In meditation we sit and let life unfold from moment to moment without any interaction. This can be considered not having a problem with anything, or letting things be, or being in the moment. Regardless of what you call it, the practice is one of allowing whatever shows up to show up.
I often hear people complain of “distractions” – the ticking of a clock, or the conversation out the door, or an itch on their leg. Whatever arises during meditation, whether gradual or sudden, blaring or faint, pleasant or distasteful, if we can consider these stimuli as part of the greater whole of this moment, then the idea of a “distraction” loses its footing.
When we witness the full moment, these sensations have a context to be taken in. As we allow them to be there instead of shying away from them, we are taking in this moment exactly how it is. We are witnessing this moment truly and authentically, not cherry-picking which sensations we want to experience and which we do not.
This is the basic approach to meditation. Whatever shows up we acknowledge without any issue. This instruction is about us receiving stimuli, energy flowing towards us.
But what about when energy moves in the other direction? What about when we wish to express ourselves to the world?
Guards Work Both Ways
In meditation, we drop our guards, let go of habituated tension, and allow ourselves to simply be..
These guards that we drop work both ways. Not only do they inhibit us from fully experiencing this moment, they prevent us from fully and clearly expressing ourselves.
The more we practice dropping our conditioned guards and experience life fully in meditation, we can practice dropping them when we go to communicate.
Accept the Moment
As we learn to accept the moment as it is, we learn to accept ourselves as we are.
As we learn that the “distractions” that show up in our practice are part of a deeper whole, we learn that our emotional issues and mental traps are part of the deeper whole of who we are.
As we practice connecting with the deeper whole, the more clearly we connect with the deepest version of who we are, and can express ourselves from that place.
Meditation is often considered a practice for us to help learn how to deal with life. Yet it also can help us be authentically who we are as we communicate to others.
As we practice getting out of our own way of experiencing things outside of us, we are practicing getting out of our own way to experience and express what is happening within us.
David – Few words, well spoken. Appreciate as you accept and allow the ‘deeper moment’ to express itself; so do you accept and allow a deeper expression of yourself. As within so without.
Yes! Absolutely – as within, so without.
Thank you!
Thank you. This resonated strongly with me. As I have gotten older and my life has seemingly taken a good many turns away from where I wanted it to go, I have felt so much more blocked and bumbling in my ability to communicate. Huh……, my unhappiness and inability to accept where I am is so intertwined with my increasing difficulty with self expression and connecting with others. It makes perfect sense actually but I never looked at it in this way. It gives me one more reason to make meditation a consistent place in my life.
Thank you so much for sharing Ellen. Without a doubt, acceptance is the foundation of honesty. To accept this moment honestly is to accept ourselves honestly. Then communicating honestly comes naturally.
Keep at it!
Nice approach i am very inspire by this post very interesting lovely words thanks for share.
I loved your article and I totally miss my meditation practice. Unfortunately lately I only get some few moments per day.
I also tried a standing meditation “standing like a tree”. I was very much impressed by the impact it had on my body and my inner peace.