There is plenty of research that ties meditation with lowering blood pressure, evening out breathing patterns, and reducing cortisol levels. This helps many people during stressful and generally uncomfortable situations and is quite valuable. Many people do this type of meditation for years and for life. The benefit of this is impactful enough that this is a fine way to practice.
Let’s presuppose that there is another level of practice. The ability to sit down and explore consciousness itself. To question what it means to be the self. I believe this will bring you different benefits to your existence and the way life is experienced; which has huge implications!
Many practitioners are already out there teaching this level of practice and I highly recommend looking into what already exists out there. Sam Harris is the one who brought this concept into my awareness on his Waking Up app so, if you were to ask me where to start, this would be my personal recommendation. (Let me emphasize, I am a fan and in no way would financially benefit from you checking it out). There are many others out there such as Joseph Goldstein, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Loch Kelly, etc.
To begin with, let’s examine how most of us go through life. Whether you are aware of it or not, all humans have thoughts popping in and out of our brains at all times. For those who are very in tune to those thoughts, it can almost sound like a narrator. “Good for you, you rocked that meeting!” “You idiot, I can’t believe you forgot that!” “Wow, I never liked the look of socks with sandals but I have to admit it is really comfortable after all.” “Wait, when was the last time I bathed my dog?” Thoughts are fleeting. They come and go unwillingly; on their own. You’ll also notice, it almost feels like this inner voice is separate from the outer you. It may appear to feel as if the body is there to experience the external world and the mind is there to think the internal thoughts. This is a dualistic point of view; the feeling that there is the everyday-self that is living and experiencing life and then an inner self that is observing it.
This begs the question, so which is the real YOU? What MAKES you, you?! Are you your body or are you your consciousness? What is consciousness? Is consciousness a little self that lives inside, just below the surface? Just behind the eyes? What if you have a brain injury and you no longer behave the way you did before it… where did “you” go? This is a very fascinating thought exercise! Having a dualistic point of view is what has historically led many to formulate ideas of this separate body-self needing somewhere to go after we die while the mind, or spirit-self, seemingly goes somewhere else.
Our day to day happenings are experience which can only be fully lived when we can remain in open awareness. I am talking about developing Non-Dual Awareness. This is a concept that is challenging to explain and will need your participation to try to drive it home. Let us try an exercise where you try to find the “see-er” inside your head. Go ahead, close your eyes and try to find the little voice. Pause here for a good minute or two to find it. Can you will that little voice to think what it will think next? Play with this a bit and notice that your thoughts are also part of your experience. Thoughts come and go on their own.
This process is much like when you notice a tree outside your window; this too is just part of your witnessed experience. The tree can be labeled as such, you may even know exactly the type of tree it is. You notice the oak tree and you may think, “I love having that oak tree for shade in the summer,” or you might think, “that tree has the worst placement and blocks my view of the fountain behind it.” Whatever it may be, you may feel inclined to label it in some fashion. But this tree is not good, nor is it bad; it simply is. It is part of nature and experience just in the same way you are. If you were to cease to exist, that tree does not leave with you. Life goes on; much like it has for years before you and will continue for years to come. Can you feel this awareness? Is there an inside or an outside to this awareness? Notice the next thought. Is it moving through this awareness or outside of it, or is it a movement of awareness? Can you feel the center-less-ness? You can start to notice that you are opening up as you allow all the senses to enter without judgment. This opening to experience.
The more you practice this and understand, you will come to realize, you are one with all. This shift in perspective is subtle but quite powerful. By recognizing that there is no separation between ourselves and our experiences, we can begin to let go of the illusion of control and simply be present with what is. We can release the need to judge or analyze our experiences, and instead just be with them as they are in real time. This does not happen immediately, but I believe knowing this level of peace is within our grasp is quite powerful. This isn’t reserved for the Buddhist Monks who live in the mountains… this is freely available to you… right now!
Practicing non-dual awareness can be a powerful tool for cultivating a sense of inner peace and connectedness, and can help us to live more fully in the present moment. It can help find compassion within and for others. Join me in daily practice. Start small and just agree to practice consistently. The beauty of this practice is, you do not have to take my word for it, you can prove it to yourself.