In the discussion after Brett talked about how we not only become used to comfort, but demand it. The itch which must be scratched, the uncomfortable position we are urged to shift, our desire for pleasure can be overwhelming. While this might seem like a logical response it leaves little room for acceptance of the reality of discomfort.
Brett talked about the duality of comfort/discomfort, light/dark, ups/downs, pleasure/pain; you can't have one, joy, without the other, sadness. The benefit of learning to accept discomfort is the ability to create space for things like grief. When you focus on pain or discomfort it often shifts, it is dynamic, an urge to sneeze can mysteriously disappear once it is given awareness and acceptance.
A large part of the mindfulness practise is learning to come off auto-pilot so if you are going to scratch that itch or shift positions during meditation it is recommended that you do so with intention.
We talked about how hard it can be to let go of 'doing' and being okay with just 'being' - accepting the present moment for exactly what it is - letting go of fantasy, fixing, worrying, judging, planning...
"Worrying is like planning for what you don't want"
After our discussion we discussed our homework from last week which led to some more interesting insights and then we did our first sitting meditation. Brett told us of a way to use counting to help focus our mind and reminded us that if we can stay present and mindful for 3 breathes we are doing well.
This week I've been contemplating the idea of acceptance; of myself and of not knowing...
Our homework this week is;
- Body Scan meditation, daily
- Sitting meditation for 5-10 minutes, paying attention to breath, daily
- Workbook, Pleasant Events, one per day
- Daily mindful activity
- One mindful meal
Here are some poems about Mindfulness
~ Future Forward
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