansthatsufferingcolorseverysituationinourliveswithoutexception—ifnotatthismoment,theninthenext.Thefactthatwelovemeansthatwewilllose.Thefactthatwehavemeansthatwefearnothaving.Evenifwepresentlyfeelhappy,ourwish tomaintain thathappinesstaintstheheartandmindwithsuffering,becausewhatwehavecannotlast.Thefactthatsufferingcompletelypervadestheworldandallofitsinhabitants

is a spiritual certainty that we all need to come to terms with. The first steptowardacceptingall-pervasivesuffering is intellectualcontemplation.Oncewe

have thoroughly contemplated the ways in which other beings suffer, cuttingthrough someofourowndenial,wewill start todevelopa levelof emotionalunderstandingandacceptanceofthenatureofsuffering.Oncewecometosomeemotionalacceptance,wecanusewindenergytrainingtotakeourownsorrowsandsufferings,aswellasthoseofothers,tothespiritualpath.

First,ContemplatetheNatureofSufferingIntellectuallyWeresistbelievingthattheworldisfilledwithsuffering.Itcanfeeldepressingtoacceptthatthereisnoplaceintheentireworldthatisfreeofsuffering,aplacetowhichwecanescape.Ordinarily,evenifonlysubconsciously,wethink,“IfIwereable to justgosomewhereelse, if Iwereable tohaveadifferentkindoflife,IwouldbeabletoescapetheunhappinessIfeelinmyownlife.”Thiswayofthinkingshowswelackemotionalcertaintythatunhappinessoriginatesontheinside and is expressedoutward. Instead,we are foolishly attached to the ideathat unhappiness and suffering are caused by outer circumstances,which thenworm their way into the mind. As a result, we become fixated on outercircumstancesandonourthoughtsofhowtomanipulateorcontrolthem.Asa result,manyofusalso resistcontemplating the topicof samsara.Why

spendtimethinkingaboutmisery?Doesn’tthatjustmakeusunhappierthanwealreadyare?Aren’twetryingtogetawayfromtheunhappinesswefeel inourlives?Theansweristhatbyacceptingsuffering,wearelesscontrolledbyitandless deeply affected.Whenwe cut through unhealthy and unrealistic ways ofthinking, we can focus on that which can bring us authentic happiness—analtruisticmind-setanddedicationtospiritualpractice.Howdowecontemplatetheideathatsufferingcompletelypervadestheentire

worldaroundus?Wecanstartbyexamining thestatement,“Icannot findonesingleplacefreeofsufferingintheentireworld.”Dowebelievethatthisistrue?It seems hard to believe.We often think things like, “If I could justmove toCanada, I would be more in agreement with the government and this wouldmakemehappy,”or“IfIwerelivinginSanFrancisco,whereIagreewithotherpeople’slifestylesandvalues,Iwouldbehappy,”or“IfIwereinTibet,wherepeoplearepracticingmeditationallofthetime,Iwouldnothavesuchdifficultydeveloping my spiritual practice, and I would be happy.” Do these types ofthoughtssoundfamiliar?Whenwehabituallythinkinthisway,wefailtorealizethateachandeverylivingbeinghashisorherownaccordantsuffering.

Next,DroptheFantasyofanIdealLifeWeoftenidealizethelivesofothers,whethertheyliveinourowncommunity,ourcountry,orarepartofanotherculture.Wefantasizethatalifedifferentfromours—any life—is happier than the lifewe have.We all have these fantasies,andeventhoughwemaynotwanttoadmitit,weclingtothemwhentimesaretough.We do notwant to surrender to the truth of suffering: that there is noescape,regardlessofourachievements,possessions,orexperiences.Wewanttobelievethatthingscouldbemadebetterifwehadmorecontrol;ifwehadmoremoney;ifourspouseacteddifferently; ifourparentshadlovedusmore; ifwereceivedmoreattentionandsupport;ifwehadabetterjob;ifpeoplerecognizedourtalentsandabilities;ifthatterriblethinghadn’thappenedtous;evenifwehadadifferentpresident.“Ifonly. . . ifonly. . .”—thishasbeenourconstantfriend,themantrawehaverecitedthroughoutourentirelives.Ratherthanbeingindividualswhoareready tochangeandbecomehappierpeople,westayrightwherewe are, full of excuses and blame in order to explainwhywe can’t besatisfied with our present situation. For that reason, we should reflect on thedifferent kinds of suffering experienced by people whose lives we tend toidealize.

Exercise17REFLECTONYOUROWNFANTASIES

Eachofushasourownfantasies, related towhoweareandwhatkindof lifewe’ve lived. Many of us idealize people we know and interact with in ourordinary lives: our professors, teachers, therapists, friends, parents, orcoworkers.We all have our own sense ofwhat is desirable, andwe can let itbuildupinourmindsasthesymbolofwhatwedon’thave(whatwelack),thethingweshouldhave(whatwedeserve),orthethingthatisn’tfair(whatshouldbebetterordifferent).Identifyingthepeopleinyourownlifewhomyoubelievehave it easier, happier, or better than you can elucidate the nature of theprojectingmind.Whenever you notice that a fantasy has taken shape in yourmind,besuretorecognizeitwithintrospectionandbringyourmindbacktothebreath,breakingthecycleofthoughts,andremindyourselfthateventhepersonyou idealize themost is sufferingbasedon thespecificsituations inhisorherownlife.Whatfollowsaresomeexamplesofcommonfantasiesandideals,andofhow

toreflectonthemsothatwerealizethemforwhattheyare.Theseexamplesmaynot express the particular fantasy that you cling to themost, but they can beadapted to be relevant to your own personal fantasies. Making thesecontemplations pertinent to your personal fantasies is essential so that theybecomeusefulcontemplativetools.The suffering of artists, entrepreneurs, and corporate giants.Wemay have

