Introduction:
Right now, in this present moment, there is an amount of goodness within you. No matter what happened in the past—whether it was yesterday or years ago—or what might happen in the future, there is some good in you here and now. No one is completely good, just as no one is entirely bad. But what matters is that there is goodness in you, and your goal is to acknowledge, accept, and understand it.
Whatever amount of goodness is present within you in this moment, start by recognizing and feeling it. It might be a small amount, or it might feel larger, but it is there. Once you can connect with that goodness, the next step is to build on it, expanding that good feeling as much as you can. Feel it throughout your entire body, or at least as much of your body as you’re able to.
Now, we bring the breath into this practice. Breathing, when fully experienced, often feels good and soothing, but we tend to overlook that. The simple act of breathing in can become a source of pleasure and comfort when you pay attention to it. To help cultivate that, hold your breath out for a moment and notice the body’s natural desire to breathe in. In that pause, feel how your body wants to take in air. When you slowly allow yourself to sip in a small amount of breath, you may feel the subtle pleasure of it, a sense of ease or relief.
Expand that good feeling, letting it flow through more and more of your body. Now, combine that pleasurable sensation of the breath with the goodness that is already present within you. Allow the breath to become a vehicle for amplifying the goodness you feel inside. As you breathe in, let it serve as a bridge between the good feelings of your breath and the innate goodness that resides in your being. The more you practice this, the more you’ll be able to immerse yourself in this interplay of breath and inner goodness.
This is the essence of the practice—acknowledging the goodness in you, connecting it with the simple joy of the breath, and letting both expand within you. By doing this, you gradually cultivate a deeper sense of well-being and inner peace, and that is what this entire thread is about. Through this practice, you learn to strengthen and grow the goodness within you, making it a source of comfort and strength that you can access at any moment.
The Light of Awareness: Feeling Beyond the Surface :
At the core of our existence lies an essence, an unchanging and ever-present awareness that illuminates all that we perceive. This essence, often referred to as basic goodness, resides within us at every moment. Yet, we often get caught up in the surface appearances of life—the objects we see, the thoughts we think, the emotions we feel—without realizing the deeper reality that shines through these transient experiences.
One powerful way to reconnect with this basic goodness is through the simple practice of breath awareness. By paying close attention to the breath, we can bridge the gap between our habitual reactions and the present moment. Begin by relaxing into your seat, feeling the connection between your body and the earth or the chair beneath you. Ground yourself in this physical sensation, allowing your breath to flow naturally. As you do, notice the subtle goodness of this moment. It might help to exhale fully and pause briefly before your body naturally inhales. In that brief pause, feel how the body, on its own, reaches for the next breath. There’s an innate goodness, a sense of well-being, that accompanies this simple act of breathing.
As you breathe in, focus on the sensation of the breath entering your body and allow yourself to feel good about it. Even if it’s just the first hint of air filling your lungs, notice the pleasure in that simple moment. The practice here is to connect the thought of feeling good with the physical sensation of breathing. Breathe in slowly, maintaining that sense of ease, and gradually allow this good feeling to extend throughout your entire body. The breath becomes not just a means of physical survival but a conduit for experiencing the inherent goodness within you.
This basic goodness, much like the breath, is always available to us. However, just as we sometimes overlook the importance of breathing until we bring our attention to it, we often fail to notice the deeper reality of this goodness because we’re focused on surface appearances. In the same way that we connect the good feeling to the breath, we can learn to connect with the goodness within any given moment—regardless of the circumstances.
Consider, for instance, the image of a dog sticking its head out of a car window, feeling the wind on its face. The dog’s joy in that moment is pure and immediate, a simple response to the present experience of life. Yet, like the dog, we often find ourselves navigating between moments of joy and the potential perils of life. Behind these fleeting moments of pleasure and danger, there is a deeper source of well-being: the light of awareness that illuminates every experience, if only we can pay attention to it.
This awareness is akin to the light passing through a stained glass window. The light, as it filters through the colored glass, takes on various hues and forms—just as our awareness illuminates the kaleidoscopic variety of objects, thoughts, and emotions that we perceive. However, we often mistake the colors for reality itself, focusing on the outer appearances rather than the deeper essence. We see the colored glass, but not the light that makes it visible. In doing so, we become lost in the surface of things, forgetting that the same light shines through everything.
A classic example of this illusion is the tale of mistaking a rope for a snake in dim light. At first, we perceive a dangerous snake, but upon closer inspection, we realize it’s just a rope. However, even the rope is not the ultimate reality. What’s truly real is the light that allows us to see both the snake and the rope. Similarly, we often mistake the forms and objects of our life for the truth, not realizing that they are simply reflections of a deeper awareness. The light of consciousness illuminates them all, just as it illuminates our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations.
To truly see beyond the surface, we must shift our attention from the objects of perception to the awareness that illuminates them. This is where the practice of breath awareness becomes invaluable. Each time you consciously connect a good feeling with the sensation of your breath, you are training yourself to recognize the deeper reality beneath the surface of your experiences. Rather than identifying with the “colored glass” of your individual thoughts or emotions, you begin to identify with the clear light that shines through them. You start to realize that you are the awareness behind all forms, not the forms themselves.
This shift in perspective is the essence of the realization: “I am that.” You are not the transient, fleeting objects of your perception; you are the awareness that perceives them. By connecting the good feeling of the breath with your awareness, you ground yourself in this deeper truth. Over time, this practice can transform the way you experience life. Instead of being swept away by circumstances, conditioned responses, and habitual reactions, you can pause and recognize the light of awareness that underlies each moment.
In this way, the simple act of breathing becomes a profound gateway to deeper understanding. As you breathe, you not only experience the physical sensation of air entering your body, but you also tap into the fundamental goodness that resides within you. This goodness, like the light of awareness, is not something external you need to strive for—it is always present, always accessible, in each breath you take.
In our day-to-day lives, this practice has far-reaching implications. When we learn to connect the thought of feeling good with the physical sensation of breathing, we cultivate a sense of well-being that permeates our entire experience. Instead of getting caught up in surface appearances, we begin to see the deeper reality behind them. We start to recognize that, beneath the ever-changing forms of life, there is a constant, unchanging awareness—a light that shines through everything we see, feel, and think.
Ultimately, the practice of breath awareness teaches us to live from this place of deeper truth. It reminds us that we are not separate from the light of awareness; we are that light. And when we stop identifying with the surface reflections of our thoughts, emotions, and circumstances, we can relax into the truth of our being—pure awareness, shining through every moment, guiding us back to our inherent goodness.
Spiritual Gravity 