The first level of letting go within a meditation practice is the letting go of tension. 

As we experience anything in life, the very first level of response occurs in our bodies. We lean in to what we love. We twist away from what we dislike. We furrow our brows when something perplexes us. We tense our shoulders or our jaws when we try too hard or feel defeated…

Within our mindfulness meditation practice, the piece that always receives primary billing is the PRACTICE itself. The effort of concentration or continually returning our mind to the object of focus - most often our breath.

If we want days that feel joyful, we must look for and call out joy. If we want days that feel peaceful, we must look for and call out peace. 

The poet dreams of the mountain

Sometimes I grow weary of the days, with all their fits and starts.

I want to climb some old gray mountains, slowly, taking

The rest of my lifetime to do it, resting often, sleeping…

Joy is intrinsic to each of us. It is our birthright. Across time, culture and lineage, meditation texts tell us that as we settle deeper into ourselves, what we discover is joy.

One of the three qualities of consciousness is a Self that is aware of itself and everything else. What this means in essence is that there is a piece of our consciousness that can see or witness what is happening. This larger awareness knows how we feel about the situation we are in; it knows where we are in space and time; and this knowing is very different from the jumble of thoughts we experience in any given moment. 

What is it that you know, and how does that knowing differ from your thoughts? 

What or who gives context to your experiences and your ideas of self?

When you meditate, what else is happening besides that loud tangle of thoughts and distractions that keeps arising?