thefantasythatifwedidsomethingglamorousandinnovative,whichresultedinwidespread admiration and financial success, then we would be happy.However,sufferingensuesfromourworldlywork.Nomatterwhatkindofworkwe do, sufferingwill result. If our company is not doingwell financially,wemayworrythatthebusinesswillcollapse.Ifourcompanyisdoingwellbutnotgrowing,wemayworry that business is stagnant.We are never satisfiedwithwhatwehave,sonomatterwhatishappeninginourprofessionallives,wewillhunger for somethingelse.Thishungercausesmental stress,unhappiness,andsuffering.We may fantasize that using our creative talents would emotionally and

spirituallysatisfyusandbringuslastinghappiness.However,evenifwecreateawonderfulproduct,concept,orworkofart,othersmaydislikeandjudgeit,orcopy it and sell our idea to someone else. Or, we may create an artisticmasterpiecebutliveinpoverty.Nomatterwhatkindofworkwedo,itwillbethe cause of accumulating negative karma because we will feel anger,attachment, jealousy, pride, and ignorance in relation to ourwork.We shouldreflectonthefactthatthiskarmawillripenassuffering.The sufferingof presidents andworld leaders.Even ifwe fantasize about a

glorifiedpositionsuchasbeingtheleaderofacountry—apresidentoraprimeminister, for example—we should reflect on the fact that life is stillmired insuffering. In order to becomepresident, there is the great sufferingof chasingaftermillionsofdollars inorder togeton theballot forelection.Whileon thecampaign trail, there is the suffering of making promises that cannot be keptbecause future compromise is inevitable.Evenafterwewin the election, eventhatgreatsuccessdoesnotbringusevenonedayofhappiness.Forthetermofouradministration,wehavetoworryabouteverydecisionmadeandeverywordspokenbecauseofthewaythatourdecisionsandwordsmaybeinterpretedandrepeated.Wewillhavetoshouldermassiveno-winpoliticalorglobalsituations,duringwhichwewilllookbadandfuelthehatredofmany,nomatterwhatwedecide.Weshouldcontemplatethefactthatgreatnegativekarmaisaccumulatedbasedonthistypeofhighstatusposition,whichripensassuffering.The suffering of the independently wealthy. Even though we know the old

adage“Moneycan’tbuyhappiness,”weoftenstillfantasizethatitdoes.Many

ofushaveprobablyimaginedwhatitwouldbeliketohaveunlimitedfinancialresources,andtogiveupallofthenormalresponsibilitiesthatordinarypeoplehave to deal with, such as doing what we are told and working long hours.However, even those with unlimited financial resources experience greatsuffering.Wemayfalloutoftouchwithothersbecausewehavesuchadifferentlifestyle, and thus feel isolated. We may lack the structure that comes fromhaving to organize our time, and may not feel an urgent need to developourselvesspiritually,sincewehaveallthatmoneycanbuy.Wemayexperiencegreatfearaboutfacinglifeinthefuturewithoutmoney.Othersmayuseusforour money, and we may not be sure who our true friends are. And yet, ourwealthwillneverkeepusfromfacingthesufferingofoldage,illness,thedeathoflovedones,oranyotherexistentialsuffering.Ourabundantwealthwillbethecauseof accumulatingnegativekarmabecausewewill feel anger, attachment,jealousy, pride, and ignorance in connection to our wealth. We shouldcontemplatethefactthatthiskarmawillripenassuffering.Thesufferingofgreatbeauties.Weoftenfantasizeabout the livesofpeople

whoareuncommonlybeautiful.Wethinktoourselves,“Itmustbesowonderfultobeadmiredbyothers.”Butwefailtothinkaboutwhatgreatsufferingensuesbasedonhavinganattractiveappearance.Ifweenjoyabeautifulappearance,wemay become attached to our own beauty. We may find ourselves constantlyworryingabouthowwelook.Asaresultofthismentalanxiety,weexperiencethesufferingsrelatedtomaintainingayouthfulappearance:deprivingourselvesoffood,peelingoffourskinorusingharshchemicalsonit,andspendinghard-earned money on plastic surgery and cosmetic treatments. We may feelcompetitivetowardothers,thinking,“Isheorshemoreattractivethanme?”Wemay fear losing the admirationofothers, andas a resultweexperience anger,attachment,jealousy,pride,andignoranceinrelationtoourphysicalappearance.Weshouldreflectonthefactthatthiskarmawillripenassuffering.Thesufferingofcelebrities.Wemaythinkitmustbeincredibleandfulfilling

tobeonstage.Haveweeverstoppedtothinkabouthowmuchsufferingbeinginthepubliceyebrings?Toachievestardom,singersandactorsmaybedrivenbygreat ambition and hopes of fame. But at what price? Caring deeply aboutachievingfameandstardommaycausemarriagesandfamiliestofallapart.Thetabloids are filled with stories of the family feuds and divorces of the stars.Everydetailofourlives,whetheritbetrueornot,maybesharedonlinebyourfansandcritics,andourphotosmaybedoctoredandprintedonmagazinecoverstoentertainconsumersastheywaitinlineatthegrocerystore.Wemaybecomejealousandcompetitive,wantingtomaintainstatus,fame,andfans.Thewishtocaptivate the hearts and minds of many causes us to experience anger,

attachment, jealousy,pride,andignorance—whatweknowasthefivepoisons.Weshouldreflectonthefactthatthiskarmawillripenassuffering.

