Contemplating

This is a recording from a past live gathering, held in the spirit of quiet observation and inner listening.
This contemplation is inspired by Hexagram 20 of the I Ching — often translated as Viewing or Contemplation — a teaching that invites us to pause, to step back and to see clearly.
Let this time be a space for reflection, perspective and gentle awareness.

Transcript

Welcome everybody.

What you're about to hear is a recording from a past live event here on Insight Timer,

Held in the spirit of quiet observation and inner listening.

This contemplation is inspired by Hexagram 20 of the I Ching,

The teaching that invites us to pause,

To step back and to see clearly.

So as you listen,

Allow yourself to soften outwardly but also inwardly and know that nothing needs to be solved or achieved.

Simply be present with whatever reveals itself to you.

And on that note I'll hand you over to the recording of this past live event here on Insight Timer on the 19th of December 2025 with the topic of contemplation.

Ok,

So let's prepare to move into our contemplation.

You might be able to or like to take yourself into a comfortable position,

Maybe lying down or reclining somewhere where you want to close your eyes.

But for contemplation it is not the only way to contemplate.

It is one way.

But we can contemplate while we are doing chores.

We can contemplate while our eyes are wide open,

Looking outwards or looking just down in front of us.

So see where you are being called to for this experience of contemplation now and just trust that.

And it might change as we move through the contemplation.

And that's okay as well.

You don't have to commit to this is the way I'm going to be,

This is the position I'm going to be in.

It can be changing from moment to moment even.

Alright,

So let's just take a few breaths in and sighing out.

Letting the breath send the message to the body,

To the mind,

To the mind-body system that okay,

We are going into this transition now.

And again,

Be guided by what you are needing,

So what you're being called to in terms of the breath.

Maybe you feel you need a really deep breath.

Maybe you feel very soft,

Shallow breaths,

Gentle breaths that almost flutter like a breeze on top of the water.

Feel that.

Feel into that.

Feel where your breath is taking you.

Feel the response that your body has in reaction to the type of breath you are using.

Slow breath in.

Slow breath out.

Relaxing down.

Relaxing.

Relaxing.

And relaxing.

See if you can take yourself to an even deeper level of relaxation.

See if there's something you can do for yourself to just bring in some comfort.

Even if you are moving about,

Just loosening the shoulders.

Relaxing the facial muscles.

And taking your awareness now down into the body.

Perhaps into the belly.

Perhaps into the hands.

Perhaps into the feet.

And just feel in a very physical way,

Feel in the area where your attention is.

Relaxing the jaw,

The chest,

The belly.

And now relaxing all thoughts.

If there have been any worries or issues,

If there are any distractions,

Right now,

Create some space.

You can use intention,

You can use visualization,

You can use the breath.

Just to move whatever distractions,

Discomfort out to the side.

And there's now space between your center and that which was taking so much of your attention.

And see if you can even take it a little bit further afield.

A little bit further afield.

Bringing your awareness to your heart center.

You might like to place your hands over your heart center.

As you breathe into your beautiful heart and intentionally soften.

Intentionally bring gentleness into your heart.

And let's repeat together now our intention.

Our intention to trust.

I trust that the information I'm about to receive,

That the guidance I am receiving from the Tao,

From my own inner awareness,

Is all in alignment with my highest good and the great good of all.

And you can affirm that by saying I trust.

And now with a blank canvas in your mind's eye,

And a relaxed body and presence in this moment.

Bring onto your canvas now current situations that are with you.

Now these might be ones that have been with you for some time,

But they still with you now.

They might be very new ones.

They might be ones that feel problematic or not.

We're looking for the first response.

This is coming up from the all-knowing self,

The intuitive self,

That knows what it is for you to contemplate and to connect with right now.

So even if it doesn't make sense,

Or even if the mental mind is wanting to push that first response out and say no,

It's rather focus on something else.

Trust the first response.

And just watch it on your blank canvas in the mental movie.

And this can be visual.

It could be just a knowingness within you.

You can be engaging with this literally,

So through language.

And allow,

Just allow.

Just notice from the observer position,

What is unfolding?

Maybe it's memories around the situation.

