Beyond The Meditation Cushion

2

Beyond the Meditation Cushion:

A Woman’s Guide for Taking Her Spirituality into the World

by

Krista Jones

and

Isabel Viana

3

Copyright © 2008 by Definitive Purpose, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced

or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and

retrieval system, without permission

in writing from the publisher.

Published by:

Definitive Purpose, LLC

3550 Centerville Highway Suite 107-156

Snellville, GA 30039

website: www.yourouterpurpose.com

e-mail: [e-mail]

4

5

_______________________________________________

“Oh, the glory of growth, silent, mighty, persistent, inevitable.

To awaken, to open up like a flower to the

light of fuller consciousness.”

--Emily Carr

________________________________________________

6

Chapter 3: Experience Self-Discovery as a Joyous Process

In a radio interview, the Dalai Lama once said that, in Buddhism, the emphasis is on

objective investigation of the mind, what he terms “analytical meditation.” If, through

one’s examination, one concludes the truth to be different from what the Buddha taught,

she’s free to go against his words and to agree with the knowledge her experience gives

her.

Buddha himself urged us to develop our own verified faith and not to simply take his

words as truth.

The notion of self-investigation isn’t restricted to Buddhism. Greek philosopher Socrates

is often quoted as having said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

In order to develop your spirituality, regardless of your religious beliefs, you need to be

willing to sit with your experiences and to investigate where they come from and where

they lead.

!"#$%&'()*+,-*.-/0"-12.*.-$3+-!4*+*/)2#-5+36/0-

As you may have already figured out, there’s no one correct formula to follow as you

learn about yourself. A quiet, contemplative attitude can allow you to observe your

thoughts and emotions and their effect on how you meet the world.

But this doesn’t mean you can’t practice mindfulness in your noisy and distracting dayto-

day life. After all, that’s how you can put your spirituality to good use.

One good inquiry practice is to notice how your body reacts to each thought you have.

Let’s say, you just remembered your mother criticizing your new hairdo. Instead of

7

getting lost in the story of how cruel your mother can be, find out what sensation the

thought brings up. It could be anger, embarrassment, abandonment, or frustration.

Once you’ve identified the emotion, search in your body to see where you feel it. It could

be in your tight shoulders, your burning stomach, or your aching head. Stay there and

touch it with your breath. Let the feeling exist without any story attached to it. Do

nothing to push the feeling away. Let it arise and pass.

It is often difficult to stay neutral when something triggers deep emotions, especially

those we identify as negative, such as anger, hatred, or sadness. When our emotions are

so strong that we can’t keep from overreacting to them, it’s necessary to seek

professional help. Sometimes, as with some of our physical ailments, we need expert

assistance to heal emotionally. Only with healing can we begin to see who we truly are.

You can go even farther into your investigation by eventually figuring out why you got

triggered when your mother criticized your looks. By making a connection between the

past and present, you notice you’re upset about a time that no longer exists.

Our minds have a way of holding on to past grudges and old pain as if our lives depended

on them. Holding on to painful memories can keep us stuck and prevent us from finding

the joy and gifts that the present moment brings.

As a final note on self-inquiry, remember that one emotion doesn’t annul another. You

can feel sad because your lover left you, and, at the same time, feel happy when you play

with your children or close a great business deal.

The real gift that comes from self-inquiry is acceptance of your current circumstance.

You learn to trust that the experiences the universe provides you come with the potential

for you to evolve.

-