hand movements

A huge potential for mind liberation is to be found in certain hand motions...

for this is how your brain sees your body!

The amount of cortex devoted to any given body region is not proportional to that body region's surface area or volume, but rather to how richly innervated that region is. The resulting image is that of a distorted human body, with disproportionately huge hands…

And there is more to it: recent brain mapping studies suggested that motor regions for the hand also connect to the entire body…

This is why, as you perform certain hand movements, especially turning it or pressing with the fingertips, you immediately can sense how your body feels, at a depth unknown from your everyday wakeful state.

We have arrived at the most delicate, original, and impactful practice of all this presentation.
Certain hand movements delicately executed in harmony with the breath will lead us to probe the depths of our being. They will bring to light blockages and dysfunctions accumulated unknowingly over the years, and ultimately allow us to dissolve them. Yes, certain delicate hand or finger movements can inform us about the myriad of sensations that manifest unknowingly in us, but which nevertheless considerably influence our behaviors… (If you are not convinced, try it now: close your eyes, touch a flat surface with the tip of your index finger, very lightly, then slowly increase the pressure, always a little more, once, twice, three times... and try to catch what happens inside you, especially in your chest, throat or head...)

In other words, these hand movements will force the karmic knots accumulated over the years to unravel, manifesting themselves in turn through somatic sensations, which ideally should be endured until they disappear.

A beautiful simile coming from the dawn of time…

To be successful in the execution of the movements presented below, expect to have to be more diligent, consistent and persistent than ever... just as if you had to make a fire by rubbing a simple wooden stick on a board...

Hand movements: the touch of the thumb

Here, you delicately touch the four fingertips of one hand with your thumb as follows: forefinger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger, forefinger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger…and so on.

Every time you touch a finger, you mentally note “touch”,  and you do so until you inhale. While inhaling, the thumb keeps visiting the fingertips, but you mentally note “rise” instead of “touch”… Then, as  you start to exhale, you note “fall”, BUT ONLY ONCE, after which you note “touch, touch, touch…” until you inhale again.

 As an example, with an average respiratory rate, the complete noting for one breath cycle will be something like:

“touch, touch, touch, rise, rise, fall…”

Now, as a rule, if we agree that “fall” marks the end of this cycle, just after noting “fall”, the thumb must come back to the forefinger to start a new cycle.

In our example, as we mentally note “fall”, the thumb will touch the middle finger, and the next finger to visit will be the forefinger (not the ring finger).

That’s your turn!

How many fingertips does your thumb touch while inhaling?

On which fingertips falls the mental note “fall”?

How many fingertips do you touch in one breath cycle?

Golden rule: never wait for the breath! Start right away by noting “touch, touch, touch…” until you naturally breathe in…

Easier said than done! But once you get the hint of it, everything will fall into place.

Having a playful attitude can be very rewarding in the field of mindfulness… and it is what all this presentation is about. 

Better have fun before facing the monster within!

This basic exercise, once mastered, is pure gold. Not only will it help you to perform easily those more powerful hand movements here below, but it will also allow you to monitor other daily activities in a very precise and attractive way.

Have you ever thought of finding out how many steps you walk in one breath?

Stand up, start walking and perform this “touch of the thumb” at the same pace. Make sure that mental noting, touch of thumb and touch of feet go on in perfect harmony. See on which fingertip you say "fall", and you will get the answer right away.

You want to know how many times you masticate in one breath while eating? Put the food in your mouth, and put the spoon or the fork down on the table. Start masticating and perform the “touch of the thumb” at the same pace, and see on which fingertip you say "fall"... That's it!

the hand rotation

Starting position : raise the right hand at throat or chin level, palm turned leftward.
Movement : rotate the hand by 20 degrees two or three times until it faces forward, while mentally noting "turn, turn, turn...", as many times as needed to fill the space that precedes the next in-breath.
Now, as you breathe in, keep your hand facing forward and note mentally : "rise" or "rise, rise", or "rise, rise, rise", as long as you inhale.
As you breathe out, note "fall" ONLY ONCE, while rotating the hand in one go, back to the starting position.

So, as a rule, the hand rotates forward during  the pause that precedes the next in-breath, or during the quiet phase of the out-breath, or during both the quiet phase of the out-breath and the pause that precede the next in-breath. It all depends on the meditator's own breath.

