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I think that as PE'ers we sometimes obsess over things. Especially our bodies. A friend on here was asking me about obsessive thoughts and how I have learned to deal with them. It's kind of like a bad back. You are never free of it so you just work to manage it as best as you can. This is what I wrote and wanted to share it with you guys in case it might help someone some day. Most of what I know about this I have learned from "The Power of Now" by Tolle and also "consciousness" by OSHO. Both books changed my understanding of who I am and who I am not. I also recommend "The Mastery of Love" which is along the same lines and an easier read... Anyways, Here it is..
You are not your mind nor are you your body.. You are a spiritual being having a human experience trapped inside a temporary animated body. You are a beautiful extension of the great cosmic energy. Your body is just your body. One day it will die and you will travel on. Buddha said "All things are temporary"..
The first step to enlightenment, freedom and fulfillment is realizing that "YOU ARE NOT THE THINKER"..
The voices in your head are only senseless chatter. Chatter is not real and the voice(s) is not the true you. Chatter is a function or flaw of the mind. OUR GOAL IS TO FREE THE MIND OF SENSELESS REPETITIVE CHATTER AND ALLOW SPACE FOR PRESENCE AND AWARENESS, IN THE MOMENT. The true you is inspired by art, music, love, sports, family, food, puppies, kittens, gardening, cooking, volunteering etc.. whatever links you to the great divine. WHEN YOU ARE DOING THE THINGS YOU LOVE YOU ARE THE TRUE YOU. JOYOUS HAPPY AND FREE AND CONNECTED TO GOD AS YOU KNOW IT.
The first thing we need to do is work on your awareness and presence. When a person is truly present (free of chatter) their energy fills a room like a burst of sunshine. They are happy and joyous. Everyone notices when they blast into the room. A present person is able to laugh love and give freely of himself. When a person is not present they are consumed by thought. They are not really there. They are somewhere else. Many places at once. Not here, not there only somewhere in between. Their presence is clouded and muted by chatter.
For example. Whenever I surf and catch a great ripping wave I ride it and work it for all of the juice and excitement and glory it can provide. When I jump off I have an uncontrollable grin from ear to ear and I scream YEAAAAAHHHH!!!! or THANK YOU GODDD! and laugh out loud. The funny thing is that I can rarely recall the experience of riding the wave. I just know it was an incredible ride. The reason I can't remember is that I was completely present to the moment. My mind shuts down and the experience takes over and I feel unadulterated joy all because for a moment I was connected to God. ( I say God for lack of a better word. To me God is all that is good and true in the entire universe)
The whole goal of meditation is to be in the moment. Present in the moment. Fully aware of your world and environment. It's in this space (Sometimes called "The Gap" a space between chatter and more chatter) that we are our true selves and connected to the entire great universe. "Walking meditation" is the easiest way to become aware and present and in the moment.
Step 1) WALKING MEDITATION
Go for a walk in a beautiful place such as a park. Walking and breathing fully, With a light smile on your face, take note of sights, smells and sounds around you. Do not judge the items as nice or bad or beautiful or red or big or small. Just take note of objects, become aware of them, focus on them for a few seconds. Really see and experience the object then point out another object and continue on. For instance.. "There is a pigeon.." Experience the pigeon.. "There is a stop sign, thanks you stop sign" . there is a tree....Thank you tree.. There is the smell of flowers, thank you smell of flowers.. Try this for 10 minutes.. just experiencing objects as you walk and then letting them go. While you are pointing your attention on the different objects you are increasing your awareness of the world around you that is often clouded by your attention to your garbage. This will give you a big boost in presence. By the end of your walk you may be able to open all of your senses to take in all of the sounds, sights, smells and feelings. Take in the ENTIRE scense all at once and hold onto it for a moment. In this moment you are fully present and fully aware and connected to all things.
When we are observing our world our mind will be quiet. If your mind inserts random thoughts just observe the thought."There is a thought.. thank you thought".. then bring your awareness back to another physical object. Do not analyze or dwell on the thought. Let it go just as you did the pigeon or the stop sign.
You may feel a sense of alertness and being alive. This awareness will carry itself into your day. While it's only for a short time you can, in time, extend your presence for longer periods. JUST REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU ARE AWARE AND PRESENT THERE IS NO ROOM FOR CHATTER AND SENSELESS THOUGHT. Notice that chatter only remembers the past and imagines the future. Chatter cannot be present.
