Meditative mindfulness. Practice mindfulness meditation. How meditation helps you relax

Consciousness is all there is. Manifesting itself in different ways, it does not cease to be Consciousness.

This article is for those who are seriously interested in self-knowledge. First, preparation - theory, then practice - meditation on pure consciousness and a couple more techniques.

Most people, or rather almost all, are absolutely convinced that this world is real. However, the ancient scriptures state that this world is like a dream, a mirage or a hallucination, and this is also stated by the enlightened sages of all times and peoples. Further analysis of this topic, and especially your independent honest research (including attempts to perform the suggested meditation), can greatly upset you, because the illusions in which you have been involved for a very long time, and which you consider to be the truth, will be destroyed, which is not always the case. Nice. In any case, read the page carefully and understand: if your roof goes, which cannot be ruled out, then there will be no one to blame. I also recommend reading other articles on the self-knowledge site, some of which I provide links to right here, they can clarify many points and deepen your understanding.

Theory of Pure Consciousness

So let's start from the beginning: Originally and always there is Pure Consciousness. Everything else, when it exists, is only a fleeting imagination (fantasy, appearance, manifestation) of Pure Consciousness, that is, it does not have real existence, although it consists of the same “material” - Consciousness. Fictional things are not reality because they do not have independent existence. You can close your eyes and imagine anything you want (whether asleep or awake, it doesn’t matter), and even experience it with vivid, believable perceptions, but can you call this illusion reality just because there are realistic perceptions there?

It should be noted that everything I say is only, that is, a way of describing. No one has ever spoken the Truth; It can only be pointed out through concepts. Therefore, the words “Pure Consciousness” do not convey the Truth, but only direct attention. Accordingly, there is no need to believe in concepts (which is what almost all “thinking beings” do), they are just pointers. The purpose of meditation is to comprehend That which is beyond limited words and concepts. In other words, the highest goal of meditation is.

When I say “Pure Consciousness,” I mean that Being that cannot be described in words, which we all are, whether we know it or not. This Being does not have any physical or spiritual characteristics and does not contain duality, therefore it is conventionally called Pure Consciousness, Brahman, the Unmanifested, and other words. When It manifests itself (as if awakening, emerging from a static non-dual state), it looks like. Nevertheless, at the same time It does not cease to be Itself.

Atman(jiva, individual consciousness, soul) - this is the same Pure Consciousness, only aware of itself. That makes all the difference. Pure Consciousness does not contain duality, it is “unmanifest”, so it is not aware of its existence, unlike the jiva. This can be compared to the ocean: the ocean is one, it is all water, which is non-dual (there is nothing but water), but when waves (jivas) appear on the surface of the ocean, the appearance of separate beings is created and self-awareness arises. This individual self-awareness is like the reflection of a wave in the ocean water. Then further Games of Consciousness occur, which I have already written about. When the wave calms down and “goes back into the depths of the ocean,” to where there is no surface wave movement, self-awareness gradually disappears, which, by the way, happens every night during deep sleep.

Thus, from this example we can see that in fact nothing but the ocean has ever existed, that the apparent multiplicity of waves is only a temporary manifestation of the ocean, which has absolutely no independence in its manifestation, and is manifested only on the surface. The ocean does not cease to be an ocean because of this, it does not lose its non-dual essence. The same applies to Consciousness - it always remains Consciousness, manifesting “on the surface” as a multitude, but at the same time always remaining non-dual (one) and unmanifested in its depth. This vision of truth is called awareness of what really is. And the proposed meditation will help you get closer to this truth.

Blind faith and exposing lies

Let's move from abstractions to specifics. Take your own life.

What can you be absolutely sure of right now and at any other time? Meditate on this. Be honest with yourself. This is your search, there is no point in messing around: you are doing it for yourself. Take your time. This meditation is the key to self-knowledge. Moreover, this is the only reliable key. This is the key that unlocks the door of Truth.

Just ask yourself: “What do I know for sure? What is true for me at any given time? What can I be absolutely and always sure of? " and find it. Even if it takes you your whole life. Of course, if you are interested in the truth. Because, in fact, most people are not interested in the truth. Even those who supposedly will be completely satisfied and will give up their search as soon as they find health, success, love or some other worldly or “highly spiritual” things. If they find it.

So, what is absolutely irrefutable for you at any moment, including the moment now? What is constant and absolutely obvious? What is there not the slightest doubt about?

As you honestly explore these questions, many dubious and outright false answers will be eliminated. In fact, you have to clear away a mountain of lies that began to exist from the very first moment of the emergence of illusory duality. You will have to throw a bunch of beliefs and assumptions about yourself into the trash. Review and get rid of all these “beautiful and dear to the heart.” Destroy blind and false faith. Burn a lot of meaningless assumptions in the fire of awareness. Remove dubious guidelines and false authorities from your life, including the authority of your own mind. Discard a lot of philosophical and religious dogmas, systems and worldviews. And even question your own-separate-independent existence.

The price of Truth is all these illusions that seem to be the reality in which we are accustomed to living, and which we have not questioned for a long time.

