In this lecture, Tara Brach discusses how we can understand the impact of fear on our bodies and minds, and introduces techniques for coping with fear. Brach describes how the mind contracts, the body becomes tight, and calls this the “trance” created by fear. She then considers how to “attend and befriend” the fear, and teaches how to pay attention to breathing. On her website, she offers the following explanation of this approach:
“Our mindfulness practice is not about vanquishing our thoughts. It’s about becoming aware of the process of thinking so that we are not in a trance—lost inside our thoughts. That’s the big difference. To train in becoming mindful of thoughts can help us to notice when your mind is actively thinking, either using the label “thinking, thinking,” or identifying the kind of thought—“worrying, worrying,” “planning, planning.” Then, becoming interested in what’s really happening right here. Coming home to the sensations in your body, your breath, the sounds around you, the life of the moment. As our mindfulness practice deepens we become more aware of our thoughts. This offers us the opportunity to assess them and notice that much of the time our thoughts are not really serving us. Many thoughts are driven by fear and lock us into insecurity. During our residential meditation retreats, one of the biggest breakthroughs people share with us is: “I realized I don’t have to believe my thoughts.” Training in mindfulness allows our minds to have a choice. At the moment in which you pause and realize that these thoughts are not really serving me, you have the option to come back to presence. This process of choosing becomes more powerful as you realize how thoughts can create suffering and separation. They create an “us” and a “them.” They create judgment and end up making us feel bad about ourselves. In those moments when you’re lost in thought, what if you could pause and say, “OK, it is just a thought” That is revolutionary. That can change your life! Now, the key is that we approach this with a gentleness and kindness. Each time we recognize thinking and come back into the present moment with gentleness and kindness, we are planting a seed of mindfulness. We are creating a new habit—a new way of being in the world. We quiet down the incessant buzz of thoughts in our mind. We take refuge in what is true—the aliveness and tenderness and mystery of the present moment—rather than in the story line of our thoughts.
Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn,
a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter.
If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things,
These bargains with durable erection in the purchase cialis online men by including sufficient measure of blood stream to the penile organ to cause an erection. Accordingly, to win the national popular vote, a candidate must appeal to the large majority of Americans who do not live in these urban order viagra amerikabulteni.com centers. Many websites and blogs are now using the NoFollow attribute by default to prevent spam from reaching your inbox. generic cialis levitra This can result viagra rx in huge monetary loss as well as manpower as well as valuable day to day operations.
this is the best season of your life.
— Wu Men”
Feel free to share this with friends and colleagues by clicking on the appropriate links, below.
by 
Comments are closed.