Maybe you're even going into possibilities for the future.

And maybe it's none of that.

Maybe there are other,

Even random thoughts coming through and you're not sure where or why.

That's okay.

Just allow.

Knowing that information that comes through into our conscious awareness,

Only that which we are ready to see and receive comes through.

So trust that.

And now,

Still from your observer position,

And if you are finding this challenging,

You can intentionally move your awareness up and back,

Almost like going into a bird's position.

You might even want to take yourself into the experience of being a bird above and viewing down.

Do what you need to be guided and know that there's no right or preferred way.

It's just about being in presence with your guidance,

Your inner guidance right now.

And are you seeing things differently as you're taking yourself into a different observer position?

Maybe it's further up,

Maybe it's from a different angle.

So move around in different positions.

You might even want to go really down and view from below.

What do you see?

Perhaps if you diminish yourself,

Almost to the point of becoming invisible,

What happens then?

Maybe you can go to the center of the scene,

The situation.

And this scene or situation may have changed for you already.

It might have become something else.

It might have changed into experiences that are more symbolic.

In other words,

It could be just one or two aspects that are present now.

And allow yourself to allow that part of you that's wanting to express in a different way.

Through colors,

Through sound,

Through images,

Through symbols.

Let that express itself,

If it is called to.

And if it is not,

That's also okay.

Let's just focus on the breath once more.

Slow breathe in and out.

Keeping the physical body relaxed.

Can you now,

Still in connection with the scene,

This experience that you are engaging with,

That is going on in your life right now.

With this observation,

Take yourself behind yourself and observe your observations of the situation.

What do you see about yourself?

Or perhaps what type of internal responses,

Reactions are taking place as you are observing from different positions?

So what is the observer of the observer noticing?

Is it something in the physical body?

Is it mental thoughts?

Is it emotions?

Is it something else?

Just stay here for a bit,

Observing yourself,

Observing this current situation that's taking place in your life,

Whatever it is.

The focus now has moved from the situation to your response to and within the situation.

And if nothing is coming through for you,

That is absolutely fine.

We don't want to force our responses,

Our reflections.

By inviting this type of awareness,

There is a process that's busy taking place between the subconscious and the conscious.

Between the metaphysical and the physical.

And sometimes we receive the awareness as conscious awareness immediately.

Sometimes it comes through later and we're not even aware where it's coming from.

So be light and be playful as you continue to observe your observer observing.

And if you are noticing certain qualities or responses that your observer is having,

Let yourself flow from one awareness to the next.

In other words,

Release any attachments to being analytical,

To understanding,

To going into a deepened story mode.

So we want to keep the space that we created earlier and that we brought in with intention.

Keep that space.

And now remaining in that space of just lightly observing the observer.

Maybe if you've observed enough,

You're just relaxing into an open insight awareness.

Just being gently available.

No judgments,

No expectations.

You're not getting drawn or sucked into any one particular thread.

Now let's drop into this some of the wise words directly from the I Ching on contemplation.

And it starts this teaching with look,

Listen and learn.

These are the key words for contemplation.

So when you bring that into your experience now,

What do you see?

What do you hear?

It could be really on an earthly level hearing.

It can also be your spiritual hearing.

And what wisdom have you received from this type of awareness?

From moving through that experience through different positions,

Observing it above,

Below,

In the center and then taking yourself out further.

Do a reflection now on all the different positions you were in.

And you might just get one word or a sensation or just a knowingness that you can't put into words yet.

Again,

Just remain light,

Relaxed and welcoming in.

The I Ching goes on to say,

Everything is able to be seen.

Past,

Present and future.

As you drop that awareness now into this experience of your one level of observation and then into observing the observer,

What do you notice about your awareness of the past?

Your awareness of present time.

Your awareness of the future.

Because of course our awareness of past and present is related to how we see and engage with our future.

Our future thoughts,

Future intentions.

And what have you learned about yourself through this experience?

And this the I Ching teaches about contemplation is the most valuable part of this process.

Is the self-awareness.

Maybe it's something you already knew,

But it has been enhanced.

It's been strengthened or deepened or clarified.

