So today I thought we would revisit something we did kind of recently and that's how we get in our own way during,
Well whenever,
But we're going to be looking at it during meditation.
So the kind of meditation we're working on is one that's of a deep allowing,
A relaxing into,
And what you may notice is that there are a lot of things that I do,
Like the me in me does,
That tries to temper that experience,
Tries to control the practice,
Tries to get in the way.
So the invitation today is to be looking at that,
To be looking at how I am in my own way and if possible to let be whenever that happens.
So if there's discomfort,
Instead of trying to adjust for the discomfort,
To see if it's possible to allow it.
If the mind is racing,
To not try to stop the mind from racing,
But just to see the mind racing and see what happens then.
So that's the invitation.
So without further ado,
Let's settle in with perhaps a couple of deep breaths,
Adjusting your posture as needed so that it is awake and still,
And allowing a settling to take place,
Especially with each out breath,
Allowing as best as possible for attention to drop from the head space down towards the belly,
An easeful dropping.
We're not trying to push it down there,
We're not trying to push anything.
Settling,
Settling,
Noticing perhaps that parts of the body may wish to relax and just not getting in the way of that,
Not getting in the way of anything.
Experiencing this moment as it is,
Rather than how I would have it be.
Noticing where I attempt to adjust or correct and as best as possible letting that be.
There may be sometimes just through the relaxation of the body and adjustment of posture,
It's like a natural kind of adjustment that just happens.
Allow what happens to happen and notice the difference between that and when I try to interfere with my experience,
Noticing how I get in my own way.
Thoughts arise,
It's natural,
And sometimes one thought will spawn many more.
Is it possible just to observe that happening rather than either trying to stop that from happening or getting caught up in the whole thought stream?
Just to observe thoughts happening,
Noticing perhaps a tendency to name or identify certain aspects of our experience,
Whether it be a bird song or a type of thought or a physical experience.
Seeing if it's possible just to drop the naming,
Drop the identifying and just see,
Just notice,
Just observe.
Open receptivity.
So rather than trying to control this moment,
Simply being receptive to it,
Entering into the mystery of what this moment may bring.
Noticing when the mind identifies something that's apparently not supposed to be here,
That doesn't belong in this picture and what it does to that,
How it reacts and responds to something that it doesn't feel is consistent with what this experience is supposed to be.
Noticing if it's at all possible to let that entire mindset drop.
How do I know this is supposed to be part of my experience?
Because it is.
Noticing any commentary that may be taking place,
Describing this experience,
Explaining it perhaps.
And if that commentary is taking place,
From what perspective are you noticing it?
Are you noticing it as the commenter?
Or are you noticing it as just something that is taking place?
No effort to stop the commentary,
Just to not be controlled by it,
Not to have it control your experience or run your experience,
It's just something to notice.
There's some commentary.
And if the mind is busy and there doesn't seem to be any way out,
Just notice that the act of trying to get out of a busy mind is a way,
An attempt,
To control this experience.
See that.
That perspective of seeing it may shift that experience of that.
That doesn't mean that the mind will stop,
It may stay very busy.
It may just be possible to see it being busy.
Let it be.
Let it be whatever it is.
The mind,
The body,
What we call our outside experience.
External.
Let it be.
You wouldn't try to stop the birds from chirping,
So why would you try to stop the mind from chirping?
Noticing where there is tension in the body,
Or discomfort,
And noticing how your body relates to that tension,
How your mind relates to that tension,
Or discomfort.
Is it possible just to see it,
Just to experience it and be with it,
Rather than to adjust for it,
Rather than to attempt to change it in any way?
How do I get in my own way?
There is a vast array of experience available to me in any moment.
Constantly fluctuating,
Changing,
Metamorphosing.
But that which sees,
Which observes,
Is not changing at all.
When I try to change my experience,
I'm just adding to that constant flux.
It's just another addition.
It's one more thing to notice,
One more thing to observe.
So an invitation as you go about your day,
To notice where it is I get caught up in my experience and try and control it,
Try and manage it,
Try and fix,
Adjust,
And to notice what happens when I get out of my own way,
Versus what happens when I just relax into this experience.
Coming into body now,
Into form,
Fully inhabiting the body,
The tips of the toes to the top of the head.
Feeling in as our body interacts with ground,
As gravity holds us to it.
Feeling into the solidity of this body,
The groundedness of this body,
The wholeness of this body.
So much alive in so many ways.
Thank you for your practice.
