Why practice meditation? Meditation is about leaning into present moment experience with receptive attention and with a willingness to see clearly whatever we encounter, even when it feels scary or painful.
Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better, it’s about befriending who we are.
–Pema Chodron
We experience the present moment primarily through sensations in the body, feelings and thoughts. We often spend a great deal of time trying to escape difficult sensations, feelings and thoughts, because we don’t know how to skillfully cope with them. As we become more skilled with seeing ourselves clearly, turning toward our experience and learning to be present in the moment with whatever arises, we will learn that difficult experiences no longer have to feel so overwhelming and stressful.
We will learn that the time it takes to be present with difficult feelings and thoughts as they come and go like waves, rising, cresting and falling, is unbelievably brief compared to the hours and days that we spend trying to escape them. And we will see that the discomfort that we endure while being present with our difficult experiences is miniscule in comparison to the suffering that we had previously created in our attempt to escape them.
In turning toward whatever arises in the present moment, we meet what is here with acceptance. We approach it with kindness and compassion rather than resistance. This facilitates a greater sense of peace, happiness, wellbeing, and resilience. It facilitates a greater sense of kindness and compassion toward ourselves and others.
Jen Johnson is a mindfulness coach, teacher, and therapist teaching meditation for healing, creativity, and resilience. If you would like to learn more about meditation, register for the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction MBSR online course.