Over the years Mystics have struggled to come up with the language to describe this ineffable thing (depth). So we get these jargon spiritual terms like being, or oneness, or awareness, or God, or the moment, or even emptiness.
- That isn’t happiness. Happiness is secondary. Happiness and fulfillment are the human responses to deepening in this way. (like gratitude, more peace, more meaning, more connectedness, more love)
- These qualities tend to increase, but they also tend to come and go, as all experiences come and go.
- What we are talking about is the space these qualities can spread into. It stabilizes people.
- “It has more to do with what we Are, than what we do.”
Meditation users report their baseline level of happiness and fulfillment just keeps increasing.
- What is actually happening is that that baseline is no longer entirely determined by those ups and downs.
- It is as though a third dimension has entered into experience.
- A depth dimension – one that extends out beyond our circumstances and conditions.
- A kind of invisible breath and volume
The real learning of meditation is how it affects you in the world
- See if you can explore bringing a attitude of relaxed enjoyment to any activity anytime
- walking, moving your hands, exercising, even laying down
Re-source: Retreat
It is nice to switch gears and get out of the daily grind
- They give us perspective on our lives
- The also lead to insights and breakthroughs
- Suddenly we really understand this thing we may have heard a hundred times before.
Whatever it is- acceptance, being in the moment, pattern of thinking or behavior – the teachings now make sense on a whole new level
- These insights ripple out into our lives and they boost our motivation to continue with practice.
craving and resource from “Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics” by Dan Harris and Jeff Warren