Your Breath is Much More Interesting

My second ever interaction with Soryu was in the corridor outside the cleaning closet, when we (three new stewards) were receiving instructions on how to mop from Virabhadra.

Soryu came along the corridor and told us “Don’t worry about it. Don’t even try to understand what he is saying. He’s just a person near you who is talking. You’re not gonna remember any of it … your breath is much more interesting”.

After this interaction I felt more relaxed; it allowed me to release my concern about remembering everything Virabhadra was saying, essentially keeping me in my mind and in thoughts of the future (where I can’t remember the instructions). I came back to my breath and continued to follow instructions with a greater sense of ease and mindfulness of body.

“He’s just a person near you who is talking” was a wonderfully clear and obvious statement that cut right through any dramatic mental narratives about the situation, brought my awareness back to physical space (away from thinking).

No need to think about this or worry about remembering all the information. We will learn everything we need to in time. Stay mindful of breath and body.