Do you want to know the secret?
In ancient times, not so long ago – before the age of internet one had to travel far to the hidden corners of the earth, climb mountains and earn the right to receive wisdom from a master. And masters were those who could reach profound wisdom through their own power of observation.
A sage sits for 20 years in a forest, and a white and black image appears in the form of a circle. The light and darkness interact, merge into each other, and the sage comes up with a YinYang map.
The yin and yang symbol
A prince who denounces his wealth and power sits under a tree, wrestles with his own demons and comes out of deep introspection eighteen years later with a blissful smile. He begins to share wisdom about suffering and mindful living. Each breath is grounded in the experience of the sitting and wrestling with his demons. Now he can see them, but they no longer have influence over him.
We live at different times now. The spiritual journeys are made in the World Wide Web and secrets are packaged into shiny boxes and magic promises. Why is it that depression, obesity, mental illness, and suicides represent such a big part of our reality when the secrets are out on open, bombarding us with seven steps of happiness?
The Pilgrimage of the World Wide Web
Because there are no secrets! The only secret of the practice is to do the practice, not only read about it. Practicing on your own without the support of the community or a teacher may lead to misinterpretation of the knowledge which will eventually lead you into a dead end. Here are some misinterpretations I hear often:
"Mindfulness meditation means to empty your mind."
False! As a beginner in mindfulness meditation, you will experience frustration and irritation if you force your mind to be empty. Begin your practice by simply acknowledging that your mind is busy.
"Mindfulness will bring me calm and peace and the practice will ease my emotions."
This is true only if you accept that the way to that calm is by improving your ability to sit with anxiety, fear or anger in non-judgmental awareness. If you cut yourself off from experiencing emotions in your body you will most likely reach a false sense of peace. This kind of practice will eventually lead you to apathy and numbness.
"If I am mindful I will be able to take everything around me without anger or fear. If I feel anger that means I am not mindful."
This is a trap. Being mindful means to experience whatever arises in the present moment. Anger, fear or sadness are part of being human as much as happiness, joy or peace. It is essential to expand awareness of the emotional spectrum and distinguish between a seeding emotion and emotional hijack. A seeding emotion lets you know that messages are coming your way. Non-judgmental observing of these messages will enable you to make conscious choices on how to respond. If your conscious choice is to express anger, you are also mindful. An emotional hijack means that you are reactive to emotions and this reaction will trigger your behavior - often without awareness what emotion underlines it.
Our mission at the Beijing Mindfulness Center is to accompany you in your mindfulness practice journey, no matter you use it for yourself or as a coach with your clients. Our programs are designed to support you wherever you are in your practice.
And remember: the only secret of the practice is to practice.
Mindfully yours, Dalida
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