Observe their comings and goings. Neither refuse nor encourage them. Remain impersonally alert! Notice that they exist only because you are. Also, notice that there is a impersonal and clear-headed attention behind thoughts, not dependent on the presence or absence of agitated thoughts. Or, misguided labels of good and bad or positive and negative. This ultimate non-state is awareness itself – where perception does not go through the mind.
Agitated Thoughts!
by Keshav | Dec 30, 2020 | Community Insights | 13 comments
After reading everyone’s posts I am inspired to ask you to refer to me as White Bird. It resonates with me along with the song. It truly is an honor to share life with you in circle.
Betty, Joe, similar to what you’ve posted, I find powerlessness to be a gateway to peace and freedom.
Thanks, Joe. I think you said it perfectly.
After my session with Keshav yesterday I was inspired to sit with the fear I had expressed to him! I went into my meditation room and lit incense and a candle and welcomed the fear to teach me what I needed to learn. I sat with it for around 20 minutes. I didn’t get any mind blowing AHA’s but what I received was a welcoming of love and worthiness that showed up simply as peace. An unexplainable inner calm. Happy New Year all
Agitation has been one of my best teachers. I have reached points of suffering enough times to realize my peace simply requires my commitment to see everything as an opportunity to let go of my attachments. I have experienced instant relaxation during times of what feel like pure hell. This is evidence to me that freedom is at our core. I remember being told a long time ago that I can either go for the ride or get dragged. Either way I’ll reach my destination.
I find that agitation tends to mellow when I allow and embrace it. Then, it tends to relax in the knowing that it would not be so agitated, if it did not care so darn much. Circular logic is its undoing…
In spite of the fact that my worries seem to be justified, I have found I do not become agitated when I don’t take them personally. I can do or not do whatever I deem to be the best action or no-action (but not reaction) but remain at peace when I remember that good and bad are concepts, not truth. I do not have control and I am best off when going with the flow. If it is an issue that has to do with others, my acknowledging presence is an invitation to join me. Paddling is useless. Knowing this, I can ride with the current. I find with puzzle pieces or other things I may be searching for (remember, solve, etc.) that my trying to locate them creates an agitation that gets in the way of finding them. Once I The agitation (that I have created) is out of the way, leaving a clear connection to what is, feeling peace and seeing with “fresh eyes.”
Life's puzzle is simple when I exercise my right to take it in without a point of view, or goal. I love tearing down puzzles as soon as they come together. Hum…
Judging myself for walking away from a puzzle is a mind trap. I really try and avoid assigning a time limit on finishing one. I also find it helpful to recognize that every time I walk away from a puzzle (life or jig saw), the more I can benefit from a fresh start or perspective. On the other hand, there is always an opportunity to refocus attention on a new distraction tool.
I find puzzles to be a meditation tool, one of many conscious distractions as part of my medicine bag. On the other hand, there is also a knowing that the more tools in my bag, the less I tend fixate on one versus another.
Lastly, not to mistake the tools for what they point towards.
Ha Missy. I hear yA! I was defeated by the latest puzzle I had bought after I had gotten a bit more than the border done. I took it up to Keshav’s and let it go! It’s like -I don’t have to win every argument and it is enough just to know when to let go and let KEshav in this instance.
Ha! I actually lost my first try to submit here, perfect! I was writing about having recently told Keshav that I did get agitated doing my puzzle, I let it win, that’s the way I see it when it happens.. so when I went back later in the day, I started finding a few pieces then tried one piece off a chunk of the puzzle I had put together on the side and found where it went! But what had kept me from finding that earlier was an Imposter piece I had put in! It had kept me looking for a piece that did Not exist because once I removed that imposter, my Chunk of the puzzle had fit there instead. Yahoo!
The other brain teaser that got me riled was a Sudoku, same day, and I got so mad I threw it in recycling! It too had won, I could hear it laughing… soooo later I pulled that out too, and am back at it, doing what I can. That I still have not conquered, but the Puzzle was done! Now I’m going to the toy store for a new one, and maybe a beginner Sudoku book. Namaste!
The most helpful thing for me is the lack of an internal dialogue, and the presence of an almost ‘white noise’ hmmm. Also, a lot of things that might otherwise have elicited negative reactions become amusing.
What do you notice when you choose to remain impersonally alert!