28 Days of Abstinence - Day 9 - It's About Freedom

My sister, feeling FREE!
"Freedom is about cutting off and eliminating a rigid persistence of basic needs. If you are hungry, you want food; if you are cold, you want clothing; if you are sick, you need your mother's and father's love. As you grow older, these many needs accumulate in the heart and mind to trigger emotions, creating every kind of possible sorrow. Freedom is about letting go of all of these attachments, all of these figments of the mind." --Nassim Assefi, “Aria”

Wow! I LOVE this quote so much. It pretty much sums up why I began my spiritual journey in the first place - to find FREEDOM. From my Ego, from my many wants and desires, from my resistance to what is, and from the sorrow I cause myself and others because of these "figments of the mind."

It is also a powerful quote for us to contemplate this week as things may start to get a bit more squiggly and difficult in our abstinence practice. When you deny yourself the thing you are abstaining from how do you feel? What emotions come up? Where in your body are these feelings located?

I would like to suggest you add-in the following meditation this week in order to strengthen your practice of abstinence and stay on course. Try and practice this meditation for at least ten minutes a day, more if you are an experienced meditator:

Sit in a comfortable meditation position, either with your legs crossed, or upright in a chair with your feet on the floor, or even lying flat on your back with your legs stretched out in front of you and your arms at your sides (corpse pose). Take three deep breaths.
Starting at your feet, feel into each part of your body, taking stock and noticing what you feel. Don't make judgements about what you find, or allow worries or thoughts to take over, simply observe. 
Keep breathing as you move up your body. 
If you come to any areas that you cannot feel, or if there is a sensation that makes you curious or uncomfortable, stop in that place and observe for a few additional moments. 
Ask questions, if you would like: What is this? Where did it come from? What is it trying to tell me? 
Work your way up your body to the top of your head and then see if you can feel your entire body all at once. Take one more deep breath and then end your meditation. Or continue to sit for as long as you would like. 

Whenever you feel temptation or any sensation related to abstaining this week, ask these same questions: What is this? Where did it come from? What is it trying to tell me?

Comments

  1. As an end-of-life midwife, I love the idea of using the CORPSE POSE to help find more freedom. Perfect!

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