I started doing yoga about four years ago, mainly because I wanted to get in shape and regain the flexibility that I once had when I was a dancer. While I have been quite successful at learning to contort my body into seemingly impossible pretzel-like poses, there is still one pose that I struggle with consistently -- the final resting meditation.
If you have ever tried meditation, you know the drill, get into a comfortable position, close your eyes, breath deeply, and clear your mind. Simple enough, right?
Well, maybe the sitting still and breathing part, but if you are at all like me, turning off your thoughts is a near impossible task. As soon as my body is still, my mind makes up for my body's lack of movement by racing through thoughts a mile a minute. This rapid succession of thoughts is amplified as soon as I actively TRY to think about nothing. The more I try to stop my mind from thinking, the more my mind thinks. I'm sure you can relate to this. It's like when someone tells you to NOT think about a purple elephant and the first thing that pops into your head is an image of a purple elephant.
Beyond meditation practice, staying present is a constant struggle for me in my everyday life. Like most people, I am addicted to thought. I over-analyze, over-think and obsess constantly about everything, from work and relationships to past regrets and future plans. I attach to these objects of thought and allow them to consume my awareness, leaving no room for my mind to be present in the moment.
When I am conscious of a particular thought and attach to the object of the thought, I become distracted from the present moment. As long as I attach myself to the thoughts that pass through my mind, I can never be fully present in the moment. Presence is not something that is achieved through conscious manipulation of thought.
Alan Watts makes a great analogy to illustrate the conscious effort of being present:
“The more we try to catch hold of the present moment the more elusive it becomes. It is like trying to clutch water in ones hands. The harder we grip, the more it slips through our fingers." -- Alan Watts
The key to being present is not to cease thought entirely, but, instead, to be aware of the mind's process of thought but detached from the objects of thought. Our mind must contain our thought objects like a vessel contains water, allowing them to flow freely. We must become an observer of our active mind, watching as each object passes by, aware of there presence but holding on to none.
So, the next time you meditate, pay close attention to your wandering mind and the trails of thoughts that pass by. Be aware of these thoughts, but do not allow yourself to become attached to them. Notice as they arise and then let them float on by. Through this awareness and detachment, you open yourself up to the moment.
Showing posts with label philosophy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label philosophy. Show all posts
9.7.09
30.6.09
What's in a name?
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon
I never intended to start a blog and never write on it. Sometimes, no matter how sincere the intent, life just gets in the way, and before you know it, it’s been close to a year and the blog still consist of one lonely entry.
And then sometimes, you get laid off and need something to occupy the time between collecting unemployment checks and searching for jobs in a recessed economy. (Okay, maybe that’s just me..)
Needless to say, here I am, again, eight months later with the same intent, to actually write on this blog on a regular basis. With all of the free time I have as of late, it seems silly for me to NOT write here regularly, so I am making the commitment now. I’m putting it out there, so now I have to be held accountable.
So, with that said, let’s get back to the title of this blog…what’s in a name?…specifically, what is the significance of the name of this blog, Insignificant Preambles. The title comes from a line from Dazed and Confused, a film by one of my favorite directors and fellow Texan, Richard Linklater.
“I'd like to quit thinking of the present, like right now, as some minor insignificant preamble to something else.” – Cynthia
Most of us move through each moment of our lives without ever really being present. Life moves past us, moment by moment, as we remain focused on some moment in the future vastly more important than the one we are living in now. The present moment then becomes a mere prelude to what is to come, our destination. Be it money, power, career success, the destination that we are headed becomes out singular line of focus and all else becomes blurred as we race to the finish line.
The unfortunate truth in this way of life is that the destination is never as satisfactory as it is anticipated to be, so once it is reached, it is replaced by another, more distant goal and the cycle repeats itself. There is always some target in sight and the rest of life is aligned with reaching the end. What these people fail to see, is that life is not about getting to some ultimate end. No, life is a journey and must be lived in each moment. Becoming present in the current moment and living within it is what, in the end, leads to contentment.
Soon, one realizes that what they thought were minor insignificant preambles to their life story are, in fact, not minor at all, but profoundly important. It also becomes apparent that these fleeting moments are not mere introductions to our life story; they are the story, the bricks that build who we are.
One of my favorite philosophers of the twentieth century, Alan Watts, illustrates this perfectly in his comparison of life to music…
“No one imagines that a symphony is supposed to improve in quality as it goes along, or that the whole object of playing it is to reach the finale. The point of music is discovered in every moment of playing and listening to it. It is the same, I feel, with the greater part of our lives, and if we are unduly absorbed in improving them we may forget altogether to live them.”
Thus, the birth of this blog…a place for me to post about the random, seemingly unimportant matters of my life that I feel like sharing. Do with it as you will…if you enjoy it, I hope that it brings inspiration and entertainment into your life, if not, move on and find something that you are more passionate about. Remember life is about the journey and not the destination. Life is happening all around you. Take a break from the race to stroll through the forest. Exist in the moment, for this moment is all that exists
I never intended to start a blog and never write on it. Sometimes, no matter how sincere the intent, life just gets in the way, and before you know it, it’s been close to a year and the blog still consist of one lonely entry.
And then sometimes, you get laid off and need something to occupy the time between collecting unemployment checks and searching for jobs in a recessed economy. (Okay, maybe that’s just me..)
Needless to say, here I am, again, eight months later with the same intent, to actually write on this blog on a regular basis. With all of the free time I have as of late, it seems silly for me to NOT write here regularly, so I am making the commitment now. I’m putting it out there, so now I have to be held accountable.
So, with that said, let’s get back to the title of this blog…what’s in a name?…specifically, what is the significance of the name of this blog, Insignificant Preambles. The title comes from a line from Dazed and Confused, a film by one of my favorite directors and fellow Texan, Richard Linklater.
“I'd like to quit thinking of the present, like right now, as some minor insignificant preamble to something else.” – Cynthia
Most of us move through each moment of our lives without ever really being present. Life moves past us, moment by moment, as we remain focused on some moment in the future vastly more important than the one we are living in now. The present moment then becomes a mere prelude to what is to come, our destination. Be it money, power, career success, the destination that we are headed becomes out singular line of focus and all else becomes blurred as we race to the finish line.
The unfortunate truth in this way of life is that the destination is never as satisfactory as it is anticipated to be, so once it is reached, it is replaced by another, more distant goal and the cycle repeats itself. There is always some target in sight and the rest of life is aligned with reaching the end. What these people fail to see, is that life is not about getting to some ultimate end. No, life is a journey and must be lived in each moment. Becoming present in the current moment and living within it is what, in the end, leads to contentment.
Soon, one realizes that what they thought were minor insignificant preambles to their life story are, in fact, not minor at all, but profoundly important. It also becomes apparent that these fleeting moments are not mere introductions to our life story; they are the story, the bricks that build who we are.
One of my favorite philosophers of the twentieth century, Alan Watts, illustrates this perfectly in his comparison of life to music…
“No one imagines that a symphony is supposed to improve in quality as it goes along, or that the whole object of playing it is to reach the finale. The point of music is discovered in every moment of playing and listening to it. It is the same, I feel, with the greater part of our lives, and if we are unduly absorbed in improving them we may forget altogether to live them.”
Thus, the birth of this blog…a place for me to post about the random, seemingly unimportant matters of my life that I feel like sharing. Do with it as you will…if you enjoy it, I hope that it brings inspiration and entertainment into your life, if not, move on and find something that you are more passionate about. Remember life is about the journey and not the destination. Life is happening all around you. Take a break from the race to stroll through the forest. Exist in the moment, for this moment is all that exists
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
