Why Meditate?
The nature of the mind is to think.
It rarely stops thinking.
The purpose of meditation is NOT to silence the mind. The mind is never completely quiet.
To spend time trying has proven futile for many.
If the goal of meditation is not to quiet the mind, then what is it?
“Meditation happens when you remove your attention
from anything in particular
and allow it to float freely in consciousness.”
— Jeff Carriera
You experience meditation when you remain unengaged with any memory, thought, body sensation, emotion or distraction that comes to your awareness. The position you sit in, the amount of time you practice, or the method you choose does not define it.
My own experience as a 34-year healthcare practitioner has shown me that human beings prefer to experience pleasure over pain. We reach for pleasure in whatever form we can find it, whenever our personal comfort appears to be threatened. We do this by directing our attention toward thoughts that will lead to immediately pleasing feelings and away from those that are uncomfortable.
Reaching for thoughts that lead to the experience of pleasure.
Now why would I want to stop doing that?
Over the past few years, under the guidance of my teacher Jeff Carriera, my meditation practice has shifted dramatically. Letting go of the meditation goal to find peace, calm, and a deep sense of connection within myself I have been able to practice resisting the temptation to manipulate my experience during meditation. I simply allow myself to experience reality however it presents, without doing anything at all. What freedom!
Often, as I settle into the practice of “no problem” the habit to soothe and solve every feeling that is not pleasurable clicks in. I see that I am constantly attempting to manipulate reality. Reacting to fear and distrust of life itself I create strategies in reaction to it. Really, this a form of arrogance. It assumes that what is really happening is bad and wrong, and that I am wise enough to fix it with my to-do list. And, during moments of pleasurable feelings, I take the credit for creating them and attach desperately, hoping they will never change.
So why meditate?
Unglue yourself from the limited version of you
Our attention is habitually glued to a small corral of possible outcomes for ourselves. In order become uniquely “you”, you’ve habitually fixated on a narrow band of ideas, traits, and feelings that identified you when you were younger. The habit of being “you” is so strong that it negates other possibilities that are also present in each moment. Meditation is a practice for widening our limited identification, thereby, freeing our awareness to experience what truly is present.
Break the habit of distrust
Living in a reality of our own design has its benefits. It keeps our world small and seemingly predictable. But it also limits our creativity and keeps us locked into self-imposed limits. It supports a fearful relationship to life.
Let go of the habit of manipulation
and experience dynamic change and possibility.
Then, you will let go of the habit of distrust.
You’ll realize that you trust life.
And this discovery is the profound gift that meditation offers.
Jeff writes, “When meditation occurs it is like realizing that you can fly. You live your whole life anchored to a narrow range of thoughts, feelings and sensations, and suddenly you find yourself floating in midair. Nothing is more exhilarating or mind altering than the freedom you find in true meditation.”
Come practice this simple meditation technique with me.
Join me at my home meditation studio in north Seattle
for a non-residential
5-Day Virtual Meditation Retreat
with Jeff Carriera
as he leads a live retreat in Phildelphia.
July 1st – July 5th 9 am – 5 pm
Come full days or 1/2 days
Call or email if you have questions 206.745.9504
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