This is a daily exploration for me, so I keep returning to it in writing too.
Sensations don’t mean anything. They are just sensations.
If it seems they mean something, it’s because associated images and words seem “stuck” on the sensations. That makes some sensations seem uncomfortable or scary, so we often turn away from them. We learned to do it in our innocence, since that’s what we saw others do. It’s uncomfortable to turn away, and the uncomfortable sensations tend to return.
So why not try something radical? Why not see what happens when I turn towards it?
I can explore this in different ways:
Rest with what’s here. Rest with the sensations. Notice. Allow. (This in itself can be a relief, but the connection between the sensations and the stories about them may still be there maintaining the appearance of discomfort or threat.)
What is it that I don’t want to feel right now? Feel that. (Same caveat.)
Where is the threat in feeling it? Look at the images, words, sensations that come up. Look at each one. Is it a threat? Sift through the images, words, sensations, look for an actual threat.
Feel the sensations. Look at the images, words and other sensations that come up associated with this sensation. Can I find a threat? Can I find X? (Whatever appears to be there, for instance tension, a deficient self, a scary future.)
What do the sensations mean? Look at the words. Are they a threat?
What would the sensations say if they could speak? Look at those words. Are they a threat?
What do the sensations want from me?
What would satisfy the sensations forever? (Can I give it to them? How is it to give it to them?)
As mentioned above, it may be a relief to rest with the sensations and the images and words that may be there. But the “velcro” tying the sensations together with certain images and words may still be there. That’s where inquiry can be helpful. It can help loosen the velcro, allowing us to see the sensations as sensations. This makes it much easier to rest with them, feel them as sensations without any inherent meaning, and notice and allow.
And if I rest with the sensations, and notice some additional or remaining meaning in the sensations, which may well happen, I can take that to inquiry.
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Initial notes…..
– sensations
– what does it mean?
– if doesn’t mean anything, is no problem – is just a sensation
– it’s the meaning we add to it that makes it seem a certain way, feel uncomfortable, scary etc.
– what would it say?
– what images/words come up? (when you feel it, look at it)
–
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I keep coming back to this too, perhaps because it’s a daily exploration for me.
Sensations don’t mean anything. They are just sensations.
………..
Initial draft….
This is a daily exploration for me, so I keep returning to it in writing too.
Sensations don’t mean anything. They are just sensations.
If it seems they mean something, it’s because associated images and words seem “stuck” on the sensations. That may make them seem uncomfortable or even scary, or pointing to something scary. The typical response is turn away from these sensations. It may work for a while, but they tend to come back.
So what to do?
Why not try the opposite? Why not see what happens when I turn towards it?
I can explore that in different ways:
What is it that I don’t want to feel right now? Feel that.
Where is the threat in feeling it? Look at the images, words, sensations that come up. Is it the threat?
Feel the sensations. Look at the images, words and other sensations that come up. Can I find a threat? Can I find X? (Tension, deficient self etc.)
What do the sensations mean? What would they say if they could speak? Look at the words. Are they a threat?
What do the sensations want from me? What would satisfy them forever? (How is it to give it to them?)