The end result of this practice of exposing lies is the disappearance of the belief that illusions are reality and, on the other hand, the realization that I Am Consciousness. For now, this is probably just a concept for you, and it only points the direction, serves as a guide. But even this conceptual understanding is extremely useful, as it brings us closer to the truth, allowing us to already have “one foot there.”

Self-discovery can help a lot in this process. Of course, other techniques and meditations proposed in the article can help a lot, as well as advanced level techniques. The main thing in this matter is a sincere search, honesty with oneself and the willingness to part with illusions for the sake of comprehending the truth and gaining (awareness) of one’s eternal nature of pure consciousness.

Two simple facts

Sooner or later you will find that all you can absolutely confidently declare to yourself at any moment is “I am, I am the perceiving consciousness”. It is simply the feeling of one’s own being, the knowledge that “I exist, perceive, am aware.” This is fact number 1, the most important. In addition to this "I Am", you can also say that there is, and this is fact number 2, less significant. That is, in fact, you can only be sure of two things: “I Am” and “There are perceptions.” The belief that some perceptions(and this can be any thoughts, emotions, beliefs, feelings of being someone or something, etc.) are true - it's just blind faith. You can't prove it. Give it a try. And you will always return only to this simple and absolute fact: “I Am.” The rest is temporary and unprovable. And therefore it is doubtful. Which means there is no point in believing it. At least by doing meditation, we will not blindly believe in unprovable things.

Let's go a little deeper. This paragraph is for very advanced seekers who are willing to risk even the firmest belief (in the reality of this world) for the sake of comprehending the Truth. We are talking about the unprovability of what is happening, about the doubtfulness of the existence of the universe. Do you think that this whole “objective world” is really objective? Do you think that all these things happen to you as an individual being (human) in this “outer world”? And that this world is really real? And that all these “other people” are also real, also separate and freely (or not so freely) thinking beings? What makes you think so? After all, you can’t prove to yourself that this is so. But you think you can. Even if you no longer trust your own changing perceptions, you think something like this: “ other people see the world and its objects the same as I see, which means this world is really real.” And everything would be fine, but the question is: who are these “others”? Can you prove to yourself that they are real? Think back to your dreams at night: there were also many “others” who confirmed the reality of your dream by interacting with you, and this was extremely really, is not it? You had no doubt about the reality of the night’s dream and its characters, just as you now have no doubt about the reality of “waking.” But in the morning you woke up, and where did these others, who were supposedly real people, disappear? Where did the “reality” that you perceived and that they confirmed go to? Was this real? Or was it a fleeting illusion, a fantasy, a mirage, despite its absolute realism? So how can you prove to yourself that what is happening now is real? Be honest with yourself: no way. And this brings you back again and again to two simple facts of which you can always be sure: “I am” and “There is a stream of unprovable perceptions.” Everything unprovable is discarded, and only the undeniable “I Am” remains - the sense of being, presence, awareness. That's the point.

I Am Pure Consciousness. Meditation

This meditation technique involves focusing attention on an idea. "I Am Pure Consciousness", which can be reformulated in any other suitable way, for example, “I Am Brahman”, “I am neither body nor mind”, “I am That”, “I am the soul”, “I am pure awareness”, etc. Everyone can choose the formulation that is closest and most understandable. The main thing here is not the verbal expression, but its meaning. Words are just pointers, it is important to understand this.

How does it work and why? In other words, can such an affirmation lead to truth? With this meditation, the mind focuses on the highest and purest idea that is possible within the framework of concepts. This idea is even higher, not to mention other gunas. Pure Consciousness is beyond the gunas, and the practice of identifying oneself with Brahman will gradually remove other, contradictory concepts. This will purify the consciousness sufficiently to not only identify oneself with Brahman at the level of thought, but also to see and realize this true identity.

To illustrate, here is a short parable showing how this works. There was a certain king who once, apparently, had too much alcohol, and it “got into his head” that he was a beggar. He felt like a beggar and walked around his estate in search of the king to give him alms. Of course, it looked strange: a king looking for himself in order to receive alms. And then someone said to him: “So you are the king himself!” He didn’t believe it right away, he started feeling himself, examining himself, muttering, “Am I a king? Am I a king? Hmm, I'm wearing royal clothes. I guess I’m a king...” Then he went to the mirror and, seeing his reflection, remembered that he was a king. Thus, a reminder of one’s true identity leads to research and analysis, through which awareness of the true state of affairs is achieved.

The Yoga Vasistha says, “What you identify with, that is what you become.” Identifications can be roughly divided into more true and less true. For example, the closest to the truth is identifying oneself with the soul (jiva, atman), which, in fact, is no different from Pure Consciousness, except for the presence of self-awareness. Less true identifications would be with mind, mind, and body respectively. That is, identification with the body is the most false identification. To consider oneself a human being is a total identification, a totality of lies. It will be useful to study the article, it will help in meditation. Also read and don't fall for it.

Once again I want to emphasize that meditation on “I Am Pure Consciousness” is not just an affirmation, not just muttering, not just a mantra, it is constant direction and return of attention to Truth, which a person may not be aware of at first, but which he explores, studies, analyzes, examines from different angles, persistently making his way through the various garbage of the mind. And this is achieved through careful and conscious repetition of a phrase like “I am Brahman” or any other suitable one with the same meaning.