Exercise19CONTEMPLATEORDINARYSUFFERING

The fact that eachbeinghas itsownaccordant sufferingmeans thatnomatterwhoweare,whetherwehaveaprominentplaceorthehumblestplaceinsociety,weallexperiencesuffering.Reflectonalloftheordinarysufferingthateachandeverylivingbeingexperiences.Manyofusfacetheunbearablesufferingofthedeath of a child. All of us will experience being separated from our parents,either by emotional estrangement or by death. Ifwe aremarried or in a long-termrelationship,thatrelationshipwilleitherbreakuporendwiththedeathofoneof thepartners.Manyofushave families thatdonotbehave like familiesduetoalcoholismorotherkindsofaddictions,andwegrowuplackingstabilityand intimacy. Even if we do have a more stable family life, we will stillexperiencethesufferingofdisagreements,arguing,andfighting.Allofuswillexperienceillnessandproblemswithourhealth.Soonerorlater,

wewillwatchourownbodiesbreakdownanddecay.Wemayexperience thesufferingderivedfromwealth—ofwantingtomaintainthewealththatwehave,orofwantingtoprotectourwealthfrombeingtakenorlost.Wemayexperiencethe suffering of poverty—either actual poverty or mental poverty anddiscontentment.Thereareevensimplerformsofsuffering.Whenitishotoutside,wewishit

werecool.Whenitiswinter,wecannotwaitforsummer.Sufferingresultsfromordinaryactionssuchaseating.Whenweeattoomuch,itispainfultohavetoomuchfoodinthebody.Or,whenourbelliesarecompletelyempty,wehungerforfood.There is the suffering brought by the development of technology in our

society. For example, in developed countries, there have been amazingdevelopments in medicine, energy sources, and interconnectivity, such as theInternet. Although there are many benefits to having such developments intechnology, great suffering also results from it. From technology we createpoisons andweapons.We contaminate our food supply.Thismay causeus toromanticize a lack of technology, thinking, “When there is no technology,everything is natural, everything iswonderful.”However,without technology,beingsexperience thesufferingsofnothavingvaccinationsandmedicalcures.

There is the suffering of not knowing how to grow enough food to feed thepopulation,whichresultsinfamine.Thereisthesufferingofnotknowinghowtomaintaincleanwater.There is the sufferingofnotknowinghow topreventillnessesatbirthandinchildhood,leadingtotragicmortality.

Exercise20CONTEMPLATETHEEQUALITYOFALLPEOPLEANDPLACES

There is no place in the world that we could go that does not have its owncharacteristic, accordant suffering. We do not suffer because we have donesomethingwrong, andwe do not suffer because we “deserve” it.We are notsomehow flawed because we experience life as painful and difficult. This issimplytheworldwelivein.Do not mistake the meaning of this contemplation, thinking it to be an

exerciseinbeingjudgmental.Thepointisnotthatpeopleareinherentlyselfishorwrong.Thepointistorealizethateachandeverybeingmustfacesuffering,andthesufferingtheymustface isdistinctbasedonthecircumstancesandtheuniquefeaturesoftheirlives.Sooftenwethink toourselves,“If Ionlyhadwhat thatpersonhas, Iwould

nothavetofacethesufferingthatIhavenow.”Infact, thatmaybetrue—thatpersonmaynotbefacingthesamesufferingwearebecausehisorherlifemaycontainhundredsofvariablesdifferentfromourown.Onethingiscertain:thatpersonisfacingsufferingderivedfromtheirspecificcircumstances.Oncewehavebecomecertainthatsufferingisall-pervasivethroughextensive

reflectionandcontemplation,suchassuggestedabove,wecanusewindenergytraining on the cushion as well as in our everyday lives to help us face thedifficultsituationsbeforeuseachday.As we learned in chapter 6, mindfulness linked with introspection is an

indispensable tool forworkingwithourmindsonamoment-by-momentbasis.Whenwefacedifficulties,ourpracticewilldousnogoodifweforgettouseit!Itisimportantthatweconstantlytrytocultivateawarenessofwhatishappeningin the mind, and also awareness of our respiratory rate and how we arebreathing. Otherwise, we lose the chance to influence our breathing rate andpatterns,andthusrelaxbodyandmind.When we lack awareness about what is happening in our own minds, and

awareness of the breath, we think, “I need to escape from this life that I’mliving.”Butwhenwebecomemoreskillfulatrememberingtousewindenergy

training in the faceofdifficultsituations, thequestion isnot,“Towherewill Iescape?” Itbecomes,“Howdo I remain inmyordinary lifenow,butdecreasetheexperienceofsuffering?”Whenwerecognize thatwearechasingafter thefantasythatsomeoneelsehasalifethatissomehowbetterthanwhatwehave,and then come back to the breath, our own personal experience of sufferingdecreases.Weareable toactmindfullyand thoughtfully tobenefitothers,andwebecomehappierourselves.

Exercise21CONTEMPLATESUFFERINGWITHAWARENESSOFTHEBREATH

Probably,whenwe thinkaboutworkingwithdifficult situationsaspartofourspiritualpractice,wearethinkingaboutthecontentiousorpainfulmomentswefaceinourdailylives.Aspractitionersofwindenergytraining,wecanuseourtrainingtohelpusfacethosedifficultmoments.However,formalsittingonthemeditationcushionisalsoextremelyimportant.Withoutsittingonthecushion,takingtimetoreflectonthemiserablenatureofsamsara,anddevelopingloving-kindness and compassion, we will struggle to make a strong emotional andspiritualconnection.Aswelearnedinchapter4,webeginoursittingpracticewithashortsession

of yoga, sit in the Seven-Point Posture, generate a compassionatemotivation,and then practice the Nine-Cycle Breathing. Next, we simply work with theinhalation and exhalation naturally as we contemplate the nature of samsara.Whenwecontemplatethenatureofsamsaraasasittingpractice,wecanusethecontemplations presented earlier in this chapter, or we can reflect on the all-pervasive nature of suffering in anyway that helps us to emotionally connectwithandacceptthistruth.Ifwenoticethemindbecomingupsetoragitatedbyour reflecting on the sufferings of ourselves and others, we can place moreattention on elongating the breath as we inhale and exhale to help ourselvesrelax.Orwecansimplydropthecontemplationforafewminutes,andsimplyfocusone-pointedlyonthebreathuntilwerelaxagain.

