Saturday 6 October 2012

#197 Starting from where we are

     Each aspect of our character seems to mature at different rates throughout life. Some aspects may essentially remain dormant, forgotten. 
     Awareness of our own body is a fascinating case in point. Many of us take our body for granted, pretty much ignoring it - until it becomes sick or disabled. How much of the time are you off in thoughts - a disembodied floating head, while your body runs on autopilot?
     Activities like yoga, tai chi, qi gong, karate, judo, dancing, gymnastics etc teach us to appreciate our bodies - we learn experientially what it's like to fill our bodies with awareness. Feeling embodied gives one a reassuring sense of not just physical, but overall competence. One feels truly fully present! While being in one's head gives rise to an unpleasant, neurotic mood - akin to "cabin-fever" - "not all there".
     Sitting, standing and walking meditation are powerful means of reconnecting with our bodies, of cultivating refined body-awareness. Initially, we might notice some stiff sore areas that we might not have noticed before. This is not caused by the meditation practice, rather the result of us developing greater body-awareness. As our body-awareness becomes more refined, we may notice that we can't feel some parts of our bodies - but gradually we can bring meditative awareness into these "numb spots" as well. We also may notice varying degrees of armoring - very stiff musculature in various parts of our body - this takes some time to loosen.
     It's not a competitive race. Patient, consistent practice using minimal force, but persistent, gentle intelligence cultivates our innate natural wisdom.

Credit: slideshare   http://www.slideshare.net/myprof/unusual-pics08-20120phyl1

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