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Hi
Dave. What a great question. I love these types of questions because
they take this out of the theoretical and into the practical. Here are
a few tips:
1. Just begin to notice whenever the mind goes into past and
future, especially involving issues about the self. In noticing those
thoughts, you have a choice right then and there to simply recognizing
non-conceptual awareness. This means to look at the present moment
without labels. Walk around your house or wherever you are for a moment
without labeling anything. Get more interested in just pure sensory
experiencing�the feel of the floor on your feet, the sensation of air
against your body, the light in the room, etc. Taking these moments to
just rest as awareness can really help to just allow the body and mind
to relax "into the present moment" and reveal that your story, or
whatever was coming through, is not reality. It is just a story. As you
rest there for moments throughout the day, there comes this natural
return to awareness. The peace and freedom there just kind of call you
back, again and again. Little moments turn into longer moments. Pretty
soon, it feels more and more natural to just rest as present awareness
without having to figure anything out. You start noticing that thoughts
just arise on their own. And in just allowing each thought to be as it
is, you notice that it naturally comes to rest back into awareness. You
then don't have to stop thought anymore, it can be allowed to be as it
is, but keep your focus on present space until it's recognized that
this space is what you are and the thoughts are just appearances that
come and go within the space.
2. When emotions come through, just notice them. Notice any mental
stories around them. We often try to think ourselves out of feeling
bad. By noticing the thoughts that arise in conjunction with thoughts,
recognize the space around the emotion. Don't look at an emotion with a
label in your mind. Don't call it "anger." Don't say, "This should be
there." Just allow those thoughts to come to rest and allow the space
of what you are to allow that emotion to be exactly as it is, as raw
energy in the body. Notice any desire to push the emotion away, repress
it, explain it away. Allow all those thoughts to be as they are, and
gently come to rest back into awareness. Notice that as everything
appears�thoughts, emotions, states, sensations, and experiences---the
only constant factor is this present space that seems to allow all
these things to be.
3. Allow the space within the inner body to be aware of itself,
from your head, to your chest and arms, to your toes. This is a famous
pointer from Eckhart Tolle. It was incredibly useful for me as it
withdraws energy from the constant need to analyze everything that is
happening. It provides a real sense of stability in times when there is
impatience, worry, anxiety, etc. And with your attention in the body,
awareness is there is see every emotion as it appears.
Those are the basics. There are more advance pointers surrounding inseparability that I won't go into here.
There are also other really good methods that may have usefulness
including Byron Katie's The Work, shadow work, and a host of others.
No matter what method you use, make sure that the method is
designed to reveal presence, and not get you really busy seeking future
states.
Scott |