Exercise22CULTIVATELOVING-KINDNESS

Ifwefeelreadytomovebeyondsimplyreflectingonthenatureofsamsara,wecanchangeourformalsittingpracticeslightly.Afterwehavepreparedforsittingpracticebydoingashortsessionofyoga,

sitting in theSeven-PointPosture,generatinga compassionatemotivation, andpracticing the Nine-Cycle Breathing, we can generate loving-kindness andcompassionforothers.ThisistraditionallydoneinBuddhistpracticebyusingavery simple prayer, and we can combine this prayer with the inhalation andexhalationofthebreath.Begin by thinking, “May beings be free of suffering and the cause of

suffering,”andinhale.Thenexhale, thinking,“Maybeingshavehappinessandthecauseofhappiness.”Keepingthewordsofthisprayerinmind,wecankindlethetwofoldwishcontainedwithintheprayerwithinourownheartaswefocusone-pointedlyontheinhalationandexhalationofthebreath.Wecanrecallourown suffering, the suffering of a loved one, or even that of a beingwe havenevermet.Wecanworkwiththisverseasoftenaswelike,sometimesrestingquietlyandsimplyfocusingon thebreathuntilwefinishoursessionofsittingmeditation.

Exercise23PRACTICETONGLEN

Afterworkingwith theprayerabove for severalweeksorperhapsmonths,wewill start to develop a genuinewish for beings to be free of suffering and toexperiencehappiness.Whenthatwishsurfacesnaturallywithinus,wecanagainchange our formal sitting practice and start working with the wind energytrainingcalledTonglen.Tonglen is a Tibetan word that is literally translated as “sending and

receiving.”Whatarewesending?Wearesendingoutthebreath,alongwithourownpeaceofmind,happiness,andourgoodwishes toall livingbeings.Whatarewereceiving?Wearetakinginthebreath,andalsometaphoricallytakingonthesufferingofothers.Inotherwords,wementallywishtodeveloptheabilitytotakeonthesufferingofothers.Weneednotbefrightenedbythispractice.Wearejustordinarybeings,andwearenotactuallycapableoftakingonanother’ssuffering.Anyfearsthatmaycomeupinthemindarejustourself-attachmenttalking!WecanalsoapplythewindenergypracticeofTonglentoourselvesandthe

difficultiesweface inourownlives.Aswearesittingon thecushion,wecan

bring tomind anything that is bothering us. Themind is constantly recyclingpatternsofthought,andwhethertheyarereallyimportantornot,thosethoughtscauseus to suffer.Soweneednotworryaboutnothavingsomething toworkwith for this practice.Nomatterwhat comesup in themind,we think, “Howmanyotherbeingstheremustbeontheplanetwhoaresufferinginasimilarwayat thismoment.”Aswe inhale, think, “May I take on that suffering for them,sinceIamalreadysuffering.”Then,asweexhale,whetherornotwereallyfeelgreat, we bring tomind a feeling of calm and relaxation and think, “May allsentient beings feel peace of mind and harmony.” We imagine that we aresharingthatwithothersaswesendoutthebreath.

Exercise24WINDENERGYTRAININGASHEALING

Tibetanmedicineisveryeffective,buttherearecertainillnessesitcan’theal—diseases such as leprosy or HIV/AIDS, autoimmune diseases, cancer, andillnesses that require treatment by antibiotics. The highly developed andexpensive medical treatments needed for these types of illnesses werehistoricallyunavailableinTibet.Asaresult,manyTibetanshadtorelyinsteadonspiritualpracticeforhealing.Fortunately,manylamasofold,whohadgreatspiritualcapacityandrealization,wereable tocureeventheseseriouskindsofillnessesbasedonapracticesuchasTonglen.Even thoughwemaynotbeat the levelof theseancient lamas,wecanuse

Tonglen as a healing practice.When experiencing great physical or emotionalpain,itistaughtthatifwefocusonthepainofothers,ourownpainlevelwillactuallydecrease.Aswebreathein,wecanthink,“MayItakeonallthepainofothers who are hurting asmuch as I am,” and then as we breathe out, think,“Mayalllivingbeingsenjoypeace,happiness,andhealth.”Nomatterwhatkindofsufferingweface,whetherwearesittingonthecushion,whetheritbeinourdailylives,whetheritisfabricatedbythemind,whetheritisactuallyhappening,whetherthatsufferingisgreatorlarge—usingthetechniqueofTonglenallowsustobevictoriousoversuffering.Ifweareill,orwhenwehavereceivedamedicaldiagnosiswemustcontend

with,wecanusethepracticeofTongleninaslightlydifferentway.Let’s taketheexampleofsuffering fromcancer.Weknowthatbeingsallover theworldaresufferingfromcancerinasimilarmanneraswemaybe.Aswebreatheout,wevisualizethebreathasdirty,heavy,blacksoot.Webreatheouttheimpurity

ofthatillness.Aswedoso,wethink,“MayIdispeltheillnessofallbeingswhoare suffering just likeme.”Then, aswe breathe in,we see the breath as pureclearlight,andthink,“Basedontakinginthevitalityofthefiveelements,maymyown illnessand thatof everyonewho is suffering just likemebehealed.”Wecanimaginethevitalityofthefiveelementsasclearlightcoveringourentirebody, inside and out, and also penetrating the bodies of beings all over theworld. We may not be at the level of realization where we are able to cureourselves,orhavetheabilitytocureothers,butwecanstillusethispracticetodevelopour love,compassion,andsenseofconnectionwithothers.And, fromthepointofviewof theTibetan tradition, it ispossible thatsuchpracticescancause the progressionof illness to slowor recede, and for some at least somehealingcanoccur—evenforanovicepractitioner.

