Raga-Dvesha is translated as like-dislike or attraction-repulsion or love-hatred.
Raga (attraction), Dvesha (repulsion) and Tatastha Vritti (indifference) are the three important modifications of the mind (Vrittis).
Raga and Dvesha (like and dislike or love and hatred or attraction and repulsion) are the two currents in the mind which bind a man to the Samsaric wheel of birth and death.
Raga and Dvesha are the two Doshas or faults in the mind that have brought you to this world. Bondage. (Svarupa of Bandha) is Raga and Dvesha. The Svarupa of Ajnana is Raga and Dvesha. All the emotions come under the category of Raga-Dvesha. These two currents are the Dharma (characteristics) of the mind and not of the spirit.
Pleasure and pain, exhilaration and depression (Harsha and Soka), are due to Raga-Dvesha.
If Raga and Dvesha vanish from the mind, Harsha-Soka also will disappear.
It is desire that sets the mind in motion. When there is a desire, Raga and Dvesha (like and dislike or love and hatred or attraction and repulsion) exist side by side in the mind. Desire is a motive force. Emotions and impulses co-exist with desire.
Whenever there is pleasure and Raga, there exist side by side fear and anger. Anger is only a modification of desire. Fear and anger are two old associates of pleasure and Raga.Fear and anger are hidden in Raga. They constantly torment the mind.
Fear is hidden in Raga. When you have got Raga for body, fear of death comes in. When you have Raga for money, there is fear of losing money, as money is the means of getting objects of enjoyment. When you have Raga for a woman, you always take care in protecting her. Fear is a very old, intimate friend of Raga.
From ignorance (Avidya) emanates non-discrimination (Aviveka).
From non-discrimination (Aviveka) originates Ego (Ahankara) and clinging or identification with the body.(Abhimana). F
rom Abhimana emanates Attraction-Repulsion (Raga-Dvesha).
From Raga-Dvesha comes action ( Karma).
From Karma comes the body. From body comes misery.
This is the chain of bondage and misery with seven links.
If you do not want misery, do not take up the body.
If you do not want body, do not do (actions) Karma.
If you do not want to do Karma, give up attraction-repulsion (Raga-Dvesha).
If you want to give up Raga-Dvesha, give up attachment to the body (Abhimana).
If you want to give up Abhimana, give up non-discrimination ( Aviveka). If you want to give up Aviveka, give up ignorance (Avidya). If you do not want ignorance, get Brahma-Jnana.
This Samsara or world process is kept up by the six-spoked wheel, viz., Attraction ( Raga), Repulsion (Dvesha), merit, demerit, pleasure and pain.
If the root cause, the original Avidya, is destroyed byattainment of knowledge of Brahman (Brahma-Jnana), the whole chain of Abhimana, Raga, Dvesha, Karma, body, merit and demerit, pleasure and pain will vanish.
One link hangs upon another. All the linkswill be broken totally on the advent of Jnana. Sruti says: "Liberation comes from knowledge of Brahman (Rite Jnananna muktih)"
When we set conditions for our security, happiness, peace, love and fulfillment (i.e., feeling secure, peaceful, fulfilled, loved and happy when....), then we attach and enslave ourselves to those conditions (objects, things, people or situations) through which we believe we will obtain them (happiness, love, peace, fulfillment, peace, fulfillment). We actually attach to and enslave ourselves to our thoughts, beliefs and feelings about them.
And what does it mean that we are attached and enslaved? That we live in the company of fear and anger, frustration and sadness.
Lower emotions are children of desire. Attachment, fear, anger, exhilaration, grief or depression, pleasure and pain, ike dislike, attraction-repulsion, love-hatred, jealousy, greed, vanity, pride all are children of desire.
However, desire is the essential nature of Ego. Hence, all lower emotions are only an expression of the desirous Ego..
Follows extract of Swami Sivananda
Emotions and impulses co-exist with desire.
Desire is a motive force. It is desire that sets the mind in motion.
Emotions are desires which are penetrated by the thought element.
In other words, emotion is desire mingled with thought.
The vibrations of emotions will arouse corresponding excitement in purely mental matter and all the man’s thoughts will be disturbed and distorted.
When there is a desire, Raga and Dvesha (like and dislike or love and hatred or attraction and repulsion) exist side by side in the mind.
It is a symptom of weakness to have emotions in the mind. They should be controlled bythe intellect and the will.
https://www.dlshq.org/download/mind-its-mysteries-and-control/#_VPID_25
by Swami Sivananda
There are five means by which perfect tranquillity or emancipation can be attained. These form the highest happiness.
They are:
1. Satsanga or association with the wise,
2. discrimination between the real and the unreal,
3. dispassion,
4. enquiry of 'Who am I?' and
5. meditation.
These are called Heaven. These are religion. These form the highest happiness.
- Swami Sivananda
What Is Desire?