This meditation can eventually become “background” and constant, regardless of what else you are doing. The purer the mind, the easier it is for consciousness to enter and remain in a state of self-awareness. Don't limit yourself to a few minutes or even hours a day, try to be aware of yourself as pure consciousness constantly, continuously. Don't worry if it doesn't come easy at first, just every time return attention to the source of attention itself- Pure Consciousness.

Concentration of consciousness on oneself (pure consciousness) is the highest meditation, the purest method of self-awareness.

Meditation plus exposing lies

You focus your attention on the idea “I Am Pure Consciousness,” and soon you notice that various things pop up in your mind, both outright meaningless garbage and ideas that contradict what you have been holding. The garbage is simply ignored and you return your attention to meditation. And contradictory ideas are immediately questioned, questioned: “Is this provable now?” If it's not provable right now, what's the point of believing it and paying attention to it? You know that there are only two things that can be easily proven at any given time: “I Am” and “There is a stream of perceptions,” and since the contents of the stream of perceptions are doubtful, they are not worthy of engaging your attention, so you return to the original irrefutable “I Am.”

Use the practice of exposing lies (“Is this provable right now?”) whenever a thought that contradicts the idea of ​​“I Am Pure Consciousness” comes to your attention. In this way, you will return to pure consciousness meditation almost immediately without getting caught up in endless thoughts and false concepts.

For example, you hold with your attention the thought “I Am Pure Consciousness,” and suddenly the thought “The Bible says that I am a servant of God” comes. You see that the idea “I am a servant of God” does not correspond to the idea “I Am Pure Consciousness”, and therefore you ask the question: “can I now prove to myself that I am a servant of God?” Perhaps further analysis will look something like this: “In order to prove this, there must be God nearby, whom I must see, and I must also very clearly feel like his slave, unquestioningly fulfilling his will, and being crystal clear about this. But since none of this happens, I cannot prove to myself that I am a servant of God, so for the moment this idea can be left aside and return to meditation on pure consciousness. In the same way, you get rid of a huge number of other things (concepts, ideas, beliefs, misconceptions, etc.) that cannot be proven, but in which you were previously accustomed to blindly believing. Discarding all these unprovable things, you constantly return to two simple facts - “I Am” and “There are perceptions of a dubious nature” - and continue to meditate on pure consciousness.

For the purpose of meditation, it is better to declare as a lie everything (that pops up in the mind) that cannot be proven right now, than to consider as true something that seemed to be a fact earlier, but cannot be proven in the present. Thanks to the principle “everything that cannot be proven right now is a lie,” you will discard everything that is doubtful, leaving only what you are absolutely sure of and what is always true. This is the purest form of meditation.

And don’t let the large number of distracting thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and other rubbish scare you. All these things are perceived only because they reflect the light of your consciousness, without which they do not exist. In other words, the flow of perceptions reminds you that there is a consciousness that perceives it, and this consciousness is you. So just direct your attention to yourself.

If something is not clear

Keep it simple. If you feel that some material, advice or situation is not clear, return to the essence of meditation. The essence of meditation is this: Keep your attention on the idea “I Am Pure Consciousness”, and when you notice that your attention has gone to something else, simply return it. This is all. The rest is just clarifications and additional recommendations that may help.

As already mentioned in the article “The Nature of the Soul”, the only function of the soul is to perceive. When attention is directed outward, external objects are perceived. When attention is directed inward, self-awareness arises. This meditation aims at self-awareness. To do this, attention must be withdrawn from external objects (such as the body, mind, emotions, desires, and everything else, including perceptions received through the body) and directed inward, to oneself, to the very fact “I am, and I am aware” .

Become aware of the fact of awareness(I'm aware that I'm aware) and then become aware of yourself as pure consciousness.

Just be this self-awareness, this is the experience of one’s nature of pure consciousness (at the soul level). That's the whole point of this meditation. A formulation like “I Am Pure Consciousness” is needed only to direct attention in the right direction, and for nothing more. This is not an affirmation for the mind or subconscious, it is a tool like a mirror that allows the conscious mind to properly direct its attention to look at itself.

We know very well what life is like on a well-trodden track, on “autopilot”. The usual morning routine, shower, coffee on the go, kiss your neighbors, going to work, checking email, liking on social networks, work... Almost always, with rare exceptions, the “autopilot” is on. More often than not, we are controlled by others.

This state is also called the “trance of everyday life”, a state in which our attention is narrowed to primitive “yes-no”, “can-not” and “good-bad”. Few of us consciously give our lives to the control of others; rather, this is how it turns out. Somehow it just happened, and it seems like we didn’t do anything about it.

That's it: we didn't do anything, we just lived unconsciously. Mindfulness is a state of consciousness that is the opposite of “autopilot”

When we direct attention to ourselves, we become aware of ourselves and can manage ourselves and our lives. Sounds tempting. Shall we try?

RESULT: AUTHENTIC PRESENCE
We often face complex tasks that cannot always be solved on autopilot. Negotiations and presentations, projects and innovations that can change our own lives and the lives of loved ones. Talking to a child is also a difficult task.