EVERYDAYENGAGEDPRACTICEDifficultsituations,largeandsmall,arearisingateverymoment.Trythis:makealistofalloftheopportunitiesyouwouldhavehadtoworkwithwindenergytrainingtodayhadyourememberedtonoticethereactioninyourmindandturnyourawarenessbacktoyourbreathingpattern.Yourlistmightlooksomethinglikethis:1.Wokeupfeelingdiscouragedaboutanotherdayofhardworkattheoffice2.Feltimpatientwithmyhusband,whodidnotputthedishesawaythenight

before3.Frustratedbytrafficonthewaytowork4.Personinfrontofmedrovetooslowly5.SunblindedmeasIwasdriving6.Atwork,toomuchstackedonmydesk7.Supervisorcriticizedprojectfromlastweek8.Someonemadethecoffeetoostrong9.Coworkernotpullinghisshareoftheload10.Momcalled,upsetaboutAuntJaneinthehospital11.Gotapapercut12.Supervisorsnappedatme13.Officefinancesarestressed,highstressintheofficeAndsoon....

Thismayhelpustoactuallyseehowmanydifficultsituationsweexperience

duringtheday!Wecanuseourlist tocultivatemoreawarenessofourstateofmindandofhowwebreathe.Wemightchoosejustonesituationfromourlistandfocusonthatforaweekortwo.Forexample,ifwechoose“gettingirritatedwhiledriving,”wecouldchoosethetimeswhenwearedrivinginthecareachdaytocultivatemoreawarenessofourmentalstateandalsoofourrespiratorypattern. After we start to notice ourselves having more awareness while wedrive,wecanmakeanewlist,andchooseanewsituationtoworkwith.

Conclusion

BreathIsWisdom

IN THIS BOOK we have reflected on and worked at length with the manyexpressionsof theordinarywind-mind.Wehaveunderstood it tocontribute tophysicalillnessesthroughdeprivingourblood,brain,andorgansofoxygenandcarbon dioxidewhenwe breathe thoracically.We have understood it to be anexpressionofneurosis:of theordinarymind’semotional responsesandhabits.We have understood it to be an expression of nying lung: Tibetanmedicine’sway of describing the extreme buildup of energy in the chest that fuelscardiopulmonarydisordersanderraticorstrongemotionsandbehavior.Wehavealso understood it is a contributing factor to stress,which can further developintoanxietyanddepression,orexacerbateourphysicalailments.However,wehave also understood the wind-mind as something that can be trained andsomething that can be purified. By training and purifying the wind-mind, thenaturalwisdomdwellinginsideofusasBuddhaNaturebeginstoshinethrough.Ittakesaleapoffaithtobelievethatspiritualrealizationispossible.Manyof

uslacktheconfidenceandself-esteemittakestobelievethatwearecapableofexpressing such qualities as selflessness, altruism, and wisdom.Wind energytraining can help us change this ingrained way of thinking. Through thispractice,making small changes in our lives helps us build the confidence thatlargerchangesarepossible.Stepbystep,wearecapableoftransformation!Evenif we do not believe in the idea of spiritual enlightenment, we can use ourpowersof intellect, logic,andreasontoaccept the ideathatall the impurityofbodyandmindcanbepurified.Purificationofkarmaandthemind’sordinarytendenciesandreactionsarethe

keys to this practice. Throughout this book, we have reflected on how windenergy training, and retraining ourselves to breathe abdominally, helps us tochangeourhabitual,unhealthy reactionsandhabitsofbodyandmind.Havingunderstoodthewayinwhichthebreath,thewindenergy,isanunderlyingcauseofsomanyphysicalandmental imbalances,wehave thecapability, righthere

andnow,tostopthiscycle.Bypurifyingthepatternsofimpurewindenergythatriseup in thebody,weactuallychangeourdeeply ingrainedphysical,mental,andemotionalpatterns.Wind energy training is such an easy and powerful practice that it is

accessible to everyone—if only for the simple reason thatwemust breathe tostayalive.Takeamoment tocall tomindall thesupportwehaveforspiritualdevelopment.We often focus on how our life circumstances are difficult andpainful. We forget all the supportive conditions we have to help us on ourspiritualjourney.Forexample,weareextremelyfortunateinthatweknowhowtospeakanduselanguage.Asaresult,whenwearegiveninstructionsonhowtopracticethespiritualpath,wehavetheabilitytoputthemintopractice.Also,formost of us, our basic subsistence needs are fulfilled.As a result,we have thephysicalandmentalenergy,aswellastime,tofocusonspiritualpractice.Practicingthewindenergytrainingsofferedinthisbookmaybeourveryfirst

encounter with breath yoga. But we don’t have to be an experienced yogi tobenefitfromtheteachingsinthisbook.Allofusareequallycapableofworkingwiththeinhalationandexhalationofthebreath.Afterthelessonsandinsightsofthisbook,wemayseethepracticeofbreathworkasawish-fulfillinggemthatweneverknewwecarrieduntilnow.This wish-fulfilling gem eradicates our suffering the more we practice. It

