In yesterday’s post, “Questioning Joy”, I wrote again about the power of thought to distract you from this one present moment, as well as pointing to the importance of rising above thought rather than falling below it. In parts 1 and 2 of the ”Meditation: Thoughts“ posts, I describe various ways of shifting those unproductive thought patterns, and I’d like to continue that theme with a few more suggestions.
Thinking about past and future is just a pattern of thought behavior, and one that has unprecedented momentum. Although it’s not easy to stop creating an identity through those stories in our mind, it is possible. Sometimes it can be helpful to first simply try to change what it is we are thinking about. Thoughts of gratitude for what we have, even if it’s just our breath, are great stepping stones to freedom.
Becoming aware of what those thought patterns feel like in our body is also helpful. When we become aware of the unproductive and unplanned thought stream, look and see where it is manifesting in our body: is there a tension or tightness somewhere? That is a site of blocked energy. If we stay with it in an open mental state of curiosity, rather than fighting it and wishing it wasn’t there, we may discover gratitude for it’s role in awakening us from that unproductive stream of thought.
Notice how that new thought of gratitude dissipates the blockage. We may feel a warm sensation spreading outward from that original blockage site until no sensation remains anymore. When we look at our surroundings then, notice how much more alive and vibrant the world seems. Know that it was always that alive and vibrant, but awareness of it was being blocked because we were trapped in thought.
When we shift our focus from a thought in our head to awareness of that thought, we may also notice the focal point of our eyes shift too. When we are locked in thought, often our eyes get locked in one spot like they would be on a movie screen or tv. Although we can see what’s going on, it’s very two-dimensional. The moment awareness rises above thought, the depth of the scene returns and everything is more alive and vibrant, including us. From that place of presence, we can pick up on clues that were being filtered out before, and we are able to respond to situations instead of reacting to them.
Other things to try: listen for the sound that is farthest away that you can hear, or look for the object that is farthest away that you can see. As you zero in on the target, can you feel the aliveness inside you that was being masked by thought? Where were those thoughts when you were listening or looking?
Try to see how your mind is simply using those thoughts to create an identity of yourself. Notice how those stories keep you from finding joy. If that’s the identity you want, essentially that is okay too. But if you are done being at the whim of the push and pull of thoughts, then just stop. Not forever, but just for long enough to see what is really true. See if when you stop thinking stories of you, do you still exist? Who is that person beyond the thoughts of who that person is?
The capabilities of the thinking, reflective mind are unsurpassed, and yet the momentum of perpetual thought can be exhausting as well as stifling to our true creativity. When we retrain our thought patterns, eventually we find longer stretches of joy as we are freed from thoughts of past and future. This cultivates a calm and clarity in our thought process that couldn’t arise before. More importantly, we tap into joy, and find ultimate fulfillment.
(Other “Everyday Meditations” on this blog include the topics of Gratitude, Laundry, Presence, Slow Motion, and Surrender.)