What is needed for full awareness:

• see- first of all, people and their conditions;
• hear- everything that is said and how it is said;
• feel - attitudes and emotions, your own and those around you;
• feel- our strength and confidence in what we do;
• realize- your thoughts and choose the most correct ones;
• know- the situation in general and the state of affairs in particular.

We are able to control our perceptions, thinking and actions

The goal and result of mindfulness is true presence, a state of focus and full inclusion that in itself commands respect and attention. Next we need to act, and act actively. Mindfulness meditation makes it possible to get out of the trance of everyday life, turn off the “autopilot” and be an included participant or leader in the process.

KEY IDEAS OF MINDFULNESS PRACTICES
A few important ideas that describe the essence of mindfulness practices:

• a person in his normal state is not a very conscious being; more often we live on “autopilot”;
• we are able to control our perceptions, thinking and actions;
• non-judgmental observation of what is happening in the mind and in the external world allows you to objectively and adequately perceive what is happening;
• awareness allows you to more meaningfully respond to the challenges of life, makes life rich and successful;
• mindfulness develops through gradual, daily, regular practice.

Mindfulness develops through gradual, daily, regular practice.

Basic tools for increasing awareness:

• breathing meditation;

ATTITUDE WITH YOURSELF IN MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
In order to actually practice mindfulness, there are several important conditions. Mindfulness involves receiving real, truthful information about ourselves and the world. Therefore, how we treat ourselves and the experience we gain in meditation is extremely important. Here are the key principles of mindfulness:

Non-judgmental . Observe what you experience as it is, without classification as “good” or “bad,” “pleasant” or “unpleasant.”

Non-aspiration . Allow yourself to experience whatever happens instead of setting goals and trying to achieve them.

Adoption. Acceptance does not mean humility and submission; it is acceptance, not denial, of how you feel right now. Acceptance comes first and change will come later.

Patience. It takes time for changes to appear. You need to try over and over again to do what you have to do, as flawlessly as possible, without paying attention to the disappointment and irritation that not everything turns out perfectly.

Changes take time and practice to manifest.

Confidence. Trust yourself as you practice, allow your inner self to guide you.

Beginner's mind. Develop a “beginner’s mind” as opposed to the usual “expert” filters. In the open “beginner’s mind,” as opposed to the “expert mind,” there is a huge number of possibilities.

Letting go. Let go, there is no need to hold on to anything. There is no need to cling to pleasant experiences and push away unpleasant ones.

Interest. Be curious about your experience: How am I feeling now? What are the thoughts in my head right now? What's going on in my body?

Kindness. Bring warmth and compassion into your moment-to-moment experience. Be aware of your experience - not only with your mind, but also with your heart.

Bring warmth and compassion into your moment-to-moment experience

Some points may seem strange (how is this non-judgmental, we always evaluate), but these are really important things in the process of meditation. These conditions are the essence of mindfulness practices. Whether to use it or not is up to you to decide, but try it first. The criterion here is the result, and everything else is a waste of time and words. Try doing the practice this way!

A FEW FACTS ABOUT MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
1. Mindfulness meditation develops the ability to manage attention, thinking and emotions.

2. Mindfulness meditation is clarity and full contact with reality, it is inclusion and true presence.

3. During meditation, you can simply sit on a pillow or on a chair; the recommended duration of meditation is from 2-3 to 20-30 minutes.

4. Mindfulness meditation has its roots in Buddhist contemplative practice (where it is called shamatha-vipassana), its essence is attention and self-awareness.

5. Mindfulness meditation is a scientifically based technique that has been successfully used for more than 30 years in medicine, business, education and social work.

THREE LEVELS OF MINDFULNESS MEDITATION PRACTICE
The skill of meditation develops gradually, over several months, with regular practice.

LEVEL 1. A combined meditation of “concentration of attention” and “awareness (clear mind).” We learn to connect with ourselves, develop clarity and sensitivity, train attention, achieve calmness and confidence.

LEVEL 2(after 1-2 months of practice). We explore our defense mechanisms. We understand how we close ourselves off from the world, how fears and behavioral strategies arise, and gradually we begin to manage them.

LEVEL 3(after 3-4 months of practice). We develop connections with the world and relationships with people. We learn empathy, understanding other people, open and clear communication with others.

CHOOSING A LOCATION FOR PRACTICE
You can practice mindfulness wherever you can breathe. Only at the very beginning, to master mindfulness meditation, you will need a quiet space. Therefore, it is better to start mindfulness meditation in specially equipped classes with an instructor, or at home, sitting on a cushion or chair in silence. After just a few weeks of practice, stability will appear and you will be able to continue practicing anywhere.

You can practice mindfulness wherever you can breathe.
Halls, passages, recreation areas and parks are good options for meditation. If you have no choice, start right where you are!

) I was urged to cover the topic of developing awareness in more detail.

Indeed, increasing awareness is a necessary element for any personal change

Developing mindfulness helps you break bad habits

If you want to break bad habits, developing mindfulness will help you understand the hidden motives that maintain old behavior and learn to notice the triggers of old habits earlier (which makes them easier to eliminate).

