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INTRODUCTION
---Ursula K. LeGuin
Can human beings actually achieve perfection? Or can they only aspire to it as an ideal by which to measure or test implacable reality? Actually achieving perfection would seem impossible, or fleeting at best, a transient state, easily wiped away by the constant change and flux of life. Change is a given. One who reached perfection would see change as the enemy, since it would inevitably undermine the perfect state of being. Change, however, is life-giving. Otherwise existence would be a stagnant condition and would not persist. Yet human beings do strive for perfection, elusive as it is, and when along the way they achieve something that is just right, finely balanced, and attentive to basic human needs, they frequently, in satisfaction, refer to it as “perfect.” It is the potential of achieving this kind of balance or integration of body, mind, and spirit that Perfecting Ourselves offers to its readers.
Let it be understood at the outset, therefore, that we are not presenting here a grand ideal, nor a recipe for some kind of metaphysical transformation. Our goal is to provide a framework for understanding the potentials of self-integration and a set of basic exercises and techniques for achieving it. The procedure we suggest is simple. Indeed, in places it may seem even overly simple. Don’t be misled by the simplicity. The substance of this book, as you journey through it, is capable of producing a profound impact and changing lives.
First let’s define some parameters. Perfecting ourselves is about each of us as an individual and what makes each of us unique. It is about our physical body, our mind, our actions, and our thoughts. It is not about perfecting our skills in making money. It is not about surrounding ourselves with tangible things that we believe define our existence or make our lives more comfortable. It is not about gaining material possessions of any kind. It is also not, in a more ideal sense, about developing the desire, much less the ability, to perfect the world or the immediate environment in which we live. Perfecting ourselves is about finding perfection within.
Everyone has had moments of perfection. A moment of pure awareness when everything is bright, clear and vibrantly alive. A moment where past and future no longer exist and all of our attention is focused on the present moment. At that one point in time we weren’t thinking about anything at all, we were simply existing. The problems in our lives faded away, all of our wants, needs, and desires disappeared. We had entered what can be called the flow of life. We weren’t holding onto it or trying to analyze it, we were just experiencing it. Maybe it was watching a sunset on the beach, maybe it was listening to music in the park, or maybe it was during some physical activity when everything just clicked. Whenever it was, at that moment everything was perfect. We were perfect.
What if we could call that feeling back? Not necessarily the actual moment, but the feeling we had in that instant. If we could recreate that kind of special moment, we could be perfect again. We could experience that feeling of being part of the whole universe, vitally connected to and immersed in the flow of life.
We’ve already noted that perfection is fleeting, the moment doesn’t last. The realities of everyday life soon yank us back. But, what if we could string together a whole series of those moments in which each in itself would be perfection. It would mean, first and foremost, stretching out the amount of time we spent in them experiencing perfection. And what would that mean? Getting closer and closer, of course, to perfecting ourselves.
This book is a guide to reaching the state of living in that perfect moment continuously. In order to achieve this we must come to understand both the body and the mind. We must learn how to influence and control them so that they work both together and for us. Through integration of the body and mind we will be able to unlock the secret of the human spirit which is the ultimate key to perfecting ourselves.
In the first chapter we consider the body and how to become more fully aware of and connected to it. Most of us live out our lives without ever really knowing our bodies, only really beginning to come to some understanding of them when they start to break down due to illness or injury. But the body is our physical presence in the world. We have no alternative but to live in it until we die. It makes much more sense to live in harmony with it than in ignorance of it or, worse, in conflict with it.
The first step is to learn the importance of accepting the body we have. Regardless of all things, real or imagined that you believe are wrong with it, acceptance is the only path that will lead us to understanding. Then we need to examine certain behaviors and the detrimental effect they have on the body, admitting to ourselves the truth about our own behavior.
In the second section of this chapter we suggest ways to counter the detrimental behaviors that have been catalogued in the first. Through the concept of moderation we learn the importance of easily managed changes to free us from the detrimental behavior we are imprisoned in. Moderation here is a response that eschews radical behavioral change and focuses on the subtle power of minor, incremental change. We also examine dieting and how simple, common sense ways of eating and concentrating on our food are a better way of controlling our intake than yo-yo or fad dieting. In addition, we learn the importance of motivation and how movement of the body expands oxygen intake and stimulates blood circulation. This section also offers a few easy exercises to enable us to quickly feel a change in the body.