Then the hand remains still during the whole in-breath, and comes back in one go to the starting position, at the beginning of the out-breath: ROTATE, FACE AND BACK IN ONE GO.

In case of an average respiratory rate, the noting of one complete breath cycle will be:

"turn, turn, turn, ri-ise, fall..." (ri-ise equals to "rise-rise")

What about you? Can you find out what is the complete noting of your hand rotation?...

The whole sequence of the hand rotation

For the second breath of this sequence, again from the starting position, rotate the hand inward in two or three segments, till the palm face the chest.

The noting remains the same: "turn, turn, turn, ri-ise, fall..."

First breath and second breath together: "turn, turn, turn, ri-ise, fall, turn, turn, turn, ri-ise, fall..."

For the third breath, turn inward, and for the fourth breath, turn outward.

The four breaths altogether : outward and back, inward and back, inward and back, outward and back.

For the next four breaths, it is the opposite : inward and back, outward and back, outward and back, inward and back.

Once this sequence of eight breaths is mastered, you will notice numerous sensations arising in the head or the chest or the abdomen. This is where you should now place your attention, and consequently, you should change your noting.

Each time you turn the hand, now note "feel, feel, feel"

At first, the attention will look inside, here and there. But as the practice goes on, sensations will manifest more and more clearly, and a choice will naturally take place, totally on its own.

Unsuspected sensitives body zones will finally be revealed to the daring practitioner! 

A whole sensory landscape originated from the depths of his or her unconscious will percolate to the surface!

We were noting "turn, turn, turn, ri-ise, fall...", and now we note : "feel, feel, feel, ri-ise, fall".

And there is more to it! As the practice goes on, many of these surprising sensations felt during the gap of the breath will even increase in intensity during the in-breath, forcing the attention to forget about the breath, and to sweep exclusively between the most sensitive zones.

In case of an average respiratory rate, the final noting therefore will be : "feel, feel, feel, fee-eel, fall".

Remember, in the space before the in-breath, you pinpoint the sensitive zones, and during the in-breath, you kind of review these zones by sweeping the attention over them.

Golden rule

For a beginner, the mental diction of the noting is of primary importance, but thanks to constant practice, the more the felt sensations gain in clarity and precision, the more the noting will fade into the background.

Also, while it is up to each person to discover his or her own intimate sensory landscape, there is one crucial area where this exercise will constantly bring us back, and that is the solar plexus, the area just below the breastbone. In many cases, we notice that this sensation in the center of the body is felt continuously, as if in the background. During the rotation of the hand, the best time to visit the solar plexus is when we note "fall", at the beginning of the exhalation. This is the moment when the hand returns to the starting position, and there is naturally a feeling of gathering in the center that occurs.

This is called back to the center. After this, without any downtime, the hand again starts to rotate in three, four, five or six segments. And as you mentally note “feel, feel, feel…”, the number of segments equals the number of sensitive zones that the attention is now visiting in an ascending line.

For exemple, it could be: 1. abdomen (right side), 2. solar plexus again, or heart, 3. throat, 4. third eye or right ear, 5. forehead or right temple.

If you clearly feel only three zones, then you should rotate your hand slowly enough to fill the space before the next in-breath. But if you feel five or six zones, you should rotate your hand much quicker. Ultimately, as you gain momentum while moving your hand with perseverance, all this will take place on its own, very smoothly. 

Of course, all this may sound pretty weird! Yet, if you want a clear and rapid confirmation of how this hand movement can amazingly reveal countless sensations you are not aware of in an every-day situation, try this: wait to be alone one day, taking one of your meal. Insert a spoonful of food into your mouth, and then put down the spoon on the table. Now, as you masticate, at a similar pace, perform “the touch of the thumb” as already explained above, and after swallowing, switch to this hand rotation, and observe and feel the myriads of sensations it triggers within you.

The reason for this? Nature wants you to eat! These countless sensations from deep within are the reward for getting food, and yet, they do not need to be felt at the surface level… 

hand rotation and the 64-breath sequence

The 16 first breaths

Perform the first eight breaths as already explained: outward-inward-inward-outward, inward-outward-outward-inward… then mentally announce “two!”, and perform another eight breaths in the opposite manner: inward-outward-outward-inward, outward-inward-inward-outward.

