Liberating the Heart: Ānāpānasati 3rd Tetrad
Reflections on the third set/tetrad of the ānāpānasati (mindfulness of breathing) instructions, from MN 118, and on how the first 12 steps enunciate a wave pattern of connection and release. The third set of instructions begins with somatic connection with the knowing and experiencing faculty, the citta, separate from its content—narrative, images, and emotions. Experiencing the citta, gladdening or uplifting, then immersing the citta in samādhi—all as the necessary doorway to liberating the heart. We explore what this liberating of the heart might look and feel like, and the practices that bring us to and through this important and deep stage in practice.