The third section of chapter one is devoted to breathing exercises. It contrasts everyday unconscious or subsistence breathing with dynamic, conscious breathing and explains how awareness of the breath can bring immediate benefits such as increased oxygen supply and improved circulation as well as more gradual benefits such as general good health and long life. Next we discuss importance of posture when doing breathing exercises and offer the most effective postures for practicing them. There are postures for everyone at all levels, from beginner to advanced postures, either sitting, standing, or lying down, there is a posture that is comfortable for everyone. Finally we discuss five basic breathing exercises. Attention Breathing teaches us to concentrate on our normal breathing. Awareness of our normal breathing pattern is paramount if we plan on changing it. Abdominal Breathing teaches us how to control the inhalation and exhalation process by using the lungs and muscles of the body to take full, deep breaths. Reverse Abdominal Breathing is a more advanced method of controlling the breath and a way of building strong breathing habits. Nose Panting illustrates the importance of breathing through the nose and is an exercise that can be performed any time. The Complete Breath is a method for putting it all together in a way that makes it clear that deep breathing exercises and conscious awareness of the breath constitute a major pathway to physical health and well-being.
The second chapter examines the nature of the human mind and the need to gain better control over our thoughts and feelings. Most of us live our lives without, in a sense, paying attention, without assessing how the emotions which sweep through us – our moods, desires, opinions and the like – govern our mental processes. We find ourselves carried along at what is often a frenetic pace, rarely stopping to ask whether that is in fact the way we want our minds to work. The result is a mind too cluttered and stressed out to examine itself, and too seldom calm and at peace. The mind bent, in our context here, on perfecting itself, needs to slow down, take stock of the forces that impose themselves upon it, and find a means of asserting control. These aims will be pursued by distinguishing between what we will call the Ordinary Mind and the Universal Mind.
We will look first at the Ordinary Mind and, from a more or less traditional psychological perspective, consider the role played by the ego. We will examine the disabilities and the stresses that life, especially the post-modern high tech life we currently lead, imposes on us and how these are manifest in the flux of emotions we experience and the sometimes driven, sometimes anarchic thought processes we are prey to. A critical distinction here will be between thoughts that come unbidden into the mind and those which characterize our conscious thinking process.
We turn next to the Universal Mind. The Universal Mind is the thought process that is primarily concerned with our own individual existence, who we are and what our purpose in life is. It is a way of thinking that is separate from the everyday concerns of the Ordinary Mind. But, only when we have quieted the Ordinary Mind, can we begin drawing out the Universal Mind. This can be done by understanding and placing a positive value on silence or the simple reduction of the excessive input we experience in the life we normally lead. Hand-in-hand with this is a slowing down of the thought process, which enables us to focus on the quality of our actions, regardless of what we are doing. Sticking our attention to the task at hand enables us to become fully immersed in it and bring quality to even the most humble of endeavors.
The third section of this chapter discusses the state of Quietism. Quietism in this text refers to a state of calmness in the mind, unfazed by the chaos of the world around. Quietism is a state of mind where the thoughts have been corralled so that we are able to think clearly and calmly. By helping the mind to pay attention to the world around us we can ease the hectic pace of our thoughts and reflect on the real beauty of life. We also discuss exercises for focusing our thoughts and learn techniques for concentrating the mind on a certain point. It also discusses methods of fixing the mind to the senses and thereby releasing our grasp on our thoughts.
The third part of the book considers the spirit and how we can become more aware of our spiritual existence. It brings the breathing of the body from the first chapter together with the calmness of mind from the second chapter and discusses how we can fully enter into the flow of life. It shows how, by breathing in a state of Quietism we can become aware of our existence in every moment. It discusses meditation and how it is not some mystical practice, but simply a state of being when we are quietly breathing. It emphasizes the point that meditation is not a regimen of practice that has to be strictly followed, but is merely becoming aware of the body and the mind in your own time. Our spirit manifests itself in the perfection of each moment we live. As we become aware of ourselves in each moment, we begin to realize our spiritual nature. And by connecting those perfect moments together we, ourselves, can become happy, healthy and perfect.
This book is a journey towards
finding out who you truly are. At times there may be moments when you don’t
want to know certain things about yourself. The purpose of this journey,
however, is to come to understand your whole being, not just the good parts.
Have no fear, simply by embarking on this journey you have taken the most
difficult step. The path lies before you…perfection awaits.
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