staves off physical andmental illnesses. It cultivates emotional stability.On adaily basis, it canbringus greater peaceofmindbecausewe carry the breathwithuswhereverwego.Nomatterwhatishappeninginthemoment,weneednotdisengagefromlifeforasecondto“practice.”Wesimplyneedtoremembertopracticebreathing!Becausewindenergytrainingissuchaneasypracticetotakeupandbecause

theresultsaresobeneficial—immediatelyandlong-term—thereisnoexcuseforputting itoff.The instructionsonhow topurify impurewindenergyaremorevaluablethangold.Theycancompletelytransformourcyclic,habitualpatternsofsuffering.Windenergy trainingrepresentscompleteabundance inour lives.There isnoshortageofanything—wehaveall thesupportandopportunityweneedtopractice.Theonlythingthatstandsinourwayisus—andwhetherornotwechoosetostepontothespiritualpath.

Notes

CHAPTER1.BreathIsLife1. AlphaDictionary.com, s.v. “Animosity,” last modified April 26, 2008,

www.alphadictionary.com/goodword/word/animosity.2.H.J.Schunemann,etal.,“PulmonaryFunctionIsaLong-termPredictorof

MortalityintheGeneralPopulation:29-YearFollowupoftheBuffaloHealthStudy,”Chest118,no.3(2000):656–64.

3. Frances Child and Jonathan Couriel, “The Control of Breathing withReferencetoCongenitalCentralHypoventilationSyndrome,”JournaloftheRoyalSocietyofMedicine91(1998):479–83;E.A.Phillipson,“ControlofBreathing during Sleep,” American Review of Respiratory Disease 188(1978):909–39;H.H.Wells,J.Kattwinkel,andJ.D.Morrow,“ControlofVentilationinOndine’sCurse,”JournalofPediatrics96(1980):865–67;E.A. Phillipson and G. Bowes, “Control of Breathing during Sleep,” inHandbookofPhysiology,sec.3,“TheRespiratorySystem,”vol.2,“ControlofBreathing,part2,”ed.N.S.CherniakandJ.G.Widdicombe(Baltimore:AmericanPhysiologicalSociety,1986),649–89.

4. Artour Rakhimov, “Chest (Thoracic) Breathing: Effects, Tests andSolutions,”www.normalbreathing.com/index-chest-breathing.php.

5. ArtourRakhimov, “Scientific Studies aboutBreathing-HealthConnection.Normal Breathing: The Key to Vital Health” (2012): 10,www.normalbreathing.com/nb-word/book-big-ch-1-5.pdf.

6.R.Fried,BreatheWell,BeWell(NewYork:Wiley,1999),45.7.Rakhimov,“Chest(Thoracic)Breathing:Effects,TestsandSolutions”;J.B.

West, Respiratory Physiology: The Essentials, 6th ed. (Philadelphia:LippincottWilliams&Wilkins,2000).

8. LeonChaitow,“UnderstandingBreathing,”MassageandBodywork (June/July2007):29–40.

9. Rakhimov,“ScientificStudiesaboutBreathing-HealthConnection”(2012):10.

10. Beverly H. Timmons and Ronald Ley, Behavioral and PsychologicalApproaches to Breathing Disorders (New York: Plenum, 1994); Chaitow,

“Understanding Breathing,”Massage and Bodywork (June/July 2007): 29–40.

11.D.Shweikietal.“VascularEndothelialGrowthFactorInducedbyHypoxiaMayMediateHypoxia-InitiatedAngiogenesis,”Nature359(1992):843–45;E. Ikeda et al., “Hypoxia-InducedTranscriptionalActivation and IncreasedmRNAStabilityofVascularEndothelialGrowthFactorinC6GliomaCells,”JournalofBiologicalChemistry270(1995):19761–66;T.G.Graeberetal.,“Hypoxia-MediatedSelectionofCellswithDiminishedApoptoticPotentialin Solid Tumors,” Nature 379 (1996): 88–91; Yusuke Mizukami et al.,“Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1-Independent Regulation of VascularEndothelialGrowthFactorbyHypoxia inColonCancer,”CancerResearch64,no.5(2004):1765–72.

12. Artour Rakhimov, “Cause of Diabetes: LowO2 in Cells Due to HeavyBreathing,”www.normalbreathing.com/cause-of-diabetes.php.

13.D.S.Urquhart,H.Montgomery,andA.Jaffe,“AssessmentofHypoxiainChildrenwithCysticFibrosis,”ArchivesofDiseaseinChildhood90(2005):1138–43.

14. J. A. Waddell, Peter A. Emerson, and R. F. Gunstone, “Hypoxia inBronchialAsthma,”BritishMedicalJournal2(1967):402–404.

15.E.Weitzenblumetal.,“VariabilityofthePulmonaryVascularResponsetoAcuteHypoxiainChronicBronchitis,”Chest94,no.4(1988):772–78.

16. AliMajid,“TheOxygenViewofOsteoporosis:BoneHomeostasisIsButOneFaceofOxygenHomeostasis,”TownsendLetterforDoctors&Patients,2005,www.encognitive.com/files/The%20Oxygen%20View%20of%20Osteoporosis--%20Bone%20Homeostasis%20is%20But%20One%20Face%20of%20Oxygen%20Homeostasis.pdf; Marilynn Prince-Fiocco, “Osteopenia and Osteoporosis inLung Disease,” www.chestnet.org/accp/pccsu/osteopenia-and-osteoporosis-lung-disease?page=0,3.

17. C. T. Taylor and S. P. Colgan, “Hypoxia andGastrointestinalDisease,”JournalofMolecularMedicine(Berl)85,no.12(2007):1295–1300.

