This is a very simple Seishindo Practice and yet it embodies an important principle of Seishindo – In almost all instances people overheat their system when talking about their perceived challenges.
In Seishindo we pay attention to assure that the words we speak are fully supported by a relaxed physiology and copious amounts of oxygen. When we speak slowly and with purpose, and fuel our process with a sufficient amount of oxygen, we literally give our body the opportunity to digest and thus emotionally understand what we say. When we do this we find that the narrative of our story changes.
What happens when a person’s narrative starts to shift? They begin to see and feel their challenge from a different perspective. Without any prompting or suggestions, an angry husband starts to perceive how he adds to the madness in his marriage. In another instance an upset parent begins to realize that it is only natural for his teenage daughter to begin dating at some point.
I am not sure how to give you the best instruction for this Practice in writing.
You are to cycle through repeating the numbers 1…2…3…4… while taking a naturally full breath in between each number. In this instance you are simply speaking numbers as a way of practicing for later conversations that contain content that is important to you. Speaking the numbers is what we call having “a conversation without content.” You are talking, but about nothing in particular. This is a great way to practice for actual conversations.
“One” spoken toward the end of your exhale…
Then you take a relaxed natural inhale and somewhere along the path of exhaling you speak the number “Two.”…
Then you take a relaxed natural inhale and somewhere along the path of exhaling you speak the number “Three.”…
Then you take a relaxed natural inhale and somewhere along the path of exhaling you speak the number “Four.”…
When you have it just right, you will feel that everything is just right. Just enough pausing, just enough speaking, and just enough breathing.
When you are able to complete two full rounds from 1-4 feeling that both rounds one after the other are just right, you should likely feel relaxed and at ease. You might feel at peace at this time and happy to just sit quietly for a few minutes, or you might feel ready to have a meaningful discussion about a subject that is important to you.
No matter what, this Practice is an important one for learning how to harmonize your words with your physiology and emotional state.
Don’t be surprised if it is not as easy as it first appears!
Practice, enjoy, and learn.