Whenever a contraction comes up – of any flavor – it can be helpful to explore it.
I can ask myself the usual Big Mind questions. What color has it? Shape? Texture? Can I find a beginning or end?
I can explore how it appears in each sense field. How does it appear in the sensation field? The thought field? (Images?)
Is it content of experience? Does it come and go?
What is it made up of? (What is its substance?)
The contraction can be a sense of unease, discomfort, a sense of something to protect, reactivity, an identification with a viewpoint or identity, identification with a sense of doer or observer, identification with an inquirer or inquiry, and so on.
What I find may be that it is ephemeral. Has no substance. Is made up of awareness itself. Is no thing appearing as something.
I may also notice that when I take it as something substantial and real, I act on it as if it is, creating drama and stress for myself. (And others.) And when I investigate it in this way, with some sincerity, receptivity, as if it is the first time (which it is), attention is brought to how ephemeral and insubstantial it is, and this invites in a shift.
…………………..
Initial outline…
- examining contractions
- notice contractions
- inquire into
- color, texture, shape, extent (characteristics)
- how shows up in each sense field?
- what made up of?