Transcript

#850: The Peace That's Always Within You — Guided Meditation by Zen Master Henry Shukman

0:00 Hello, boys and girls, ladies and germs. This is Tim Ferris. Welcome to another episode of the Tim Ferris Show. This episode is a brand new experiment called Meditation Monday. That means in addition to my long form interviews each week, every Monday, I will be bringing you a short 10 minute or so meditation, which will help you for the rest of the week. Over this four episode series, you'll develop a Zen toolkit specifically to help you find greater calm, peace, and effectiveness in your daily life. The teacher, Henry Shuchman, has been on my podcast twice before. He is one of only a few dozen masters in the world authorized to teach what is called Sambozen, and I have found this particularly interesting and effective, and now he'll be your teacher. I've been using Henry's app, The Way. Once

0:42 Often twice a day, and it has lowered my anxiety more than I thought. possible. As a listener of the show, you yourself can get thirty free sessions. by visiting the wayapp.com slash Tim. So if you like what you hear in these meditations, which will be valuable in and of themselves, you can get thirty free sessions by going to thewayapp.com slash Tim. And for the time being, please enjoy this meditation Monday with Henry Shootman. Welcome to this meditation with me, Henry Shootman.

1:12 In this little set of meditations so far, we've looked at uh doing a body scan. We've explored. The practice of doing less Or even not doing anything at all. as a fantastic way to reset the nervous system. We've also

1:27 Explored how to be with stress in a way that we're not kind of opposing it And fighting it, but we're including it. And how helpful that can actually be in bringing us to a more patient and compassionate

1:40 uh approach to our own stresses. In this Meditation. We're gonna be exploring An old Zen teaching.

1:49 Which runs like this. Take the backward step. That shines the light. Inward. What on earth does this really mean?

1:58 It means Finding a way to To Rest. Back.

2:03 Into the sort of heart. Conditions. Of awareness.

2:13 The underlies of All our experience. That's a bit of a mouthful, but I'm gonna be guiding us.

2:20 Through the use of this Little directive from Zen and I think showing how useful and helpful. It can be in the midst of

2:29 any ordinary life. Just taking a moment. To come back. Into an intrinsic well being, a kind of unconditional

2:38 Well being. Th the great traditions of meditation such as Zen No is available to us. Okay. Let's get into a comfortable

2:47 Seated position. Close your eyes or lower your gaze. Have your hands. where feels good for you, could be in the lap, could be on the thighs. Let your arms go completely slack and

3:02 Let them just kinda dangle. Like old ropes? And Actu the whole body or Become floppy.

3:17 It doesn't matter if you're sitting upright. With no support other than the seat. As long as you're somewhat balanced, you can still go floppy. And of course if you're reclining or your back is supported it it might be easier. Just let

3:35 Everything. Become Like a ragdoll. Head throat. Shoulders, arms, hands, floppy.

3:47 Chest belly seat. Length. Floppy. So the whole body Is kind of doing

3:59 Nothing. Really? Releasing Any need to Activate any part of the body.

4:12 Rest. Coming into Body wide. Rest. No it's uh

4:25 Hidden secrets. Of rest. Actually that In rest. A different quality.

4:33 Of awareness. Can Emerge. By itself. It's akin to the

4:44 Deeply creative possibilities. Of rest. But within Rest. And restfulness.

4:57 Another Flavour of awareness. can emerge. By itself. Where we're simply aware.

5:07 Of being here? Aware of the Our surroundings, And we might find that there's a quality of Quiet.

5:21 And stillness. In the space around us. that we might not have noticed. So Zen says Take the backward step.

5:41 Just give yourself A little Window of Time. Right now. When you can disengage.

5:56 So much of our life where Kind of forward facing engaging with the world before us. That's just fine, but We can have a break from that. That can be profoundly restorative.

6:12 We just Take a little micro step. Backward. Disenge. From the world.

6:22 From activities from your life. Just for a moment. Recede. Just a little bit. From the world.

6:34 Before you. Come back. into yourself. And this Backward step.

6:46 Can as it were illuminate. A quality of awareness. A peaceful Nature. In ourselves.

7:03 But always Already here. A wider Sense of Peace.

7:18 Of calm. Ease. Yeah. almost seemed to spread through our life. When we give ourselves a chance to

7:36 To notice it. Simply by Disengaging. Taking. Yes.

7:46 Half step backwards, This A little bit A falling back.

7:53 Receiving. Back. into ourselves. Into Some part of us.

8:04 Some part of our nature. That's always been here. As if it's Really always been Present.

8:18 Throughout our lives. Somehow almost Holding A life experience. A broader

8:31 Awareness. A wider lens. Wider. But yeah. Wide a field of vision.

8:57 It's not Some special accomplishment. To find this, it's simply always. Been with us. A restful.

9:13 Awareness. Just allow yourself. To rest. With it. To be

9:25 In it. Just a moment more. Highly restorative. Very refreshing. This awareness

9:42 Can be. For us. Both. A state of rest, and a A condition

9:57 of awareness. At once. Almost like there's a A different perspective on life here. A different vantage.

10:13 broader view. Somehow a little less, Bound by time. A little Taste.

10:26 I think. Timelessness. Might show up. As if we've just stepped.

10:37 Back from the stream of time. Just for a moment. From the stream of clock time. Being with ourselves. No.

10:52 Intimately. Yeah. Thank you, so Let's gently come Out of the meditation let yourself be

11:13 Move. A little bit. Perhaps swaying. The upper body. Wiggling fingers and toes.

11:22 Opening. The eyes raising. The gaze Have a Deeper inhale.

11:31 And Exhale and look around you. And let's yeah, close this meditation now. I hope you find This

11:43 Or any of the other meditations. a really helpful intervention to deploy At any time. In the course of your Daily life.

11:53 At the beginning of the day. At the end of the day. Mm-hmm. Any point. In the course of the day.

11:59 Thank you. Very very much indeed. For joining me. And I wish you a very fine rest of your day.

12:08 Thank you.