Bear this in mind when meditating. With unpleasant or painful mental feeling, the tendency is to contract. Try opening up instead. It stops the cycle of agitation and resistance that keeps the pain there. Use the body to do this, as a source of strength and energy to stop the mind spinning out into story. In order to withdraw and stand back, we must have a place to stand back into. That’s what the body is for.
This new version of the acronym RAIN is a powerful way of bringing compassion to the life within you, and to attuning and deepening compassion for others.
The practice of recollection involves picking up a particular line of thought that triggers a particular mood or realization. Just saying ‘stop thinking’ or ‘don’t worry’ won’t work to calm and steady the mind. Those are commands. Through recollection the mind can find a degree of stability and comfort, providing refuge under unpleasant and uncomfortable conditions.
Viveka, stepping back, is about adjusting attention and energizing in a different way. Morning chanting, for example, is a beautiful way to bring up energy. It’s not about doing or making something happen. Rather, it’s very much towards stillness. Most cittas will benefit from the inner stability of the body, where the nervous system is awake but not firing, stirring, agitated.
An essential element of mindfulness practice is to cultivate a willingness to be with our experience just as it is. Consciously cultivating qualities of deep-rooted acceptance, kindness, and interest in our experience supports freeing our minds and opening our hearts.
