Acceptance is First Cultivated Within Us.
All of the formal meditation techniques covered so far entail focusing attention on certain physiological sensations and monitoring the contents of the mind without attempting to modify them.
They are geared on promoting present-moment awareness and acceptance. Acceptance is sometimes the most difficult aspect of these techniques.
Our brains may be harshly critical, accusing us of not paying attention, thinking too much, or experiencing something we shouldn't.
Judgement Meditation
- Doing a few minutes of "judgment" meditation at work is a funny way to see this: Meditation on Judgment.
- This one normally just takes 10–15 minutes to get the information across.
- For a minute or two, sit as you would for breath meditation and follow your breath.
- Then start paying attention to your thoughts. When a judgment comes up, discreetly name it as "judging."
- Many people become aware of an inner stream that runs something like this: “Hmm, I'm doing really well.”
- So yet, no conclusions have been reached.
- Making a decision, thus judgment.
- Oh no. I should've seen I wasn't going to be very good at this.
- Making a decision to judge again.
- Okay, I understand. None of that is true.
- I'll just pay attention to my breathing.
- Ascending, descending, ascending, ascending, ascending, ascending, That's a lot better. Making a judgement.
- I'm damned if I'm not always harsh. “I am judging.”
- Return your focus back to your breath each time you label a judgmental though.
Loving-kindness meditation is an old technique for dealing with our harsh or judgmental inclinations.
It may take various forms, all aimed at softening our hearts and assisting us in being more tolerant of ourselves and others, a process known as "affectionate awareness."
Compassion and mindfulness are described as two wings of a bird in ancient meditation writings, underlining the importance of having an open heart in order to have open eyes.
- Loving-kindness meditation promotes clear vision by reinforcing the goal to be welcoming and compassionate, rather than masking our true feelings with false positive ones.
- The overriding rule for all mindfulness activities is to notice and accept whatever is truly happening in the moment.
- The most basic loving-kindness meditation practice is quietly repeating evocative sentences to generate feelings of compassion.
- Starting with a period of concentration meditation, perhaps paying attention to our breath or performing some slow walking exercise, is typically the best way to go.
- After the mind has calmed down a bit, we strive to produce acceptance and compassion.
- This works best when we start with ourselves; other times, it works better when we start with others.
- It doesn't matter what terms we choose; you may use whatever terms suit your cultural background and personal preferences.
It's advisable to practice this meditation for at least 10 minutes to have a feel for it. If you have the time right now, start with a period of concentration exercise, then read and attempt these instructions.
You may also want to read more about Mindfulness Meditation here.