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The only way out is through.... |
| July, 2006 |
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The world inside us is a vast territory that meditators explore to understand the nature of being itself. To make it easier to navigate this world, Shinzen Young suggests we focus our awareness on three locations:
The front of the body – this is where most people experience sensations that come with emotions such as sadness or joy. We call this location Feel. Sadness, for instance, can come with a teary sensation around the eyes, and joy can come with an elation that swells in the chest or inhabits the whole body.
The screen on the inside of our closed eyelids – this is where we see the images we have in daydreams and with thoughts. We call this location Image. To understand what this is, open your eyes and look at your hands. Then close your eyes and try to catch the after-image of your hands on the screen in front of your closed eyelids.
Somewhere between our two ears and the back of the head – this is where most of us hear our thoughts. We call this location Internal talk. To understand what this is, say your name out loud and then listen for the echo inside your head.
One way to meditate is to bring sustained awareness to Feel
space. Do the same with Image space and with Internal Talk space,
all the while staying alert for insights that may arise.
