tension
Doorways: Push or Pull?
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” — Socrates
A while back I was having terrible meditations. Nothing was working and nothing was happening. I realize that in some meditation systems that that is part of the point, but for Audinometry, the sound current meditation system I practice, that is not usually the case. It is a very active set of inner exercises, a bit like juggling between mental and spiritual gymnastics.
Anyway, this went on for days and days, which then became weeks. I tried all kinds of things. Every technique I knew about. Every technique that usually got me out of anything like this. I started doubting everything. Myself, the people around me, the world in general. I was in trouble and it seemed there was no cavalry in the distance. My attitude was in the toilet, and I starting not caring if it got flushed down the pike.
Those weeks became more than a month, and I had just about forgotten what a good meditation was. And I knew I was in trouble when I just gave up and didn’t care at all anymore. But because I didn’t care I did nothing. I just raised my hands. Walked off. Gave up. Who cares?
Ninety Percent Solution
“RELAX! … RELAX … relax … squared. What? … you may ask. The 90% solution. Say what …?” — Me
For you meditators out there (or for those whom aspire to) I’m doing something a little different today, and just write about some helpful meditation tidbits I’ve picked up along the way.
When I meditate I practice a specific set of techniques, usually in a fairly specific order (but not always). But I have learned, usually the hard way, that technique is only 10% of the solution.
The main thing that puts a dead stop to any progress in meditation usually is Tension, with a capital T. But isn’t that one of the main reasons we mediate? To relieve tension? And be able to relax? It is a bit of a catch-22. You meditate to relax, but you may be too tense to relax into meditation.
And then consider all the tensions in our modern world. We worry about all those little everyday things that are thrust upon us. Then we worry about what else could go wrong in our future. And then we worry about all the things that could go wrong with those close to us. And then we probably worry about some of the crazy things going on in the world that could affect … well, who knows? Maybe us, possibly others, but maybe not really. For our mind tends to find things to fret about, doesn’t it? Even when there really may not be that much to fret about.