February 2020 - Insole Court

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Category: Connect
Published: Monday, 17 February 2020 22:32
Written by Cherry
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We started with a short practice - 'Coming to our senses' (title drawn from Jon Kabat-Zinn's book) - to bring us  into awareness of our physical senses and our sensibilities in this very moment. "What is here right now?" ... breath, body, emotion. thought ... we can hold it all - gently. Then we can form a personal intention - to be here, to be here with kindness, to listen, to notice judgement ...to literally be heartfelt.

Our first longer practice was drawn from Jack Kornfield's 'A Meditation on Stopping the War Within' - from his  'A Path with Heart' (p. 30). After settling with the body we become 'open to whatever (we) experience without fighting (and) 'Let go of the battle'. We then bring attention to the breath. After a while we shift our attention to the heart and mind. And become aware of any feelings we are struggling with - fighting, fear, denying avoiding.. We may name these emotions. Then the instruction is to be interested, kind and to let the heart be soft and open. "Breathe quietly and let it be'. We then bring attention to any battles in our own lives - loneliness, fear, anger, addiction - and sense the struggle within, if possible locate the struggles within the body and also notice any accompanying, arising thoughts that carry these struggles on, being aware of all the inner battles within, and how they are perpetuated. Gently allow any of these experiences to be present, notice with curiosity and kindness. Allow the body, heart and mind to be soft, open without fighting. Let go of the battle. Breathe quietly and be at rest. Recognise the universality of our feelings. If there is any sense of overwhelm from sensing  these emotions, just return to the breath, or the breath within the body. To close, bring awareness back to the breath, allowing a soothing breathing rhythm to stabilise and calm our sensibilities, before finally closing the practice.

We followed the practice with group inquiry. This was felt to be quite a strong practice, but the self-compassion within it tempers this. It could be developed to a recognition/awareness of others' strong feelings - again, accompanied by compassion. The practice has 'real-time' applicability. There was discussion around catching an emotion such as anger as it arises in real life - finding that little gap of non-reactivity where a choice can be made not to react and allow anger to overwhelm. It might be about counting slowly, or leaving the room, or taking a walk - to calm, or self-soothe - or at least not to escalate. This isn't about getting rid of anger, rather seeing and recognising it for what it is - before deciding how to be with it. Never easy - but small shifts in awareness and behaviour change patterns. Other useful 'pause' practices (named by Pema Chodron) could include the 3 (or 2 or 1!) minute breathing space, and the RAIN (Recognise, Allow, Investigate, Nuture) practice (Tara Brach). 

Our second, closing practice, was a 'Heart Awareness' practice taken from Diana Winston's "The Little Book of Being'.  Here is an extract:

'After you are settled, drop your awareness down from your head into your heart area, and first feel what is present in your heart. Then imagine your heart is that which is sensing, seeing. hearing, perceiving and feeling. To help you to do this, you can repeat a few times, "Drop the knowing into my heart." What happens? Try looking through your heart, then hearing, then feeling, then knowing - all through your heart. Can your heart sense both inside of you and outside of you? Notice the emotional tenor to this way of practicing.' (pp 148 - 149).

Diana Winston reminds us how we get so caught up in our stories, dramas, worries - often for days, even weeks and years - making us lose track of ourselves. She offers some reminders to help us shift into natural awareness - we can repeat these slowly. allowing them to sink in:

Your mind is luminous, aware, present, and radiant.

It is vast, open, and spacious.

There is nothing you have to do except shift into this recognition.

Try it now.

Shift. Relax your body. Relax your mind. Just be.

Rest in awareness.

 

 

 

 

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