Note:When you jog don't listen to music, practice your awareness. Music only supresses thoughts.
You will never be able to control your thoughts. To try to do so is feeble. You cannot. You can however practice awareness and in the state of aware there is no room for chatter. This is how we control our thoughts.
You are not your mind nor are you your body.. You are a spiritual being having a human experience trapped inside a temporary animated body. You are a beautiful extension of the great cosmic energy. Your body is just your body. One day it will die and you will travel on. Buddha said "All things are temporary"..
The first step to enlightenment, freedom and fulfillment is realizing that "YOU ARE NOT THE THINKER"..
The voices in your head are only senseless chatter. Chatter is not real and the voice(s) is not the true you. Chatter is a function or flaw of the mind. OUR GOAL IS TO FREE THE MIND OF SENSELESS REPETITIVE CHATTER AND ALLOW SPACE FOR PRESENCE AND AWARENESS, IN THE MOMENT. The true you is inspired by art, music, love, sports, family, food, puppies, kittens, gardening, cooking, volunteering etc.. whatever links you to the great divine. WHEN YOU ARE DOING THE THINGS YOU LOVE YOU ARE THE TRUE YOU. JOYOUS HAPPY AND FREE AND CONNECTED TO GOD AS YOU KNOW IT.
The first thing we need to do is work on your awareness and presence. When a person is truly present (free of chatter) their energy fills a room like a burst of sunshine. They are happy and joyous. Everyone notices when they blast into the room. A present person is able to laugh love and give freely of himself. When a person is not present they are consumed by thought. They are not really there. They are somewhere else. Many places at once. Not here, not there only somewhere in between. Their presence is clouded and muted by chatter.
For example. Whenever I surf and catch a great ripping wave I ride it and work it for all of the juice and excitement and glory it can provide. When I jump off I have an uncontrollable grin from ear to ear and I scream YEAAAAAHHHH!!!! or THANK YOU GODDD! and laugh out loud. The funny thing is that I can rarely recall the experience of riding the wave. I just know it was an incredible ride. The reason I can't remember is that I was completely present to the moment. My mind shuts down and the experience takes over and I feel unadulterated joy all because for a moment I was connected to God. ( I say God for lack of a better word. To me God is all that is good and true in the entire universe)
The whole goal of meditation is to be in the moment. Present in the moment. Fully aware of your world and environment. It's in this space (Sometimes called "The Gap" a space between chatter and more chatter) that we are our true selves and connected to the entire great universe. "Walking meditation" is the easiest way to become aware and present and in the moment.
Step 1) WALKING MEDITATION
Go for a walk in a beautiful place such as a park. Walking and breathing fully, With a light smile on your face, take note of sights, smells and sounds around you. Do not judge the items as nice or bad or beautiful or red or big or small. Just take note of objects, become aware of them, focus on them for a few seconds. Really see and experience the object then point out another object and continue on. For instance.. "There is a pigeon.." Experience the pigeon.. "There is a stop sign, thanks you stop sign" . there is a tree....Thank you tree.. There is the smell of flowers, thank you smell of flowers.. Try this for 10 minutes.. just experiencing objects as you walk and then letting them go. While you are pointing your attention on the different objects you are increasing your awareness of the world around you that is often clouded by your attention to your garbage. This will give you a big boost in presence. By the end of your walk you may be able to open all of your senses to take in all of the sounds, sights, smells and feelings. Take in the ENTIRE scense all at once and hold onto it for a moment. In this moment you are fully present and fully aware and connected to all things.
When we are observing our world our mind will be quiet. If your mind inserts random thoughts just observe the thought."There is a thought.. thank you thought".. then bring your awareness back to another physical object. Do not analyze or dwell on the thought. Let it go just as you did the pigeon or the stop sign.
You may feel a sense of alertness and being alive. This awareness will carry itself into your day. While it's only for a short time you can, in time, extend your presence for longer periods. JUST REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU ARE AWARE AND PRESENT THERE IS NO ROOM FOR CHATTER AND SENSELESS THOUGHT. Notice that chatter only remembers the past and imagines the future. Chatter cannot be present.
Note:When you jog don't listen to music, practice your awareness. Music only supresses thoughts.
You will never be able to control your thoughts. To try to do so is feeble. You cannot. You can however practice awareness and in the state of aware there is no room for chatter. This is how we control our thoughts.
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