Vinaire's Blog

August 18, 2014

This issue is now obsolete. For latest references please see: KHTK Mindfulness. The specific reference that updates this issue is The 12 Aspects of Mindfulness.

This was part of a basic series of essays, which started this blog. These essays were later revised and the original versions were deleted. However, these essays were then added back to maintain a complete record.

The basic idea introduced in this essay is experience mental reactions fully without resisting them when they are naturally presented by the mind.

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This is the first part of the second essay, EXPERIENCING. Experiencing is deeper looking. Suppose a dog is running toward you and you feel afraid. If you simply experience that fear caused by that dog without avoiding, resisting or suppressing it, you may find that you are able to handle the situation much better even as it develops.

This essay provides some exercises to develop the skill of EXPERIENCING. Briefly, this skill may be summed up as:

SIMPLY EXPERIENCE WHAT IS THERE WITHOUT AVOIDING, RESISTING OR SUPPRESSING IT BACK.

Feelings, emotions, sensations, etc., are flows because they out pour or discharge. One “looks” at such flows by experiencing them without resisting. This lets them out pour and discharge.

Here are some examples of these flows:

(a)   Feelings: confusion, love, disgust, etc.

(b)   Emotions: grief, fear, anger etc.

(c)   Sensations: tingling, dizziness, hot and cold, etc.

(d)   Efforts: any effort to do, or not do something, such as an effort to run, or not to move.

 

Exercise 2-1   

FIND SOMETHING IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN AVOIDING LOOKING AT.

1.    Observe the feelings or emotions that appear as you start to face it.

2.    Experience those feelings and emotions without resisting or suppressing them.

When the mind brings up some feeling or emotion as an immediate response to the environment, it is safe to experience it.

To safely experience the mind, do not think or push the mind in any direction.

Usually it is much easier to experience positive flows, such as, love, enthusiasm and well-beingness; and rather difficult to experience negative flows, such as, guilt, fear and pain. But, when such flows come up in immediate response to something, they are safe to experience.

In response to looking at things in the environment, the mind will immediately bring up only those feelings, emotions and efforts that are safe to experience.

One may encounter uncontrolled thinking in the mind. But, as one looks and experiences the environment, without thinking or resisting, that uncontrolled thinking starts to calm down.

To experience a flow, simply stay with it without avoiding it, resisting it, or suppressing it back. Dive right into the very center of it and feel it without adding anything. As you stay with it, the uncomfortable intensity of the flow would lessen and eventually disappear.

 

Exercise 2-2   

Move around the house leisurely, and look at various objects, touching and feeling them. Experience them without resisting until you can unconditionally accept their presence.

 

Exercise 2-3

Go for a walk in the neighborhood. Look and notice things. Experience them without resisting until you can unconditionally accept them being there.

 

Exercise 2-4

Go to a coffee shop, sit there and observe the surroundings and other people. Experience whatever feelings come up until you no longer are avoiding, resisting or suppressing anything from yourself.

 

Exercise 2-5

Look at your family album or any old pictures that you may have kept.  As feelings and emotions come up, experience them without avoiding, resisting or suppressing them.

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August 18, 2014

This issue is now obsolete. For latest references please see: KHTK Mindfulness. The specific reference that updates this issue is Memory Recall.

This was part of a basic series of essays, which started this blog. These essays were later revised and the original versions were deleted. However, these essays were then added back to maintain a complete record.

The basic idea introduced in this essay was that useful recall appears without thinking.

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In Exercise 1-6, you may have another person call out the items to you. The next exercise (see below) is much longer. You may definitely need another person to call out its items to you.

Find a partner who is also interested in doing this exercise. The two of you can then work on a turnaround basis. You do the exercises and your partner guides you in doing the exercise. The guide calls out these items one at a time. You look at the immediate mental response to each item and respond with “OK,” “I got it,” “Yep,” etc. The roles of you and the guide can then be reversed. See KHTK 4C: VIEWPOINT: THE GUIDE  for more on the role of the guide.

Suppose the guide calls out: “Look at an instance when you ate something good.”

1. You look to see if such an instance appeared in the mind.

2. If nothing comes up, you recognize this fact that nothing came up.

3. If an instance comes up then you look at it for what it is.

4. If more than one instance comes up then you simply look at those instances as they appear.

5. You then respond with “OK,” “I got it,” “Yep,” etc. You remain alert but you do not make conscious effort to think.

6. The guide observes you closely to see if you have finished looking. Then he calls out the next item.

It is easy to notice when a response is there. But it is not always easy to notice the absence of a response. The mind is good at filling the absence with invented “think.”

But when it is obvious that the mind has not offered a response, one simply recognizes this fact and moves on. One does not keep looking. This is the simplicity of it.

When you are looking at something, do not speculate upon the reasons for its existence, or upon its relation to other things. Those activities belong to thinking. You simply look and observe what is there, and that’s it.

While looking, if one finds that the mind is speculating on its own, then one simply recognizes this fact, and moves on.

Exercise 1-7

READ YOURSELF OR HAVE A GUIDE READ EACH ITEM TO YOU.  DO NOT FORMULATE QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF WHILE LOOKING. THAT WOULD BE THINKING.

(1)     If nothing comes up, continue with the next item on the list.

(2)     If something comes up, notice it.

(3)     Do not consciously add any thinking to what is observed.

(4)     Do not consciously make any effort to get an answer.

 Look at an instance:

1. When you were happy.
2. When you climbed a tree.
3. When you ate something good.
4. When you received a present.
5. When you enjoyed a laugh.
6. When you helped somebody.
7. When you threw a ball.
8. When something important happened to you.
9. When you played a game.
10. When you jumped down from a tree.
11. When you won a contest.
12. When you had a good laugh.
13. When you met someone you liked.
14. When you flew on a plane.
15. When you were at a beautiful place.
16. When you jumped into a pool.
17. When you enjoyed a beautiful morning.
18. When you went for a walk.
19. When somebody teased you.
20. When you sat in a coffee shop.
21. When you danced with joy.
22. When you raced with someone.
23. When you completed something important.
24. When you experienced a pleasant surprise.
25. When you met somebody after a long time.
26. When you were caught in a rain.
27. When you heard a thunder.
28. When someone smiled at you.
29. When you played with a pet.
30. When you held someone’s hand.
31. When someone picked your body up.
32. When you were spinning around.
33. When you read a good book.
34. When you felt breeze on your face.
35. When you saw a beautiful flower.
36. When you smelled a rose.
37. When somebody called you.
38. When you were in a play.
39. When you sang aloud.
40. When you watched a movie.
41. When your team won.
42. When you rode with friends.
43. When you visited a garden.
44. When you played in water.
45. When the weather was stormy.
46. When somebody gave you a hug.
47. When you liked somebody.
48. When you slid down a slide.
49. When you ran toward somebody you liked.
50. When you enjoyed a beautiful weather.

 

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