I wanted to write about this in a more simple and brief way:
Experience is already resting.
And yes, it can seem that experience is anything but resting. It can seem in movement, in tension, struggle, excitement, distress, even suffering.
All of that comes from velcro. It comes from sensations that seems “stuck” on images and words, lending them a sense of reality and solidity.
As this velcro softens or falls away, what’s here – this experience as it is – is revealed as resting, and already resting. It rested even when it appeared very much to not rest.
For instance, there is a (very real) sense of tension here.
Look at the word “tension”. Is that word in tension? [Yes, it seems to. It feels that way.]
Feel that feeling. Allow it completely, as it is. When you are ready, see if there are any images there – maybe a memory, body image, shapes, colors. [I see a picture of my upper body and throat in tension.]
Look at that image. Look at the colors and lines. Is that image in tension? [No.]
Rest with the feeling. When you are ready, look at the word “tension”. Is that word in tension? [No. It’s a word, a picture.]
Feel the feeling again. Rest with it. Is that sensation tension? [No, it’s a sensation.]
Here, the words, images, and sensations were initially “stuck” together and the tension seemed very real. After some looking and resting, I got to see that the word is already resting, the image is already resting, and even the sensation is already resting.
When it seems to not be resting, it’s easy to get caught in that appearance. It’s easy to get caught in the apparent tension. When the parts are revealed as already resting, it’s easier to more consciously align with it. It’s easier to rest with it, since it’s already resting.
Note: In most cases the process is longer and a bit more involved than here. I shortened it a bit.