Post originally written for AboutMeditation.com
In meditation we sit and let life unfold from moment to moment without any interaction. This can be considered not having a problem with anything, or letting things be, or being in the moment. Regardless of what you call it, the practice is one of allowing whatever shows up to show up.
I often hear people complain of “distractions” – the ticking of a clock, or the conversation out the door, or an itch on their leg. Whatever arises during meditation, whether gradual or sudden, blaring or faint, pleasant or distasteful, if we can consider these stimuli as part of the greater whole of this moment, then the idea of a “distraction” loses its footing.
When we witness the full moment, these sensations have a context to be taken in. As we allow them to be there instead of shying away from them, we are taking in this moment exactly how it is. We are witnessing this moment truly and authentically, not cherry-picking which sensations we want to experience and which we do not.
This is the basic approach to meditation. Whatever shows up we acknowledge without any issue. This instruction is about us receiving stimuli, energy flowing towards us.
But what about when energy moves in the other direction? What about when we wish to express ourselves to the world?
Guards Work Both Ways
In meditation, we drop our guards, let go of habituated tension, and allow ourselves to simply be..
These guards that we drop work both ways. Not only do they inhibit us from fully experiencing this moment, they prevent us from fully and clearly expressing ourselves.
The more we practice dropping our conditioned guards and experience life fully in meditation, we can practice dropping them when we go to communicate.
Accept the Moment
As we learn to accept the moment as it is, we learn to accept ourselves as we are.
As we learn that the “distractions” that show up in our practice are part of a deeper whole, we learn that our emotional issues and mental traps are part of the deeper whole of who we are.
As we practice connecting with the deeper whole, the more clearly we connect with the deepest version of who we are, and can express ourselves from that place.
Meditation is often considered a practice for us to help learn how to deal with life. Yet it also can help us be authentically who we are as we communicate to others.
As we practice getting out of our own way of experiencing things outside of us, we are practicing getting out of our own way to experience and express what is happening within us.