Maybe it's something completely new that you've never seen before.

Whatever it is,

Keep your space between that awareness and your essence.

And now we're going to gently let all of our awareness fade from the conscious awareness into the background of the consciousness.

It will continue processing in the ways that it needs to.

So don't in any way feel you need to hold on.

What you need to remember in the conscious mind you will.

Just slowly with the breath,

With intention,

Even with physical movement of the physical body,

Bring yourself into present time connection with your physical body once more.

And taking this traveling now from where you were to conscious reality.

Do that in a way that is gentle for yourself.

Take the time you need.

And when you're ready to just gently rub your arms,

Squeeze your legs.

This helps to bring that awareness into the cellular body.

And on a very physical level,

We can now actualize what needs to be actualized at the right time in the right way.

And if your eyes were closed and you're ready to open them,

You can do so now.

Just being gentle with your sight,

Looking somewhere first nearby and then taking the gaze further out,

Looking further afield.

Perhaps having some water,

Perhaps journaling your experience.

So this hexagram of the I Ching involves the trigrams of wind and earth.

And earth is below wind.

So you can feel into that,

Visualize that,

Sense that wind blowing above the earth.

Now,

If you have to be there,

Standing on the earth,

Soil beneath your feet,

The wind blowing around you and above you,

What does that feel like?

What do you notice?

What do you sense?

So the earth can help us to ground.

It helps us to be receptive.

It helps us to be open and aware because it is so receiving.

And we need the qualities which is completely in,

Completely available to receive.

While we've got this movement,

It's not completely still.

The one part appears still,

But it is responding to the movements above.

And this movement,

And it can be quite different,

Our perception of this from moment to moment.

The wind could be a breeze today,

But tomorrow it might be quite strong.

And this is all indicative of what's happening in our internal weather.

So this movement is reflecting for us our own internal and also external movement.

So how does this quality of the wind that you are relating to now reflect to your current circumstances?

How are they moving in and out and around?

And of course,

This wind does engage with the earth and it moves the particles of the earth.

And sometimes it might be so gentle,

It might not appear to move the soil.

And other times it can be quite forceful.

And this awareness of how the wind is engaging with the earth and how the earth is responding and just receiving this flow and type of movements of air.

It's not trying to change it.

It is so allowing.

It is so present.

And this is what the Tao teaches in terms of contemplation.

Simple presence.

Don't need to move intentionally or with forced action.

If movement is required,

It will happen naturally by the wind around.

So we don't need to try so hard or do so much.

Just allow.

And when this hexagram is coming up for you personally,

What I mean by that is it's arrived in your life in some way,

Shape or form.

So all of us here in this live together,

Or maybe at another time you wish to engage with the I Ching and you present a particular situation.

And in response,

Hexagram number 20 arrives.

And it is calling this contemplation,

Not only of the situation,

But very much of the self.

What can you see?

What do you see here?

And learn,

In other words,

Be aware of what can you be aware of yourself in this situation?

And sometimes we are not even directly involved in a situation.

It's something that we are observing,

But we are having a response to that.

And so there is an involvement of the self.

And it's that that we are being asked to step back from and just observe,

Just notice.

Over time,

What have your responses been like?

What is your response like now?

And what can you be more aware of?

And in this awareness,

From this awareness,

What are you being called to be,

To do,

To experience,

To not do?

What is being called for,

From?

So all yin lines,

All open lines,

All receptive.

Above that is wind.

It's got one yin line at the bottom and two yang at the top.

So we've got this rising into yang.

The yin is moving into yang.

It is looking up.

The earth is looking and reaching up into this movement.

So this movement is where the messages are,

Where the awareness is.

And to receive that,

We need to pause and not force our way through the wind.

Just be still,

Especially if the wind in your experience,

In your life right now,

Feels like it's very strong,

Feels perhaps like a gale force.

Pause.

Look down,

Look up,

Look within.

What do you see?

What do you feel?

What do you know?

Trust that.

Reviews

I’m in contemplation mode now after listening to this and not able to find words to express my love and gratitude. 💖
I appreciate being able to return to this recording to contemplate other lessons 🥰🙏