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The only way out is through.... |
| January, 2006 |
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When people start to meditate they’re likely to believe they will get rid of whatever bothers them, be it an addiction, physical pain, chronic anger or panic reactions. Eventually that can happen, but not for a long time.
Meditation isn’t about trying to get rid of anything; it’s about attending to what is happening to you moment by moment. That may sound like a trivial thing to do. But it’s actually very powerful.
Let’s say, for instance, that you’re angry with your child. Whether you push that anger away and try to forget it, or pull it toward you and identify with it, you’re feeding it with your attention. This usually results in even more anger – or quiet resentment. If, instead, you meditate on your anger, and so learn how to watch it moment by moment, it’s likely you will possess the anger rather than being possessed by it. Then you can choose how, when, where, or whether to express it. Along with that choice comes the taste of freedom.