Developing mindfulness helps you learn to manage your emotions

To manage your emotions, it is important to learn to notice and realize the beginning of the process of development or change in emotion and mood. Because the longer you are immersed in some emotion, the more stable this state becomes and the more difficult it is to change. In addition, negative emotions are usually maintained and developed due to the corresponding internal dialogue that fuels them (you, as it were, “twist” yourself). And often it is enough to simply stop this negative stream of thoughts to improve your condition. But to stop it, you first need to realize it. Usually we are so immersed in this internal thought stream that we do not notice how it takes us further and further into the sea of ​​negativity.

Developing mindfulness helps improve personal effectiveness

Personal effectiveness depends not only on HOW we do something, but also (even to a greater extent) on WHAT we do and IN WHAT CONDITION we do it.

You can do all sorts of nonsense very effectively (for example, quickly surf the Internet and simultaneously correspond with 10 friends on social networks), but this will not bring you closer to realizing important life goals, which means your personal effectiveness will be low. Developing mindfulness will help you stay focused on the things and tasks that really matter.

I have already written many times about the fact that for high productivity you need to be able to create and maintain a positive emotional mood. After all, even if you focus on really important tasks, but at the same time you experience anger, irritation and similar negative feelings, then you can also forget about high efficiency.

And as I said above, developing awareness helps you learn to manage your emotional state, i.e., take control of this important component of high personal effectiveness.

Developing awareness helps correct character

A character trait is a stable stereotype of response in certain, typical situations.
If you want to change some traits of your character, then first you need to learn to notice the typicality of their manifestation.

Any behavioral reaction usually consists of two parts: reflexive and cognitive.

Reflex reaction is essentially a habit of reacting in a certain way to typical situations. For example, if a person has such traits as suspiciousness and low self-esteem, then he can take any laughter he hears personally, as if they are laughing at him.

Cognitive component are the thoughts and beliefs that support this reaction. In the above example, a person with suspiciousness and low self-esteem, hearing that someone is laughing, will feel internal tension and may have thoughts that he looks somehow ridiculous, funny and everyone around him is constantly evaluating his appearance and behavior, etc. .d. and so on.

To change such a reaction, i.e. In this typical way of responding, you must first learn to notice how appropriate stimuli trigger this reaction in you and how you yourself (with the help of internal dialogue) then support the development and repetition of this reaction. The arsenal of psychotechniques for changing reactions is quite large, but without developing awareness, their use is extremely ineffective.

In general, give me any psychological problem and I will show you how developing awareness helps solve it.

I hope I have convinced you of the importance of developing mindfulness. If yes, then you can't wait to find out HOW you can do this.

In fact, you don’t need to “reinvent the wheel” to develop awareness. The basic ideas were developed at least about 2000 years ago. First of all, this is, of course, yoga and Buddhist meditation. By the way, it is the practice of meditation from Buddhism that is perhaps most easily adapted to modern life. And in this series of issues dedicated to the development of awareness, I will give you several basic techniques, most of which you can practice literally “on the go,” i.e. going about your usual business.

In general, traditionally, meditative techniques for developing awareness are divided into formal and informal. Formal- this means you allocate special time for them and during this time you engage only in this technique. Informal- these are those that can be performed in parallel with some other activity. For example, you can use some familiar automatic actions such as brushing your teeth, focusing on tracking all possible tactile sensations from this process.

As a formal technique, I will give you today one simple technique that I use in my course “Self-Hypnosis 2.0 Basic Course”. I call it “Conscious Breathing”. By the way, in addition to developing awareness, it also helps to master such an important quality as passive concentration of attention, which is so necessary for mastering auto-training and other self-hypnosis techniques.

I use two modifications of this technique. Today I’ll give you the simplest option, which is where you should start. Let's do it right now.

Sit so that it is comfortable for you to remain in this position for a couple of minutes. You can close your eyes, but this is not necessary. The task is very simple - observe the breathing process for 2 minutes.

There is no need to try to somehow change the breathing rhythm. To make it easier to maintain attention, you can monitor the movement of the abdomen (or chest, depending on the type of your breathing, i.e., which is easier to observe) or the sensation in the nasopharynx from the movement of air. In addition, you can pronounce “inhale” and “exit” in accordance with the breathing process.

If your attention is distracted, simply realize what distracted you and return to the process of observing your breathing.

You can use a timer or rely on your internal sense of time. So, let's start...

Well, how did it work out? Most likely, you noticed that although the task seems simple, in reality it turns out that maintaining calm concentration is quite difficult. From time to time, distracting thoughts arise that take away your attention, and when you discover this, you begin to scold yourself and get upset that you cannot maintain concentration even for a couple of minutes.

An additional portion of salt is poured into the wounds of your self-esteem by not particularly knowledgeable esoteric-minded authors who claim that the main goal of these practices is to “stop the internal dialogue,” i.e., complete thoughtlessness.

But the same Buddhist monks will tell you that this is complete nonsense. Thinking is a natural process, just like breathing and heartbeat. Thinking is simply a product of the work of our psyche. And the task of such meditative practices is not to stop this process, but to develop awareness, i.e., learn to observe, as if from the outside, the process of thinking. And at some point you begin to really clearly understand that there is something more in you than thoughts and emotions, that you can be in a state where you can observe, be aware of the work of your brain, just as you can observe the process of breathing. But we'll talk about this in future issues.

