How Meditation Works
The twists and turns of the mind are endless an require bravery. Learn how meditation works and exploring the depths of your mind can be an adventure full of unexpected experiences.
Strap on your fearless hat and dig in!
Working with Disturbing Emotions
Have you ever gotten one of the backhanded compliments?
Those little digs covered over with a layer of sugar drive me crazy. You know exactly what their doing but if you say something, YOU'RE the aggressive one.
That feeling right there.
Look at that feeling that starts to come up in the eye.
See how you have an idea of someone else's idea of you that comes in conflict with your own. Then BOOM!
Anger.
Blame.
Retaliation!
We walk through the world filled with a collection of ideas we've accumulated since birth.
The things we've determined to fit in our 'Like' box we want to keep close to ourselves. And everything in our 'Dislike' box we do our best to keep away from ourselves.
Then there is a whole lot of space in between we just aren't aware of. That's ignorance -- and there is a whole lot we have no clue about.
The funny thing is, anything that comes in conflict with our Like-Box gets immediately thrown in Dislike. And you better believe, we are ever vigilant looking for anything that resembles a dislike. Ready to set up the moat around our precious castle and send out the troops!
No Dislike shall pass!
See also: How to Make Meditation a Habit
A New Habit is Formed
And right there we create a habit.
Every time something gets thrown in the dislike-box we program ourselves a little more. Eventually it can become so strong that it appears irrational and can lead to a 'real' phobia.
But we are meditators.
We've made a decision to work with our mind.
You are not limited by your past, your thoughts and especially not by your feelings. These are all just passing by.
The amazing thing about meditation is we develop both awareness and greater distance from the disturbing emotion.
Gradually are mind sharpens to catch the disturbance as it appears, but we are no longer caught by it. We can then look at, check it, and you'll see there isn't anything of use there.
That if we just remove our own idea of ourselves out of the equation the whole drama falls apart.
Romeo and Juliet find new partners and live long and happy lives.
The greatest limit on our own power and freedom is ourselves.
Let yourself free of you and enjoy every moment.