In general I think that when we are feeling very emotional it is important to be gentle with ourselves and trust our underlying sanity. When it is time to sit in meditation, don’t have some huge project or demand – just sit in order to sit and just be. Continue reading How to meditate with strong emotions
Well, the question does arise doesn’t it? You reach the end of the breath and then what? Before you had something to focus on and now you don’t. It is a big shift, a bit like dropping off a cliff. Where do you go from there? Continue reading Student’s Question: What do I do after letting go on the out breath? What do I do with my mind?
It mainly means gaining deeper conviction and trust in the practice and that arises from deepening understanding and insight and trust in the practice. Other practices might or might not help. Continue reading Student’s Question: How Can I Take My Practice Deeper?
The Buddha’s path means giving up attachment to all we are holding on to. It means giving up our cherished views about ourselves and the world. This can be as scary as death itself. It is easy to have doubts, thinking that maybe the whole idea of Enlightenment or Awakening is a pipe dream or a fantasy. Deep reflection on death, however, can help us cut through this kind of doubt. Continue reading Why Reflection on Death Is Our Dearest Friend
It often seems that we are back at square one but that is because reality is right here in every experience. It is like a gate. We keep stepping in and out. When we are in a good space it seems like that is all there is and always will be and when we step out it seems like to get back into the space is a huge effort. Continue reading Student’s Question: Why does my meditation practice feel like I’m starting from the beginning again?
In a sense, we are aware all the time. We are never without awareness. Awareness is all that we are and all that we have. Experience always involves awareness. But we do not always remember to turn our attention to what we are experiencing. In order to do so, we need to keep waking up Continue reading How to Practice Daily Life Awareness
Just be very simple about it. There is a thought that thinks ‘let it go’ and there is the intuitive sense that this means something and an intuitive response that lets you do it. That is simply responsiveness and well-being, a sense of what would feel ‘right’. Somehow when you get the right touch it is not really thinking…In itself thinking is not a problem, but it bends back on itself and gets into knots. Continue reading When can thoughts be helpful in meditation? How can we learn to trust them?
