I could spend a few minutes a day being mindful — it works! No, it really does work. But mindfulness is every moment of the day, not a ten minute window into the practice of thoughtlessness. It's not elevated awareness, it's awareness at "sea-level". It blends with an experience and suggests a new outcome.
I am present in the moment, allowing myself to harmonize with internal and external situations. I Feel the alignment of intention, action and result to authentically share myself fully.
Do I meditate? If I imagine myself sitting in the lotus position — eyes closed, legs crossed, hands rested on your knees displaying the gyan mudrā, and trying to think of nothing — well that's one kind of meditation, but there is a lot more to it.
Consciousness is a kind of focus. A permeable membrane of attention through which aspects of reality and thought are free to move in and out. The mind is vast yet consciousness is small. Many things from the mind contribute to it at every moment. Memories, feelings, possessions, your relationships, what is currently happening around me — all are available through my mind and can inform my awareness at any moment. Yet not all of them are available at once. That orb of consciousness, that part of my focused attention can only hold so much. It is a small part of my overall awareness. The aspects of my mind that currently command my focus are what I am presently meditating upon.
The Deep Trance has many people looking but not seeing. When I focus on future or past expectations, I miss what's happening now. Any emotional side effects of those expectations will certainly keep me distant from what’s happening now for some time. It's easy to forget where I put my keys; if I’ve turned off the stove or locked the door. Routines and habits allow me to operate on autopilot. If I am perceiving through my imagination and not in the moment, how can an accurate memory be constructed?
The practice of feeling where I am is a path to being present. I feel where I am through all aspects of awareness. I can center myself and be present in my body if I can perceive the sensations I am feeling. If I put my attention on the time and space I am currently inhabiting, I can be here now. By focusing my attention upon this heightened awareness I can create an alignment between my mind, body and environment. I just relax into the rhythm of those moments. Continue to feel with my body, my weight, my posture my breathing. I bring into my attention what I feel with my mind, my beliefs, my ideals, my own emotions. I expand my awareness and perceive my relationship with the attitudes and perceptions of others around me. Then erase all expectations of what happens next. Connect with the unknown possibilities of being present. I am here now. With practice, I can stretch my awareness and bring that greater awareness to my attention. With a continuous presence here and now, I can attain a permanent mindfulness. But I cannot get there from not here.
All of life is a meditation, most of it unintentional. A lot of people spend most of their meditating on where their money is coming from and where it’s going to go, but that’s a level of meditation.
— Joseph Campbell
Those who are not present are seeing through their ego. Perceiving through their wants and expectations. This makes them combative; defensive, angry, fearful, resistant, and resentful. Whatever happens next is likely to not align with their static self. The ego makes them stuck; changeless, unbending, rigid and brittle. In this state of mind, they are easily broken. These qualities prevent them from harmonizing with forces beyond their control. They are prevented from aligning intention with action to achieve harmonious results.
Change can unsettle my presence in the moment, sending my attention wandering off to someplace other than my physical presence. To remain present in the face of this inevitable and constant change requires an adaptability. It requires feedback and control between my attention and awareness. When I become present in the moment — open to what comes next — my consciousness is aligned with my body and the environment.
I don't just inhabit this universe, I am inseparably a part of it. This universe is always transforming itself and driving its own alignment. Even in my own body, the universe controls these alignments for me! I just let it. Call it: Harmony. I confront The Default Action in myself and others with Authentic Action through harmoniously blending with and redirecting the unfolding situation.
Expectation gives me an idea what I believe should happen but does not prepare me to behave in harmony with what does happen. Operating from a place of alignment between attention and awareness, being mentally present in my physical presence amplifies my power. I can expend a lot of energy opposing The Resistance in myself and others for very little result. However, when I blend with The Resistance in the spirit of listening and learning, I can redirect it. I can lead and influence people to new and creative solutions. It is a kind of ephemeralization, doing more and more with less and less mental energy.
If we are careless or if mentally we are not present — we'll be indifferent to our impact on our environments and others. We won’t respect property, we won't respect rights of other people, we won't respect ourselves. We will live in a place that isn't worth caring about.
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