Finding Motivation
Issue #40
Hello,
Welcome to the 40th edition of Being Present. I hope you find it useful.
Housekeeping
I recently came across research which suggests that meditation can have negative effects on people—ranging from hallucinations to a loss of agency. While most people, including myself, experience positive changes in their life from meditation, there is a subset of people who have had such negative experiences.
If you experience any of these symptoms, you might want to reduce the amount you meditate or potentially quit meditating altogether, depending on the severity.
Stay safe everyone.
Quotes
“Sitting for just a few minutes of meditation is an oasis of calm and relaxation that we rarely find in our lives these days. And that, in itself, is enough.” — Leo Babauta.
“Remember the blue sky. It may at times be obscured by clouds, but it is always there.” — Andy Puddicombe.
Insight: Finding Motivation
We might experience moments of peace while meditating. Thoughts fade into the background. We momentarily cease identifying with our narratives and stories. When these subside, what remains is stillness, quietness, and clarity.
While these moments may be transient, they show that meditation might just be worthwhile. We might even think, “Ok—maybe Fola wasn’t making this up.” From here, we need only practice with consistency and depth for these moments to become our default experience. But consistency and depth might be hard to come by.
In the painting above (“Soria Moria” by Theodor Kittelsen), a man sees what is meant to be the top of a castle—and while the path to the castle is unclear, he is motivated by focusing on the light it radiates. In Norwegian Folklore, the painting represents the unclear and solitary path towards perfect happiness.
I think the top of the castle can also represent the moments of peace which similarly motivate us to continue with our practice—even when we do not feel like meditating. In fact, the ‘top of the castle’ can be anything: Less reactivity, less neuroticism, more patience, etc. Whatever it is, we know what we have experienced (or are experiencing), and this is enough to keep us going when the going gets tough.
Going Deeper
In this month’s longer post, I talk about practicing with ‘kōans’ which originate from Zen Buddhism. For some context, kōans have been described as “…unsolvable enigmas designed to break your brain.”
“Kōans…can trigger an unexplainable openness to experience. An unshakable presence, an awakening to the present moment. A feeling of spaciousness, a sense of expansiveness. A subtle stillness which permeates and invades all experience.”
I hope you enjoy reading it.
Overcome These Five Common Obstacles to Meditation — Bob Stahl & Steve Flowers
“Sometimes the metaphor of a clear pond is helpful in understanding how to work with…hindrances, as each hindrance obscures your ability to clearly see the beautiful pebbles at the bottom of the pond.”
Please feel free to share Being Present with people who might find it useful and interesting. You can also check out @beingpresent.ig on Instagram!
As always, thank you for reading :-)