18. “Take a Deep Breath,” www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Mental_Health_Letter/2009/May/Take-a-deep-breath; “BreatheDeep to Lower Blood Pressure, Doc Says,”www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14122841/#.UCHND6DCaSp.

19. P. Philippot, G. Chapelle, and S. Blairy, “Respiratory Feedback in theGenerationofEmotion,”CognitionandEmotion16,no.5(2002):605–27.

20.J.RhudyandM.Meagher,“FearandAnxiety:DivergentEffectsonHumanPainThresholds,”Pain84(2000):65–75.

21. J. Dempsey et al., “Respiratory Influences on Sympathetic VasomotorOutflowinHumans,”RespiratoryPhysiologyandNeurobiology130(2002):3–20.

22.R.Courtney,“TheFunctionsofBreathingandItsDysfunctionsandTheirRelationship to Breathing Therapy,” International Journal of OsteopathicMedicine12,no.3(2009):78–85.

23.G.Pal,S.Velkumary,andMadanmohan,“EffectofShort-TermPracticeofBreathingExercisesonAutonomicFunctionsinNormalHumanVolunteers,”Indian J Med Res 120 (2004): 115–22; Courtney, “The Functions ofBreathingandItsDysfunctions.”

24.Courtney,“TheFunctionsofBreathingandItsDysfunctions.”25. Rakhimov, Artour, “Chest (Thoracic) Breathing: Effects, Tests and

Solutions.”

CHAPTER2.WorkingwithBreathandNeuroticMind1.DavidD.Burns,M.D.,FeelingGood:TheNewMoodTherapy(NewYork:

AvonBooks,1980),30.Revisedandupdated1999.

CHAPTER3.UnderstandingtheConnectionoftheBreathtoStress,Anxiety,andDepression

1.KellieMarksberry,personalcommunication,August15,2012,attributedtoDr.PaulRosch,ChairmanoftheBoardofDirectorsoftheAmericanInstituteof Stress, found at http://americaninstituteofstress.org/americas-1-health-problem.

2. AlLeeandDonCampbell,PerfectBreathing (NewYork:Sterling,2009),30.

3.Ibid.4. Hara Estroff Marano, “Anxiety and Depression Together,” Psychology

Today, retrieved from www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200310/anxiety-and-depression-together.

5.H.Cohen,“DepressionVersusAnxiety,”PsychCentral,retrievedonAugust14,2012,fromhttp://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/depression-versus-anxiety/.

6.P.Boyer,“DoAnxietyandDepressionHaveaCommonPathophysiologicalMechanism?” Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica Supplementum 406 (2000):24–29; University of Western Ontario, “Biological Link between Stress,Anxiety andDepression Identified,”ScienceDaily, retrieved July 20, 2012,fromwww.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100411143348.htm.

7.LeeandCampbell,PerfectBreathing,81.8.Ibid.,75.9. WorldHealthOrganization,TheGlobalBurdenofDisease:2004Update,

(Geneva,Switz.:WHOPress,2008).10.R.C.Kessleretal.,“TheGlobalBurdenofMentalDisorders:AnUpdate

from theWHOWorldMental Health (WMH) surveys,”Epidemiologica ePsichiatriaSociale18,no.1(2009):23–33.

11.H.R.Snyderetal.,“NeuralInhibitionEnablesSelectionduringLanguageProcessing,”Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2010; doi:10.1073/pnas.1002291107.

12. B.Schwartz,“TheTyrannyofChoice,”ScientificAmerican(April2004):70–75, www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/bschwar1/Sci.Amer.pdf; B. SchwartzandA.Ward,“DoingBetterbutFeelingWorse:TheParadoxofChoice,”nodate given, no publication given,www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/bschwar1/Choice%20Chapter.Revised.pdf.

13. Harvard Mental Health Letter, “Yoga for Anxiety and Depression,”www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Mental_Health_Letter/2009/April/Yoga-for-anxiety-and-depression;M. Javnbakht, R. Hejazi Kenari, andM. Ghasemi, “Effects ofYogaonDepressionandAnxietyofWomen,”ComplementaryTherapiesinClinicalPractice15,no.2(May2009):102–104;G.Kirkwoodetal.,“YogaforAnxiety:ASystematicReviewoftheResearch,”BritishJournalofSportsMedicine39,no.12 (December2005):884–91;K.Pilkingtonetal., “YogaforDepression:TheResearchEvidence,”JournalofAffectiveDisorders89,nos.1–3(December2005):13–24.

14.J.A.Blumenthal,M.A.Babyak,K.A.Mooreetal.,“EffectsofExerciseTrainingonPatientswithMajorDepression,”ArchivesofInternalMedicine159(1999):2349–56;J.A.Blumenthal,MichaelA.Babyaketal.,“Exerciseand Pharmacotherapy in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder,”Psychosomatic Medicine 69 (2007): 587–96; M. Guszkowska, “Effects ofExercise onAnxiety,Depression andMood,”PsychiatriaPolska 38, no. 4(July–August2004):611–20.

15. KeithS.Dobson,“AMeta-analysisof theEfficacyofCognitiveTherapyfor Depression,” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 57, no. 3(June 1989): 414–19, doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.57.3.414; Stuart J. Rupke,DavidBlecke, andMarjorieRenfrow,“CognitiveTherapy forDepression,”American Family Physician 73, no. 1 (January 2006): 83–86,www.aafp.org/afp/2006/0101/p83.html.

16. Dr. FredMuench, “BreathRetraining, theVagusNerve, andDepression

withDr.FredMuench,”2010,www.perfectbreathing.com/breath-retraining-vagus-nerve-and-depression-dr-fred-muench;B.M.CappoandD.S.Holmes,“TheUtilityofProlongedRespiratoryExhalationforReducingPhysiologicalandPsychologicalArousal inNon-threatening andThreateningSituations,”JournalofPsychosomaticResearch28(1984):265–73.

