The special knack of meditation is to develop the one who pays attention, the watcher. When we practice a simple sitting meditation, we sit comfortably with our eyes closed and begin to observe the energies that move within us all the time: thoughts, sensations, and emotions. We develop the knack of simply watching these distractions go by with a feeling of friendly acceptance.
How do we acquire this knack? We begin by being a witness to the mind, by becoming separate from the mind.
If you watch a dog, you are clearly not the dog; if you look at a tree, you are separate from the tree. The same applies to the mind. Watching is the key. Watch the mind, without repressing, without preventing, without judging, and slowly you will begin to disidentify, realizing that you are not your thoughts, sensations, emotions.
Simply by watching the disturbance of mind, body, and emotions with non-judgment and acceptance, the traffic of the mind begins to slow down over time, and you move from being controlled by the mind to connecting with the wisdom of your heart and the wisdom of your body. This brings you more balance and clarity as you tap into your inner intelligence, insight, and intuition.
Patience is needed, but this knack of witnessing brings rich rewards. It is a thread of awareness you can weave into the fabric of your everyday life.
The Mind Is Your Friend
The mind is our bridge from the subconscious to the conscious, our gateway of expression to the outer world. Be grateful for it. Find ways to appreciate the insights, understandings, and creativity it brings. Don’t see it as an enemy, but as a friend.
As this friendship with your mind deepens, it no longer disturbs you. You are not fighting the mind; you are simply letting the thoughts pass by. When you befriend your mind and allow it to subside into its natural place in the background, qualities such as relaxed awareness, humor, compassion, and self-acceptance emerge to the surface.
Whatever you are doing – driving, eating, working in your office — do it watchfully. Or, if you are not doing anything, except breathing, resting, relaxing on your couch, bring yourself to an awareness that you are a watcher. Yes, you will forget, over and over again. You will get involved in some thought, feeling, some emotion, some sentiment–anything to distract you from being the watcher. Just remember and come back to your center of watching.
By making this a continuous inner process, you will be surprised how life can change its quality. Once you reach the place of the watcher or witness, you begin to see yourself with greater clarity and objectivity. You see the dramas in your life with perspective and compassion, and insights and understandings begin to arise naturally.
The ego/mind wants to make life complicated, but life is not complex. The mind always wants to control. But watchfulness is beyond its control. It is beyond it, above it, and in fact, can be death to the power the mind can have over you.
To read Pragito’s enlightening full article, click on this link and look for page 59. Get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!