The whole sequence

Mentally announce "three" and perform another eight-breath sequence exactly like the first one: outward-inward-inward-outward, inward-outward-outward-inward.

Mentally announce "four" and perform another eight-breath sequence exactly like the second one:

inward-outward-outward-inward, outward-inward-inward-outward.

Perform similarly, announcing "five", "six", "seven" and "height".

pressing the forefinger tips

Although visually kind of discreet, the forefinger tips pressure is very efficient, and to ensure a crescendo in the practice, it should always be performed after the hand rotation…

A short presentation

While the hand rotation is performed only with one hand, right or left, “pressing the forefinger tip” is to be performed in an alternating way: one forefinger will press during a breath cycle, and the other will press during the next breath cycle.

How to do: place the tip of the right forefinger on a flat surface and then press a little more, once, twice... as many times as needed to fill the space that precedes the next in-breath. Mentally not "press, press, press...", as many times as needed to match the increasing pressure of the forefinger. 

Reminder: as always in this meditation, NEVER WAIT FOR THE BREATH, start acting right away to fill the space before the in-breath.

It can never be stressed enough: all the power of mind you can harness from this practice depends on following this rule to the T.

And when the in-breath finally kicks in, mentally note “rise”, or “rise-rise”, or “ri-i-i-ise”, as long as you inhale, while maintaining the pressure of the forefinger even. Do not increase the pressure, do not release it.

Finally, at the very beginning of the out-breath, mentally note “fall” ONLY ONCE, and bring back the forefinger AT ONCE to its starting point, right above the flat surface.

In short:

- during the space preceding the in-breath, touch and increase the pressure

- during the inhale, maintain the pressure

- during the very beginning of the out-breath, fully release the pressure 
- during the whole space preceding the next in-breath, use the forefinger to touch and increase the pressure… and so on!

In case of an average respiratory rate, the noting of one complete breath cycle could be, like in the video below:

"press, press, press, ri-ise, fall..." ("ri-ise" equals to "rise-rise") 
What about you? Can you find out what is the complete noting per breath cycle as you press the forefinger tip? 

The complete eight-breath sequence of this gradual pressing of the forefinger

Alternate right forefinger and left forefinger as follows:

four breaths: 1.right, 2.left, 3.left, 4.right,

four next breaths: 5.left, 6.right, 7.right, 8.left.

 Once this sequence of eight breaths is mastered, you will notice numerous sensations arising in the head or the chest or the abdomen. This is where you should now place your attention, and consequently, you should change your noting.

Each time you press the forefinger tip, now mentally note "feel, feel, feel..."

At first, the attention will look inside, here and there. But as the practice goes on, sensations will manifest more and more clearly, and a choice will naturally take place, totally on its own.

Unsuspected sensitives body zones will finally be revealed to the daring practitioner! 

A whole sensory landscape originated from the depths of his or her unconscious will percolate to the surface!

We were noting "press, press, press, ri-ise, fall...", and now we note : "feel, feel, feel, ri-ise, fall".

And there is more to it! As the practice goes on, many of these surprising sensations felt during the gap of the breath will even increase in intensity during the in-breath, forcing the attention to forget about the breath, and to sweep exclusively between the most sensitive zones.

In case of an average respiratory rate, the final noting therefore will be : "feel, feel, feel, fee-eel, fall".

Remember, in the space before the in-breath, you pinpoint the sensitive zones, and during the in-breath, you kind of review these zones by sweeping the attention over them.

Golden rule

For a beginner, the mental diction of the noting is of primary importance, but thanks to constant practice, the more the felt sensations gain in clarity and precision, the more the noting will fade into the background.

Also, while it is up to each person to discover his or her own intimate sensory landscape, there is one crucial area where this exercise will constantly bring us back, and that is the solar plexus, the area just below the breastbone. In many cases, we notice that this sensation in the center of the body is felt continuously, as if in the background. While pressing the forefingers, the best time to visit the solar plexus is when we note "fall", at the beginning of the exhalation. As and when the forefinger comes back to the starting position, above the flat surface, there is naturally a feeling of gathering in the center that occurs.

This is called back to the center. After this, without any downtime, the other forefinger starts to press in three, four, five or six segments. And as you mentally note “feel, feel, feel…”, the number of segments equals the number of sensitive zones that the attention is now visiting in an ascending line.

