Full Moon Reflection
INSIGHT on Transcendence
When we find our way into the meditation scene looking for guidance, we enter a world of teachers' perspectives and opinions.
Case in point, this writing.
As newbies or avid seekers, chances are in our search for valuable resources we will come across the image or idea that meditation is about transcendence. We see calm, serene scenes portrayed along with a meditator sitting in stillness, looking as peaceful as can be.
Whether we are conscious of it or not, an expectation is seeded; this is what meditation looks and feels like.
While the practice includes the transcendental, the full spectrum of our feelings is naturally alive in meditation. Impatience, discomfort, boredom, anxiety, grief, and anger, to name a few, all live within us to some degree.
The point of a meditation practice isn't to transcend our feelings, especially if that comes at the expense of feeling them. Instead, we bring our attention inward and allow for what is. We give ourselves space and time to connect, listen, and receive what is present, fostering a sense of reassurance and peace with our emotions.
As our awareness moves from the subjective experience to a more objective one, the light of our objectivity meets the substance of our subjective feelings.
That connection creates an alchemy that eventually fosters wisdom, understanding, and insight. This is partly how the INSIGHT mentorship program got its name. Offer acute attention with intention - insight eventually arises.
INSIGHT In Practice
On this full moon, as an INSIGHT practice, consider taking just one feeling that is present. Rather than that feeling fueling reactiveness to the world around you, notice what happens when you create some time to feel it and be with it.
Sit for 10 minutes, or even 20 minutes. Just be, breathe, and give the feeling your attention. Notice what, if anything, happens.
Go one step further and ask yourself what you need as you feel the feeling. Note what that is, and then take just one step toward fulfilling that need. This practical approach will help to extract even more value out of your meditation practice.
From this new perspective, perhaps you even find yourself experiencing the transcendental in the most rewarding way.
At the very least, you can count on having further insight into who you are.
With love, Kevin