“Breath Poems”

Led by Suzanne Colón

ONLINE

Two Tuesday Evenings: April 14 and 21
7 – 8:30 PM

“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh

This two-part class will explore using carefully crafted words whispered internally to oneself on the in and out breath. Popularized by Thich Nhat Hanh, Breath Poems are function as “labeling” or “noting” techniques do – helping maintain focus and aligning the mind with the intention of the practice. They are also similar to sacred word practices, used in the Christian contemplative tradition and can be very calming and soothing.

In this user-friendly, low-stakes class, we’ll play around with them as a tool to help settle the mind, invite calm and build concentration in a period of meditation. The class will include a review of the three basic types of meditations and we’ll craft a poem to be used for each type (Concentration, Insight and Development of heart qualities).

Please have paper or a journal handy for writing things down. Registration is preferred so that participants can be emailed a handout on the 14th.