For exemple, it could be: 1. abdomen (right side), 2. solar plexus again, or heart, 3. throat, 4. third eye or right ear, 5. forehead or right temple.

If you clearly feel only three zones, the forefinger should press slowly enough to fill the space before the next in-breath. But if you feel five or six zones, the forefinger should press much quicker. Ultimately, as you gain momentum while pressing with perseverance, all this will take place on its own, very smoothly. 

And there is more to it. Suppose you have been practicing mindfulness of breathing (see “the breath”) for forty minutes, and the body scan for twenty minutes, without a shift in your sitting posture, and you are now rotating your hand and pressing the forefingers for at least one hour: as you are about to enter the third hour of this marathon meditation session, the magic will start to unfold. At some point, some sensitive zones in the upper body may start to fade away, while one or two totally new sensitive zones start to appear in the lower body, somewhere in the legs or ankles or feet. Get ready to face sharp pains, for the legs are now channeling down the accumulated negativities that were obstructing the head, the heart and the like.

The rest is history! Practice up to this point and see for yourself. Just be ready to try your endurance.

Remember the words of the great master, Sunlun Sayadaw:

“the more intense the sensation which has been overcome, the clearer will be the resultant mind…”,

and also: 
“escape from delusion cannot be achieved through reflective, considerate, relaxed effort. It is achieved through the most powerful and sustained thrust of all the physical and mental capacities at the meditator’s command.” 
A word of caution nevertheless, choose carefully you sitting posture. Your spine should effortlessly be erected. If you’re in your twenties, try to master the lotus posture. It will greatly benefit you for many years to come. If you’re in your forties, practice half lotus. The difference between these two postures: you will need a cushion under your buttocks for half lotus, while, in lotus, you can sit perfectly erect for hours together, with nothing under your bottom but a flat surface.

pressing the forefinger tips and the 64-breath sequence

The 16 first breaths

Perform the first eight breaths as already explained:
four first breaths: 1.right, 2.left, 3.left, 4.right,

four next breaths: 5.left, 6.right, 7.right, 8.left. 

Then mentally announce “two!”, and perform another eight breaths in the opposite manner: 
1.left, 2.right, 3.right, 4.left, 5.right, 6.left, 7.left, 8.right

The whole sequence

Mentally announce "three" and perform another eight-breath sequence exactly like the first one: 1.right, 2.left, 3.left, 4.right,  5.left, 6.right, 7.right, 8.left.

Mentally announce "four" and perform another eight-breath sequence exactly like the second one:

1.left, 2.right, 3.right, 4.left, 5.right, 6.left, 7.left, 8.right.

Perform the thirty-two following breaths similarly, announcing "five", "six", "seven" and "height", and alternate with both forefingers as already explained.

After 64 breaths, repeat again and again and again...just as if you had to make a fire by rubbing a simple wooden stick on a board...

This technique of hard breathing is supposed to bring up a bigger amount of strong sensations than normal meditation does, giving the meditator the opportunity to cleanse the mind at a deep level.

Said Sunlun Sayadaw:

“The more intense the sensation which has been overcome, the clearer will be the resultant mind.”

But do not be fooled. What you see here is just a little demonstration.

Those guys are not going to meditate for long hours like they are supposed to in this tradition. The way they sit is much too loose to do so.

I visited the Sunlun meditation center in Yangoon a few years ago, and there is very little going on nowadays.

You should also know that, prior to his enlightenment, Sunlun Sayadaw was practicing rigorous awareness of sensations at the nostrils, with natural breath.

Hard breathing was brought up later on to help people to trigger strong physical sensations. According to this later practice, you were asked to do hard breathing for thirty minutes, and then to observe any strong body sensation, to let it become more and more intense, and to endure it until it vanishes.

However if you try to perform this hard breathing you will see that after half an hour, sensations are not that strong… then what???

To bring our deeply buried suffering to light, we need to start our session by observing  the natural breath and the sensations that manifest at the nostrils, precisely like Sunlun Sayadaw, until the piti factor arises (tangible body sensations marking a significant development of our concentration).

That should take 10 to 40 minutes.

Then we need to switch to hand movements.

Yes, certain hand movements, performed steadily, will extricate this deep-seated suffering and wash it away!

Everything will come into place according Sunlun Sayadaw’s teaching.