Observing Experience Is An Effort That Plants The Seeds Of Wisdom

From Rik Center:

In observing experience we notice both the physical and emotional aspects along with awareness of how our thoughts are processing the experience. Learning to observe the full brain/body experience we notice it leaves an impression on the mind of thoughts and the physiological body. 

Mindfulness meditation and somatic experiencing leave a trace, a residual effect of the experience we have just gone through. Something is happening physiologically and the mind of awareness is watching this. At first it maybe barely noticeable the trace it leaves within us, it’s very subtle. The more we experience something over and over we become aware internally how energies move within us, are in motion and change.

Repetition and observing the energies of sensations, recognizing how bodily feeling tones change will alter thought patterns of old conditioning because the mind can pick-up that something different is happening than what we’ve experienced in the past. We see the arising of the agitated body, which at some point moves to a more settling, calming, softening and cooling experience. The more we experience this shift, old patterns of fear, anger, ill-will and grief change. It’s life altering when the mind expands its ability to see and feel more than we had thought possible. 

We are developing new patterns that eventually are able to over-ride the old patterns. The new patterns of response become stronger. The mind begins to see it has a choice on how to respond to fear and anxiousness. If we become more curious about what’s possible we become less fearful of observing the body and all its ongoing physiological sensations. Whether it be comfort, discomfort or neutral. Our availability to stay present allows us to participate in the moment of experience and the response the mind chooses. We gain a self trust to be with discomforts which allows us to no longer shut down or pushing away. 

Through the practice of observing the somatic body with curiosity our nervous system expands its ability to hold comforts and discomfort which expands how we think and process. In recognizing we have choice a sense of safety is able to settle within us.

Bodily energies move, discharge, and unwind through various emotional sensations our whole lifetime. If we mindfully observe this natural biological process we come to realize we’ve passed through the inner storm without blowing up or dying. Meeting ourselves with kindness and compassion we find that energies eventually settle. Our ability to be with these experiences brings an empowerment where the mind can trust this organic body. That change, transition and growth are a natural part of our human experience.

Putting forth effort to observe and learn from experience we alter our thinking patterns. We move out of being trapped by old survival patterns and begin to see new possibilities. The mind and body are no longer owned by states of fight, fight and freeze/shutdown. Our sense of boundaries open and expand in how to move toward and away from various experiences. When we no longer fear discomfort we awaken to a knowing that all states of being move and flow from one state to another. This allows us to see thought patterns and habits that do not serve us so we are then able to cultivate the heart of goodness, kindness and the mind of wisdom.

When the mind of wisdom works in conjunction with the caring heart the world opens to us in a new way. We become aware of a mind that has judgments and yet we no longer feel the need to cling onto the judgments as ultimate truths. Experiencing life this way is quite different from allowing the nature of stressful experiences to loop the mind into a constant pattern of aversion, clinging and doubt. 

Mindfulness awareness practices allow for the noticing that life is experiential and that all experiences arise and change. 

We can choose to be an active participant of our life experiences versus living just as a respondent to life with no choice. May we all learn to ride the up and down waves of life and not be owned by them.