Not Just “Watching”
Meditators are often instructed to “watch” or “observe” their breath….or emotions, body sensations, mental states, etc. But using a visual metaphor for mental investigation can have an unconscious effect on the type of attention we bring to our meditation object. When we are “sniffing things out,” for example, there’s a very different feel than when we are “looking at” something. And the same goes for “listening to,” “tasting,” and “touching.
This was brought very beautifully to my attention last night as I listened to a wonderful little talk by Akincano (who has recently become of one my all-time favorites on DharmaSeed). In this talk — which is only 26 minutes long — he also gives three very helpful ways to approach an intimate investigation into our thoughts, emotions and other mind-states (cittanupassana). Click here to listen.