January 2008
An imaginative way of thinking about self-awareness is as an ever-changing kaleidoscope or mandala of awareness skills. At times perhaps only certain skills are obvious, like noticing or discernment. Through exploring the mandala each aspect of awareness comes into focus and deepens. There is a dynamic progression and relationship between different skills that creates a sense of wholeness that the mandala symbolises. Meditation is a time honoured way to enter into the mandala of awareness and of deepen all the facets of awareness.
The spirit of meditation is more about being for than being against
An important mental state in the Buddhist tradition is called Loving Kindness (Metta). In Metta meditation you find and encourage your mental and emotional attitudes of being for the physical and mental welfare of all beings. An important working ground of the meditation is ferreting out the particular attitudes and feelings that are against the physical and mental welfare of particular people. The overall effect of this meditation is feeling expansive and vibrant as well as feeling freer in relation to people.
Starting meditation sessions.
A useful positive habit is to regularly check the height of your cushions at the start of a meditation. If your cushions or stool are too low for you your back will bow forward and your back and abdomen muscles tighten to keep you upright. If your cushion is too high for you then your lower back will arch putting strain on it. A poised posture with cushions at the right height, allows you to be both relaxed and vibrant as you meditate.
When you start a meditation practice be clear about your underlying intention, such as - ‘Be alive to my experience and stay present.’ Explore how you can make this intention heartfelt rather than just an idea. With a clear underlying intention you are less likely to drift off in the meditation session.
Another important general intention is being open and receptive to your experience. Keeping to that direction needs conscious attention by bringing in the skill of ‘checking ‘. This helps you to notice whether you are going off on a tangent from direct experience into fantasy or random thoughts. The way to ‘check’ is by gently asking yourself if you are still present. When you are going away from direct experience be prepared to make a specific intention which is relevant to what is actually happening. If you are moving away from being alive to your experience into excited thought your specific intention can be to bring your attention more into your body as a way of calming your mind and being more present.
Something to watch out for in the way you approach meditation practice is whether you have particular expectations about where you want to get to and whether you tend to jump over your experience of yourself to get to those goals. The most realistic attitude to meditation is working from where you are, then the meditation can unfold and develop.
Ending meditation sessions.
The way that you end your meditation is very important. Notice if you are in the habit of making a quick shift from the quietness of meditation to being busy with other things, such as planning, or just running around doing things. There is a particular state called jarring that can happen if you do. To avoid jarring plan your time so that you don’t have to move straight into rushing about. Over time jarring can cause a reaction of not wanting to sit down to meditate. Then it becomes difficult to maintain a regular on-going meditation practice.
