I was teaching a lesson and it turned in a thoughtful direction. My pupil has a lot of tension and neck pain. He meditates, and I said to him,

“It’s like when you meditate. You notice your thoughts floating by

Like watching clouds in the sky.

You have thoughts, but you are not them

“You are the noticer. That is consciousness.”

 

“You can notice your body

You can notice different parts and also the Whole

And now notice that you are the noticer

That is consciousness, and this work is about consciousness.”

 

“Be the noticer.

Now you’re less attached

And you can notice some ease and release of tension.

 

Keep coming up to your awareness, up in your head

And notice your body.”

 

Lying on the table, I suggested,

“Notice your breath

Like standing on the shore and watching the waves of the sea

Rolling in and rolling out

You see the waves and yet you are not them

 

Allow your breath to flow like a wave

And notice it.”

 

“How nice it is, to be in your body while you’re letting yourself be

It’s non-doing yet you notice sensations.

 

How nice is it now, standing after the table work

Noticing your back is open as it was on the table

Leaving your back to be back

And allowing your legs to move as you walk.”

 

“How does your neck feel?” I asked.

“It feels really, really good.”