The Way of Meditation

  • About Chad
  • Meditation Instructions
    • Meditation Instructions
    • Meditation Posture
    • Mindfulness
    • Recognising and Resting Within Awareness
    • Self Inquiry into the Essence of Awareness
    • Resting Within Effortless Presence
    • The Perennial Philosophy
  • Guided Meditations
  • 21 Day Challenge
  • Blog
  • Events

Why Meditation Is Vital For Everyone

by Chad Foreman / Wednesday, 12 November 2014 / Published in Benefits of Meditation, Meditation

Knowing Ourselves Is Vital

Meditation practice awakens our trust that the wisdom and compassion that we need are already within us. It’s vital to help know ourselves: our rough parts and our smooth parts, our passion, aggression, ignorance, and wisdom. The reason that people harm other people, the reason that the planet is polluted and people and animals are not doing so well these days is that individuals don’t know or trust or love themselves enough. The technique of sitting meditation called shamatha-vipashyana (“tranquility-insight”) is like a golden key that helps us to know ourselves.

In shamatha-vipashyana meditation, we sit upright with legs crossed and eyes open, hands resting on our thighs. Then we simply become aware of our breath as it goes out. It requires precision to be right there with that breath. On the other hand, it’s extremely relaxed and soft. Saying, “Be right there with the breath as it goes out,” is the same thing as saying, “Be fully present.” Be right here with whatever is going on.

Being aware of the breath as it goes out, we may also be aware of other things going on—sounds on the street, the light on the walls. These things capture our attention slightly, but they don’t need to draw us off. We can continue to sit right here, aware of the breath going out.

But being with the breath is only part of the technique. These thoughts that run through our minds continually are the other part. We sit here talking to ourselves. The instruction is that when you realize you’ve been thinking you label it “thinking.” When your mind wanders off, you say to yourself, “thinking.”

Whether your thoughts are violent or passionate or full of ignorance and denial; whether your thoughts are worried or fearful; whether your thoughts are spiritual thoughts, pleasing thoughts of how well you’re doing, comforting thoughts, uplifting thoughts, whatever they are—without judgment or harshness simply label it all “thinking,” and do that with honesty and gentleness.

Although it can be embarrassing and painful, it is very healing to stop hiding from yourself.

The touch on the breath is light: only about 25 percent of the awareness is on the breath. You’re not grasping and fixating on it. You’re opening, letting the breath mix with the space of the room, letting your breath just go out into space. Then there’s something like a pause, a gap until the next breath goes out again. While you’re breathing in, there could be some sense of just opening and waiting.

It is like pushing the doorbell and waiting for someone to answer. Then you push the doorbell again and wait for someone to answer. Then probably your mind wanders off and you realize you’re thinking again—at this point use the labeling technique.

It’s important to be faithful to the technique. If you find that your labeling has a harsh, negative tone to it, as if you were saying, “dammit!,” that you’re giving yourself a hard time, say it again and lighten up. It’s not like trying to shoot down the thoughts as if they were clay pigeons. Instead, be gentle. Use the labeling part of the technique as an opportunity to develop softness and compassion for yourself. Anything that comes up is okay in the arena of meditation. The point is, you can see it honestly and make friends with it. Although it is embarrassing and painful, it is very healing to stop hiding from yourself.

It is healing to know all the ways that you’re sneaky, all the ways that you hide out, all the ways that you shut down, deny, close off, criticize people, all your weird little ways. You can know all of that with some sense of humor and kindness.

By knowing yourself, you’re coming to know humanness altogether. We are all up against these things. So when you realize that you’re talking to yourself, label it “thinking” and notice your tone of voice. Let it be compassionate and gentle and humorous. Then you’ll be changing old stuck patterns that are shared by the whole human race. Compassion for others begins with kindness to ourselves.  ♦

Written by Pema Chödrön –

From ‘Start Where You Are: a Guide to Compassionate Living’ 

Online Mindfulness Meditation Course

 

  • Tweet
Tagged under: Meditation, meditation instructions, spirituality

What you can read next

Karma
How To Be Free From Karma And Addictive Behaviour
The Incredible Benefits of Tibetan Pranayama and How To Do It
Meditation Quotes
The Top 20 All Time Best Meditation Quotes

SUBSCRIBE

21 Day Meditation Challenge

Online Mindfulness Meditation Course

Free Guided Meditations

Guided Meditation

3D Relaxation Sound Technology

Blogs

  • Mindfulness Is More Effective Than Drugs For Both Anxiety And Depression

    Mindfulness Is More Effective Than Drugs For Both Anxiety And Depression

  • The Art of Simplicity

    The Art of Simplicity

  • We Are All God Playing Hide And Seek

    We Are All God Playing Hide And Seek

  • Meditation Master Reveals Powerful Meditation Methods

    Meditation Master Reveals Powerful Meditation Methods

  • The 6 Most Important Things You Never Knew About Chakras

    The 6 Most Important Things You Never Knew About Chakras

  • This School Replaced Detention With Meditation And The Results Are Amazing

    This School Replaced Detention With Meditation And The Results Are Amazing

  • Eckhart Tolle Teaches How to Rise Above Thoughts

    Eckhart Tolle Teaches How to Rise Above Thoughts

  • Discovering Real Love Through Meditation

    Discovering Real Love Through Meditation

  • Forest Dwelling Monk’s Wisdom

    Forest Dwelling Monk’s Wisdom

  • Alan Watts Explains How To Find Your Authentic Self

    Alan Watts Explains How To Find Your Authentic Self

  • Laughter Yoga: It’s Seriously Healthy

    Laughter Yoga: It’s Seriously Healthy

  • The Incredible Benefits of Tibetan Pranayama and How To Do It

    The Incredible Benefits of Tibetan Pranayama and How To Do It

  • 13 Ways To Expand Your Consciousness Everyday

    13 Ways To Expand Your Consciousness Everyday

  • 5 Valuable Lessons I Learned from Mindfulness Meditation

    5 Valuable Lessons I Learned from Mindfulness Meditation

  • Aikido Martial Arts Master Teaches The Art Of Peace

    Aikido Martial Arts Master Teaches The Art Of Peace

  • The Powerful Chinese Meditation Of Silent Illumination

    The Powerful Chinese Meditation Of Silent Illumination

  • Be Perfect By Being Human

    Be Perfect By Being Human

  • 15 Essential Happiness Habits For A Happy Life

    15 Essential Happiness Habits For A Happy Life

  • 6 Tips For A Great Meditation Posture

    6 Tips For A Great Meditation Posture

  • Instant Enlightenment By Realising The Nature Of Your Own Mind

    Instant Enlightenment By Realising The Nature Of Your Own Mind

  • GET SOCIAL
The Way of Meditation

© 2016. All rights reserved. For permission to use any content or any articles please contact Chad Foreman - thewayofmeditation@gmail.com

TOP