We can all find ourselves sometimes feeling mentally confused, imbalanced and disturbed. This is often caused by simply living in the modern world with all of its drama, tension and pressure. We easily can become overwhelmed by too many thoughts, too many options and too much information. This mental overload strains us in both body and mind while making relaxation elusive if not impossible.
A key practice to deal with this phenomenon is called Antar Mouna. Antar Mouna means inner silence, and its practice involved retreating from all the external noise in our lives and paying more attention to our inner awareness. There are many stages and depths in this practice. This week, I invite you to experience Stage I of Antar Mouna.
To begin, you can sit in any comfortable cross-legged position or lie down in Savasana. Close your eyes and feel the sensation of touch. Notice your skin, notice your clothing touching you, your relationship with the ground and with the space around you.
Next, focus on all distant sounds. Make no judgments or attempts to identify them… just listen for a few minutes. Then become aware of your breath, nothing but your breath, for a few minutes. Gently switch back and forth from external sounds to your breath several times, then release the practice and notice how you feel.