Now you just have to understand that you are not faced with the task of somehow specifically getting rid of thoughts. If you try to do this through some kind of volitional effort, you will get the opposite effect. Although, the intensity of thinking will naturally decrease if you simply maintain passive concentration on some object (in this case, breathing)

So, the main rule regarding any distractions in the process of any techniques for developing awareness is to get distracted, become aware of this moment and simply calmly return your attention to the object of meditation.

Perform this exercise at least once a day, gradually increasing the exercise time to 5 minutes.

Informal practice.

In principle, any activity can be suitable for developing awareness, but you need to start with simple ideas that do not require additional time or special organizational efforts. Here are some simple ideas:

1. In public transport or while driving in a traffic jam, it is convenient to practice tracking sounds. Just decide that, for example, for the next 1-2 minutes you will spend the next 1-2 minutes becoming aware of what you hear. The task is again very simple - focus your attention on the sounds. Try to isolate different sounds from the general sound background. At the same time, try to perceive sounds simply as sounds, without describing what makes them and without thinking about their meaning.

2. While walking, you can find many objects to develop awareness. You can simply track your tactile sensations from the process of walking, you can focus on what you see or hear.

3. While eating, you have a great opportunity to focus on your taste sensations (and get more benefits and pleasure from your meal)

4. Any usually automatic actions (shaving, showering, brushing teeth). Just try to be aware of your sensations in the process of performing these habitual actions.

Each week, choose two or three similar objects for informal practice and change them regularly to avoid getting bored.

To conclude today’s episode, I want to give you a couple more important practical tips.

There are two main problems with developing mindfulness. Firstly, it is difficult to maintain attention on the subject of meditation. Secondly, it is difficult to force yourself to exercise regularly.

The first problem can be solved using short periods of time for practice. Especially at the beginning, I strongly recommend that you practice for literally 1-3 minutes. It’s better to do 10 approaches a day, one minute at a time, than to sit and “torment” for 10 minutes, constantly being distracted and blaming yourself for your inability to concentrate.

The second problem is more difficult. The techniques are actually very simple, but it is far from easy to practice them on a regular basis for a long time.

Here, firstly, the idea of ​​short approaches will help you again. After all 1-2 minutes can always be found, but 10-15 need to be “cut out”.

Secondly, it's a good idea - decide in advance how many approaches you plan to do per day and somehow organize their counting. For example, it is convenient to use a mobile application for a smartphone for counting, which has a simple counter, i.e. made another meditative “approach”, pressed the button - the counter worked and you know how many such sessions you have already done today. Or you can simply record it on a piece of paper. In any case, if you have a clear decision on the number of daily sessions, your motivation will be higher.

To feel the first results, perform these simple exercises for at least 2-3 weeks. If you have any questions, write them in the comments.

In future episodes I will tell you how you can use emotions and thoughts to develop awareness. And, by the way, please write in the comments whether you are interested in the topic of developing awareness and whether you want to continue.

And if you liked this article, tell your friends about it using the social media buttons.

Hello everyone.

Now you see before you the third article in the series. This meditation is called Conscious Awareness in the Present Moment. The lecture I am translating is given by Djeda Mali. In it she talks about her spiritual path, about what is meditation for? and directly teaches the lesson of his meditation. I recommend that you read this review in full, because of all the lectures that I have already published, I liked this lesson the most, I believe that in it you can find a lot of useful and interesting thoughts that partly overlap with mine.

Djeda Mali. Why is meditation needed?

Jedha studied with meditation and yoga gurus in Asia. Based on the results of her practice with teachers, she developed a system of meditation, which, according to her, allows her to achieve extreme mental clarity. Jedah talks about awareness, she defines the totality of our beliefs, ideas, habits of mind and emotions as a kind of paradigm. And often people do not think about the reasons for the emergence of their paradigm, do not analyze what determines their thoughts or actions (“why do I think this way”, “why did I do something”). Meanwhile, the outside world with its laws continues to influence us and dictates certain requirements regarding our reaction to what is happening. If we are not able to change our paradigm in response to an external impulse, adapt it flexibly and adjust it to circumstances, then it becomes difficult for us to live and interact in this world.

According to Jedha Mali, meditation provides an opportunity to become aware of your paradigm and change it in response to changing environmental conditions. In order to live and understand life to the fullest, it is necessary to exist in harmony with the laws of existence, which require us to demonstrate our best qualities: courage, patience, love, strength of character, flexibility of mind, will. And if we don’t listen to life, don’t see what it demands from us, then we miss out on happiness and lose success. We do not reveal our potential, which, according to D. Mali, is inherent in every person.

Getting rid of illusions

Meditation allows you to understand your inner world, know yourself, realize the foundations of your beliefs and actions and make this world the way you want to see it: harmonious, self-sufficient and independent of the opinions and moods of others. Meditation breaks the veil of illusions in which you are shrouded. After long practice, you become unable to deceive yourself: the true essence of things is revealed to you. You no longer need to run away from yourself to meet phantoms and illusions that promise ephemeral, short-term happiness, as your inner beauty and radiance are revealed, immersing yourself in which you find balance and harmony with yourself.

