|
-Mindfulness Meditation
|
When one begins meditating, it is usually accompanied be an idea of what is to be accomplished. For most people this usually follows a theme such as gain more peacefulness or reduce stress. Although in many instances this brings benefit in working with a particular situation or malady, meditation practices can become cramped, contrived and closed as opposed to open ended under these types of narrow constrains. A more open, larger view aspiration for the practice of meditation is a willingness to make a relationship with our experience as it arises. This attitude boycotts manipulation of occurrences in the moment and one has the potential to remain in the unpredictability of it.
The body's role in this is to be acknowledged and honored. We may try to cultivate some kind of ideal state with how we work with the body. This is known as a type of spiritual materialism because we are manufacturing another comfy "hide out", something that our ego mind has been and will continue to do with all aspects of our lives if we aren't attuned to it's trying to hold and control situations with superficial security.
We could surrender to the process of meditation itself. It has very much to do with how we work with the body in the first place. If we take a posture of rigidity, looking for an immovable seat in meditation, we are encouraging a mind that will be fixed, frozen, and dead. There may be a tendency when meditation is approached to force the body into 'the right posture" and get right to the meditation technique, whatever that may be. This will deaden our meditation practice. This approach is actually the opposite to establishing a grounded good seat on the earth becoming the conduit of energy with heaven above. Rigidity and holding cuts off flow and the mind responds as if being trapped.
Avoiding narrow entrapment, and to energize and enliven our meditation practice into the present moment, moment by moment, we could start by exploring our inner physical space with gentle curiosity. This exploration is not timid and at the same time any embarrassment or holding back is acknowledged without aggression and judgmentalism. Nothing in the inner physical space is regarded as insignificant. In this way meditation has been practiced for a few millennia, beginning with taking one's seat connecting with earth, finding one's energetic center, and through knowing and trusting the body, the knots of tension from past hurts and clinging pleasures (i.e. karma) that is locked in parts of the body, can loosen and begin to come to the surface.
Experience teaches us along the way that pain and obscurations to reality that are trapped as unconsciousness and hold us hostage in unconsciousness, are lodged in the body. Folded up along with this is the path to wisdom. Meditation with the intension of opening up and freeing these tensely held negativities can begin to turn our allegiance from the preoccupation with superficially securing ourselves, toward the open unpredictability and freshness of the present moment, also known as the now.
Energy practices designed to synchronize body, speech and mind, such as qi gong, lujong (Tibetan qi/chi practices), tai chi, and various yogic disciplines, are greatly enhanced in their ripening of karma and opening the way for wisdom when coupled with mindfulness meditation practices and vice versa. For more on this see the document on Breathing for the breath is traditionally connected with speech and connecting the body and the mind.
|