17. J.W.Hughes et al., “Depression andAnxiety Symptoms areRelated toIncreased 24-Hour Urinary Norepinephrine Excretion among HealthyMiddle-Aged Women,” Journal of Psychosomatic Research 57, no. 4(October2004):353–58;R.C.Veith,“SympatheticNervousSystemActivityinMajorDepression:BasalandDesipramine-InducedAlterationsinPlasmaNorepinephrine Kinetics,”Archives of General Psychiatry 51, no. 5 (May1994):411–22.

18. D. Servant et al., “Heart Rate Variability: Applications in Psychiatry,”Encephale35,no.5(October2009):423–28;Epub,December18,2008.

19.RichardP.Brown,PatriciaL.Gerbarg,andPhilipR.Muskin,HowtoUseHerbs, Nutrients, and Yoga in Mental Health (New York: Norton, 2009);CappoandHolmes,“TheUtilityofProlongedRespiratoryExhalation”(seenote 16, above); P. Lehrer, Y. Sasakyi, and Y. Saito, “Zazen and CardiacVariability,”PsychosomaticMedicine61,no.6:812–21.

20. MarcG.Bermanetal.,“InteractingwithNature ImprovesCognitionandAffectforIndividualswithDepression,”JournalofAffectiveDisorders140,no. 3 (November 2012): 300–330, doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2012.03.012; JolandaMaas et al., “Evidence-Based Public Health Policy and Practice: GreenSpace, Urbanity, and Health: How Strong Is the Relation?” Journal ofEpidemiological Community Health 60, no. 7 (2006): 587–92, doi:10.1136/jech.2005.043125.

CHAPTER4.BasicWindEnergyTechniques

1. J. O. Lundberg, “NitricOxide and the Paranasal Sinuses,”Anat Rec 291(2008):1479–84,doi:10.1002/ar.20782.

2. A.R.Morton et al., “ComparisonofMaximalOxygenConsumptionwithOral andNasalBreathing,”Australian Journal of Science andMedicine inSport27,no.3(September1995):51–55.

3. Kevin J. Tracey, “Physiology and Immunology of the CholinergicAntiinflammatory Pathway,” Journal of Clinical Investigation 117, no. 2(2007):289–96.

FurtherReading

Anyen Rinpoche. Dying with Confidence: A Tibetan Buddhist Guide toPreparingforDeath.

Boston:Wisdom,2010.______.MomentaryBuddhahood:MindfulnessandtheVajrayanaPath.Boston:

Wisdom,2009.Brown, Richard, MD, and Patricia Gerbarg, MD. The Healing Power of the

Breath: Simple Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety, EnhanceConcentration,andBalanceYourEmotions.Boston:Shambhala,2012.

Chodron, Pema.When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times.Boston:Shambhala,2002.

TheDalaiLama.TheFourNobleTruths.London:Thorsons,1998.Farhi,Donna.TheBreathingBook:GoodHealthandVitalitythroughEssential

BreathWork.NewYork:Holt,1996.Fried,RobertL.BreatheWell,BeWell:AProgram toRelieveStress,Anxiety,

Asthma, Hypertension, Migraine, and Other Disorders for Better Health.NewYork:Wiley,1999.

Hanh,ThichNhat.Peace IsEveryStep:ThePathofMindfulness inEverydayLife.NewYork:Bantam,1992.

KhyentseRinpoche,Dilgo.EnlightenedCourage:AnExplanationoftheSeven-PointMindTraining.Ithaca,N.Y.:SnowLion,2006.

______.TheHeartofCompassion:TheThirty-sevenVersesonthePracticeofaBodhisattva.Boston:Shambhala,2007.

Lee,Al,andDonCampbell.PerfectBreathing:TransformYourLifeOneBreathataTime.NewYork:Sterling,2009.

Lewis, Dennis.Free Your Breath, Free Your Life: How Conscious BreathingCanRelieveStress,IncreaseVitality,andHelpYouLiveMoreFully.Boston:Shambhala,2004.

Rama,Swami;Dr.RudolphBallentine;andDr.AlanHymes.ScienceofBreath:APracticalGuide.Honesdale,Pa.:HimalayanInstitutePress,2007.

Shantideva.TheWayoftheBodhisattva.Boston:Shambhala,2008.Thondup, Tulku. Boundless Healing: Meditation Exercises to Enlighten the

MindandHealtheBody.Boston:Shambhala,2001.______.TheHealingPowerofMind:SimpleMeditationExercises forHealth,

Well-Being,andEnlightenment.Boston:Shambhala,1998.Trungpa, Chogyam. Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness.

Boston:Shambhala,2003.

AbouttheAuthors

ANYEN RINPOCHE is a tulku from Tibet of theNyingma (LongchenNyingthig)Tradition. He primarily lives in Denver, Colorado, where he founded OrgyenKhamdrolingDharmaCenterwitha shedra (college) forWesterners.He is theauthor of The Union of Dzogchen and Bodhichitta, Dying with Confidence,JourneytoCertainty,andMomentaryBuddhahood.

ALLISON CHOYING ZANGMO is Anyen Rinpoche’s personal translator and alongtime student of both Rinpoche and his root Lama, Kyabje TsaraDharmakirti. She has either translated or collaboratedwithRinpocheon all ofhisbooks.ShelivesinDenver,Colorado.

SignuptolearnmoreaboutourbooksandreceivespecialoffersfromShambhalaPublications.

Orvisitusonlinetosignupatshambhala.com/eshambhala.