After all, enlightenment, according to D. Mali, is not the acquisition of something and not a one-time spiritual achievement. Enlightenment is a one-time awareness: the ability to see the truth in all things, freedom of perception from the burden of illusions!

You will cease to be hostages of the present moment and you will be able to distance yourself from emotions and experiences that relate to the period of time “here and now.” You will get rid of old habits and qualities that poisoned your life without resistance, not without work, but without resistance...

You will learn to put your brain into (Note: Jedah talks less about energy and its blockers, unlike teachers in previous lessons, she mentions EEG frequencies of the brain as one of the sources of the effect of meditation) and calm the mind. You will have control over what is happening in your head: you will be able to weed out unsuitable thoughts and form your own paradigm. Improve your relationships with people and you will become an example for others. The power to take responsibility for your life will appear.

Jedah claims that all these things you will comprehend without reading books or lectures, and meditate with your eyes closed!

Mindfulness in the present moment

Jedha says we don't think about how our thoughts arise, we start identify with them and believe in them. It seems to us that we, our body, are separated from all existence; we imagine ourselves as some kind of separate and autonomous entity. But we don’t think about what makes us exist, what fills us with life and makes our thoughts and desires possible. The body changes and this is what fills us with life. There is permanent life, and there is also a medium. Changing life, the medium, is a film, that picture of life and what is happening around that is shown to us. Imagine that everything you see, all the pictures of life, is a film that is broadcast on a movie screen.

The plot of a film is something that is constantly changing and exists in time, and the movie screen is something permanent and outside of time (that same constant life). The latter is our original and true existence, eternal and unchanging. But sometimes we become so carried away by the plot of a film, its characters, that we forget that we are just watching a movie. Then we do not see the source of existence and become dependent on the plot of the picture. Meanwhile our true existence is source of energy and source of life. This is being, indivisible and whole, nothing exists except it and nothing exists outside it.

The feeling of the presence of life that we have lost

This energy exists everywhere and everywhere, it allows you to take any form: you can go here, you can go here, you can become cheerful, you can become sad, you can become all these things. We can create all these things from energy, but this does not mean that these things are reality, even the state of happiness is just a form of this energy. When our inner gaze is aimed at the truth and the basis of all things, then we see this eternal, enduring part of life. And she is always with us, she will not go anywhere. This is what gives us the feeling of the presence of life. It has always been with us, we were born with it, but we are so used to it that we no longer notice it and take it for granted. There's nothing strange about that we missed the feeling of being alive.

Awareness is a look into the essence of things that never leaves us, we just lost this ability due to the fact that we were so carried away by what was happening in the film. When we focus on this pristine splendor of authentic life, we are filled with a sense of beauty and wonder. In this way we comprehend the truth and the nature of existence.

Meditation by Djeda Mali. Practice

One meditation session should take 15-20 minutes of your time. Jedha Mali argues that the basis for the success of any endeavor, including meditation, rests on the following qualities: patience, persistence, williness, openness, trust and a little detachment and a sense of humor. You need to exercise regularly and don’t regret spending time on this, all your efforts will more than pay off after some time.

Breathing is an important part of any meditation. keep an eye on him. As for place and time, then It is better to meditate in the same place at the same time, thus the brain will get used to it and its ability to relax and concentrate will reach its maximum during this period of time in this place.

Jedha states that it is important to understand what you expect from meditation so as not to be disappointed in the results of practice.

Let's start meditation

You can calmly imagine and pronounce everything below to yourself, and most importantly, take your time. Balance your breathing, calm down and concentrate.

So, close your eyes and look within. Eliminate all thoughts about today, let them leave you. Concentrate on the present moment in time. Focus on your breathing. Feel yourself concentrating on your breathing. You are filled with a feeling of peace and serenity. Realize that you are now in a state of peace and serenity. Feel yourself in the present moment, your consciousness is ready to fill your inner world (explore within). Breathing calms you. And the more you follow him, the calmer and more peaceful you become.

Over time, as you monitor your breathing, you realize that you no longer need to make an effort to breathe. Breathing seems to happen on its own, independently of you, easily and naturally. Something itself controls breathing. As if you are not breathing but you are being breathed, you understand that something has taken control of your breathing always, throughout your entire life.

We didn't notice this. This sea of ​​awareness (Note: what Djeda Mali calls permanent life), what directs the flow of breath, is the sea eternal and always available to us. If you were asked do you exist? You would answer yes, of course. But if they asked, how do you know this? You'd say it's obvious, I'm here. Our existence is obvious and for this reason very familiar, so much so that we take it for granted.

We have forgotten what makes our lives possible. It is the source of life that makes existence in all its forms possible. Is it possible not to exist? Let's try. We see that we cannot. Our entire experience is a registration by consciousness of what is happening. You are aware of your existence.

The sea of ​​awareness exists even when you are not aware of it (for example, when you are sleeping). When does awareness appear? It manifests itself in the present moment. Focus on the present moment. Try to exist outside of this moment for at least a minute. We understand that this is impossible: awareness can only exist in the present moment. When we become aware of the present moment in time, we comprehend the essence of life captured in it.

