Present moment – Page 361

Simple daily practices: Bring awareness to your anxiety

July 20, 2011July 10, 2011 Karl DuffyLeave a comment

To begin with, I’ve found it helps me to appreciate how scared that little lizard inside each one us is. Lizards – and early mammals, emerging about 200 million years ago – that were not continually uneasy and vigilant would fail the first test of life in the wild: eat lunch – don’t be lunch – today. So be aware of the ongoing background trickle of anxiety in your mind, the subtle guarding and bracing with people and events as you move through your day. Then, again and again, try to relax some, remind yourself that you are actually alright right now, and send soothing and calming down into the most ancient layers of your mind.

Also soothe your own body. Most of the signals coming into the brain originate inside the body, not from out there in the world. Therefore, as your body settles down, that sends feedback up into your brain that all is well – or at least not too bad. Take a deep breath and feel each part of it, noticing that you are basically OK, and letting go of tension and anxiety as you exhale; repeat as you like. Shift your posture – even right now as you read this – to a more comfortable position. As you do activities such as eating, walking, using the bathroom, or going to bed, keep bringing awareness to the fact that you are safe, that necessary things are getting done just fine, that you are alive and well. Register the experience in your body of a softening, calming, and opening; savor it; stay with it for 10-20-30 seconds in a row so that it can transfer to implicit memory.

Rick Hanson, Pet the Lizard

The changing textures of each moment

July 18, 2011July 8, 2011 Karl Duffy1 Comment

As we become aware of the textures of the moment, we’re rarely willing to experience them the way they are. We’re apt to see one aspect or another as a problem to be solved or an obstacle to be overcome. This is because we believe in our judgments and opinions about whatever is going on. For example, if we’re bored or sleepy during sitting,we usually judge it as a bad thing. If we feel agitated or upset, we think we have to calm down.. When we feel confused, we may long for clarity. But our practice is to simply remember that no matter what may be happening, it need not be seen as an obstacle or enemy, nor as something to fix or change or get rid of. From a practice point of view, whatever it is, it’s our path.

Ezra Bayda, Being Zen

Making time for our better health 6: Not making excuses

July 16, 2011July 10, 2011 Karl DuffyLeave a comment

When we get rushed, the mind will formulate all kinds of reasons why we cannot do the things which are good for us – take time out, meditate, exercise, visit friends. This is because it realizes we are under pressure, and mistakenly opts for two contrasting strategies to deal with this. Firstly, it convinces us that we need to conserve energy, that we do not have time to take things easy or socialize. Secondly, it focuses all its energy on the problem, normally by deciding that we should think about it a lot. Both strategies will actually exacerbate the problem in the long run, but the mind prioritizes how we use our time by being tricked by the very pressure it is trying to relieve.

Therefore until our practice becomes firmly established we have to remind ourselves to choose to meditate when we get stressed. This is why a fixed routine and a conscious intention are useful. As one meditation teacher said, meditation actually begins the night before when we form the intention in our mind to set aside the time the next morning. A fixed time each day frees us from associating the practice with what sort of day yesterday was and what may happen today, and allows us take a proactive stance towards our overall wellbeing in the face of constantly changing mind states. It help us embody the constancy we would like to feel in the face of our changing moods.

Steering the mind

July 16, 2011July 8, 2011 Karl DuffyLeave a comment

For each and every one of us, the most important thing is our state of mind. That which feels joy or sorrow, pleasure or pain, is just our mind. But our mind doesn’t have to simply react to things around us. It can be steered in different directions. You can direct yourself toward what is good, and by doing so, you get accustomed to positive thoughts. If you direct yourself toward being negative, that also can become a habit. If you allow yourself to become apathetic and not care much, you become insensitive and dull. The word spiritual refers to directing or steering our mind toward something good, something noble. Simply that. One of the most important factors in accomplishing that goal is to know how to let ourselves be completely at ease.

Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, Recognizing Our Natural Mind State

Making time for our better health 5: Taking time to just be

July 15, 2011July 11, 2011 Karl DuffyLeave a comment

More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.