Jo Chern

Tag: breathing

  • I Am I; I Am Not I

    The small pond is clear, not blue-sky clear but the grey-white clouds of winter clear, so I see deep into the water with nothing reflecting back at me, not my face, not the small trees surrounding the pond, just the water. And the stone at the bottom. This is my stone, the one I threw…

  • When The Cushion Doesn’t Call

    When the zabuton is stretched out on the floor, the zafu cushion sitting atop, Mario comes in and takes his place, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. At times, he will stay for an hour or more seeming barely to move, content as a cat. Of course, Mario has an advantage in this: Mario is…

  • My Breath; My Enemy

    In. Out. Follow the breath. Abdomen rises, falls. Pause at the top; pause at the bottom. Like waves on a shore. Yes, but… During meditation, keeping the mind still and in the present is the greatest challenge for most and while that’s true for me as well, what really brings me up short is my…