Become aware of the constancy of the present moment, be aware of its stillness. It is a medium in relation to the sea of ​​awareness. Only this moment ensures the existence of the sea of ​​awareness. This is who we are, the eternal sea of ​​awareness. We are those who exist eternally and at the same time are always in the present. Now notice that the present moment is not motionless, static, if it were, then we would see one thing all the time.

The static nature of the moment in the present tense makes change possible, feel it, be filled with the awareness of this knowledge, this is what gives birth to freedom within every moment. This allows our consciousness, which is in constant motion within the sea of ​​awareness, to register and become aware of what is happening. Awareness is not dependent on age or experience, it is not acquired, it cannot be earned or earned. It's not what we get, it's what we are.

This is the existence available to us at every moment of time.

Now let the peace and serenity of your entire being expand to the boundaries of your physical body and reach a state of harmonious continuum, consisting of harmony between the inner and outer worlds.

Breathe deeply, eyes still closed, smile, feel the light that your smile generates. Let your smile send the light of your being through your body. Now the person who started meditation is gone, everything has changed in you. You have become harmony. Take this harmony into your life. And when you are ready, open your eyes...

Concluding comments from the author of the translation

So, I already wrote at the beginning that I really liked Djeda Mali’s lecture. Firstly, her reasoning about what is meditation for?, and secondly, by the fact that she spoke less than others about all sorts of “energies and astrals.” The information in her lecture is more tangible and understandable.

While we are in its power, it can be difficult to realize how absorbed and dependent we are on this mess, because it acts like intoxication: it clouds your vision, lulls your mind and it all seems natural to us, we don’t even think about it. Only then, if an “awakening” occurs, do we understand how much negativity was in us, what prevented us from living and poisoned the lives of those around us. But for this awakening to come, you need to meditate.

I will not criticize Jedha Mali’s meditation technique itself, but will simply express my opinion. If you like, then you can practice it, but I still think that it is better to meditate with and think less and reflect during sessions, but this meditation from the article calls for some kind of mental work, which, in my opinion, is everything -should be kept to a minimum.

But if you don’t think about anything during meditation, this does not mean that no understanding comes to you. It comes on its own, is deposited somewhere on an unconscious, non-verbal level, as a feeling of truth and order, in order to later be revealed in words, thoughts and actions.

That's all for today. Stay tuned for the next article in the Meditationfest series (). Just let me take a short break with articles from this series, since I would like to dilute them with others in order to compromise with those who are not interested in Meditationfest, who expect me simply articles about self-development, and those who follow the release of translations of Meditationfest lectures. So the next article will be devoted to bad habits and that, and after it I will return to the review of lectures by leading meditation masters.

Thank you for your attention!

We all know what it means to live mechanically, moving along a well-established track, on autopilot, unconsciously performing a lot of actions and functions, without attaching importance to them, without thinking, but simply because “that’s the way it should be.” The vast majority of modern people are in a state of and. At first glance, it’s an ordinary life, but this condition is dangerous because people’s attention is narrowed to the functional “yes-no”, “can-do-not”, “good-bad”. And therefore, most often we are controlled by others.

Powerful Meditation and Mindfulness and Changing Your State

It is unlikely that any of the modern sensible people will deliberately give their lives to the control of others. I would say that this is more likely the case. Somehow it goes without saying, and now, you are no longer a free individual, but a consumer, you are hooked on various industries. You sleep, and in your spiritual sleep you consume, consume, consume. It seems you didn't do anything wrong. You simply lived unconsciously. Self-guided online mindfulness meditation will correct this situation.

The title of the book about mindfulness meditation by Andy Puddicombe is Meditation and Mindfulness. 10 minutes a day that will put your thoughts in order speaks for itself. You can read this useful publication online, download it for free and without registration, and, of course, buy the book in online stores in the classic paper format.

Mindful meditation for self-development

Artwork by Andy Puddicombe Meditation and Mindfulness, there is nothing supernatural, no mysticism, no magic. On the pages of the book, in an accessible and engaging manner, the author offers simple and effective techniques for a set of exercises recommended for daily practice. Practicing mindfulness meditation does not require any special knowledge or extensive preparatory work. All preparation consists of step-by-step instructions that help you master the meditation technique on your own. And most importantly, to take advantage of the obvious benefits of this technique, ten minutes a day is enough.

What is mindfulness? This is in every sense a unique state of consciousness, the opposite of moral and spiritual sleep. Mindfulness meditation teaches a person to direct attention to himself. When a person is aware of himself and is able to manage himself, take responsibility for his life, he does not vegetate in spiritual impoverishment and poverty, he works on himself and finds ways to realize himself both personally and professionally.

What is mindfulness meditation

Meditation according to E. Puddicombe’s system is, first of all, a simple and effective tool for improving the quality of life, which gives quick and undoubted results. Independent mindfulness meditation reduces stress levels, helps get rid of anxiety, irritability, insomnia, and most importantly, helps a person realize that the world around him is beautiful, and life itself is a precious gift from the Creator.

The state of mindfulness taught by meditation according to the Puddicombe method helps to concentrate, control the flow of one’s own consciousness, and control complex life tasks. The practice of mindfulness meditation does not depend on religious beliefs and does not require adherence to the rules of classical meditation, as is common in Eastern practices. Everything here is simple and clear.