The Morning Wake-Up Sky Breath Meditation

I love this meditation book, Natural Radiance, Awakening to Your Great Perfection. It is the loveliest introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, and by a westerner. Lama Surya Das, the author, lived and studied with masters in Asia for almost 3 years, he has become a leading spokesperson for Western Buddhism. Buddhism is all about awakening, and here is a meditation to awaken while you awaken in the morning:

When you wake up in the morning, before you get out of bed, sit up and join the soles of your feet together, toes to toes, heels to heels. Then, with our first in-breath, reach your arms up over your head, point your fingers toward the sky, and, with a big out-breath, say “Aaaah.”

Then take another deep in-breath and bring your hands down to your knees. Your posture remains the same-with your feet pressed together, your head upraised, your eyes closed, and your hands on your knees. Your posture remains the same–with your feet pressed together, your head upraised, your eyes closed, and your hands on your knees. Take a few deep breaths in this position and release, letting everything just be in the Great Perfection of this moment of the fresh first instant, dawn of creation.

You can repeat this process three times, but once is enough.

Then carefully, mindfully, attentively get out of bed and stand with your hands at your side and your feet flat on the floor. Take a deep breath, relax, and straighten your spine. Then take a deep breath and bring your hands up over your head, open your eyes, look up—not at the ceiling but up at a 45-60 degree angle–and reach your fingertips up to the sky, palms out, and chant again, with your eyes open, mouth open, chest open, everything open: “Aaaah.” Let your arms fall open with your breath, relax, and smile with your entire luminous rainbow body.

The third posture of the Sky Breath practice is to stand like a mountain or a great tree, rooted in the Earth–firm and unshakeable–with your head in the sky and heaven and your feet on the earth, connecting both and stuck in neither, while letting go to experience total energy flow. Rest in this state of natural meditation for as long as you want.

Adapted from Natural Radiance: Awakening to Your Great Perfection, by Lama Surya Das (Sounds True, 2005).

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