Day 12: Even-Mindedness

Welcome to 40 Days of Mindfulness and Compassion Day 1

 

Lecture 

We have seen that our experiences have a certain “charge to them.”  There are raw sensory experiences, but they are quickly altered by our reactions to them. We are, then, largely experiencing the world through filters provided by our emotions and habitual reactions. This can result in unevenness in our state of mind. Our moods may go up and down quickly. Our minds may be quickly overcome by powerful emotions. And, we may act with unclear or unidentified motivations.

The more that we can identify what is going on internally, the more autonomy that we can have. This contributes greatly to our overall emotional balance. So, mindfulness practice is not just about reducing stress, but involves self-knowledge in the service of healthier functioning.  Developing evenness of mind is very important and has many applications and benefits.

Recently I was teaching my first course in Mindfulness Based Emotional Balance. When I teach a contemplative program, I try to immerse myself as deeply as possible in the program’s curriculum. So, at this time, I was working a lot every day with formal and informal practices similar to the ones that we have been doing here. I was at a gym that I frequent regularly on a treadmill. I have a set routine that I do pretty much every time and I really love this hour. I put on headphones and tune the world out and listen or watch something that is meaningful to me while I exercise.

However, on this particular day, I suddenly noticed that I was very upset. The person exercising next to me was laughing loudly at something he was watching. This laughter was loud enough to easily overpower the sound coming from my headphones. I noticed that I was upset and then noticed kept getting more and more upset as he continued this. There would be short periods of silence punctuated by laughter. I decided to look at my thoughts. I was having thoughts such as “This *%**% sure is annoying,” and “That’s what is wrong with this country. People are just too selfish and inconsiderate of others.” This was a very big clue to me as to how angry I was and how I was unconsciously generalizing an interpretation of the greater world based on my current annoyance.

I decided that to the best of my ability I would use this situation as a laboratory. Immediately, the anger softened as I took a curious attitude. I was then able to get pretty grounded and then suddenly he laughed again and I could instantly feel a spark of repulsion that begin to blossom into something bigger. Repeatedly, I would settle myself again and then experience these sparks of anger arising. However, the difference in these instances and my initial instance was that they were occurring at least partly in my awareness and then fizzled out rather quickly.

This example, on the surface, may seem quite meaningless. However, this rather harmless situation displayed to me rather quickly how instantaneously raw experiences spark an unconscious reaction that then take on lives of their own. I was fortunate to be in this “laboratory” situation. But we are having these sorts of unconscious (or maybe pre-conscious) reactions all the time in the daily world, resulting into our raw experiences being filtered through whatever filter we are wearing at the time. Mindfulness can help us, bit by bit, to be aware of such processes.

 

Meditation Tips

 Meditation Tip #14: You are not your thoughts. If overcome or identifying very strongly with thought when meditating, one approach is to realize that this is happening and recite silently “these are just  thoughts. I am not my thoughts.” Then breath out spaciousness and come back to the practice.

 

 Meditation

 Day 12: Even-mindedness

 

 

Self-Reflective Activity

 Try to pause periodically throughout the day during your daily activities, or when you notice that you are “stressed.” Just pause and breathe for a bit, then very gently look at your current experience. Ask yourself: “What is my experience right now? Then quietly note what the experience is and recite silently “This is a moment of worry. Worry is a human experience. Now back to the task at hand.” (Substitute any label that occurs for worry). Get grounded in your breathing for a few moments then return to your daily activities.

 

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