Desire is a mode of the emotive mind. It has got a power of externalising the mind. Desire is the fuel; thought is the fire. The thought-fire is kept up by the desire-fuel. If you withdraw the supply of fuel, the fire will be withdrawn into its womb. If you stop thinking by cutting off desires, the mind will be withdrawn into Brahman.
It is only when the mind, being divested of all its desires, is indifferent to pleasures and pains and is not attracted by any object that it will be rendered pure, free from the grip of the great delusion like a bird freed from its cage and roaming freely in the Akasa.
Desire, thought and Ahankara form one vicious circle. If you can destroy any one of them, the other two will die by themselves. These are the three pillars or corner-stones of the edifice of mind. They are the three links of the mind-chain. Destroy any one of the links; the whole chain will be broken.
Why Do Desires Arise?
Why do desires arise in the mind? On account of Ananda-Abhava (absence of Ananda or spiritual bliss). The cause for desire is the existence of objects outside. Curiosity becomes a desire in the mind. Interest and feeling precede a desire. Hope and expectation fatten the desire.
Vikshepa-the Very Nature Of Mind
Just as heat is inseparable from fire, Vikshepa or the tossing of the mind is inseparable from the mind. It troubles the Sadhakas a lot. It destroys all of a sudden the determinations of strong-willed persons also. The mind ceases to exist if it is destitute of this oscillation. This fluctuating mind alone creates the universe. Even Mala (impurity) can be removed easily. It demands strenuous efforts for a protracted time on the part of the Sadhaka to remove this Vikshepa. The undaunted Uddalaka suffered a lot from this distracting Vikshepa when he tried to enter into Nirvikalpa state. Raja Bhartrihari underwent the same difficulty when he tried to overcome this troublesome fluctuating Sakti of the mind. Vikshepa is Maya. Vikshepa is impure Vasana (Asuddha Vasana). You will have to destroy this Vikshepasakti by constant Upasana or Yoga or ceaseless Atmic enquiry (Brahmavichara). Then, peace (Santi) will come by itself.
Types Of Desire
Desire in the mind is the real impurity. Sexual desire, vulgar attraction for the opposite sex, is the greatest impurity. This causes the real bondage. You can even give up wife, children and wealth. But, it is extremely difficult to give up ambition, name and fame. Ambition is a serious obstacle in the path of Yoga. This is the most powerful weapon of Maya with which she slaughters worldly-minded persons. Even if there is a tinge of desire for name and fame, Truth will not manifest. Truth will shine by Itself. It does not need any pompous advertisement. It is the very Self of all beings and objects.
Anirbuddha Or Subtle, Hidden Desires
Even after you have renounced all the desires, there may remain in the mind some subtle, hidden desires (Sukshma, Anirbuddha) that cannot be comprehended. These are very dangerous ones. Therefore, you will have to be very, very careful. The lurking under-currents of desires will throw you down at any moment if you are not very vigilant and cautious, will destroy your Vairagya (dispassion) and will bring about your downfall eventually. I have witnessed many Yogabhrashtas who had fallen from Yoga owing to the overpowering influence of these subtle, hidden desires. So long as you have these subtle, hidden, Anirbuddha (unnoticeable) desires in your mind, you can never dream of entering into the Nirvikalpa state without any modification of the mind. You can never develop real Paravairagya (supreme non-attachment and dispassion) also.
Craving Or Trishna
You may become old, your hairs may turn grey, but your mind is ever young. The capacity may vanish, but the craving remains even when you have reached advanced senility. Cravings (Trishna) are the real seeds of birth. These craving-seeds give rise to Sankalpa and action. The wheel of Samsara is kept revolving by these cravings. Nip them in the bud. Then only will you be safe. You will get Moksha. Brahma-Bhavana, Brahma-Chintana, meditation on OM and devotion will root out these craving-seeds which are laid deep. You will have to dig them out properly in various corners and burn them beyond resurrection. Then only will your efforts bear the fruit of Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
"Love and kill," "Marry and observe Brahmacharya," "Enjoyment without desire," "Action without fruits" are paradoxical terms. A man with gross Vyavaharic Buddhi can hardly understand these terms. A subtle, pure intellect is needed. Suppose you were a terrible smoker for the last fifteen years. Then you gave up smoking for five years. The craving for smoking also died. Suppose one of your friends offers you a cigar in the sixth year. You have no craving for smoking now. If you take it now and enjoy it just to please your friend, it will be called a Suddha Bhoga only. You have enjoyed it without a craving or a desire. Isvara enjoys Suddha Bhoga.
Satisfaction Of Desire Yields Illusory Happiness Only
Desire excites the mind and senses. When desire is gratified by enjoyment of the objects of desire, satisfaction (Tripti) comes in temporarily. Rapture is delight in the attainment of the desired object. Bliss is the enjoyment of the taste of what is attained. Where rapture is there is bliss; but where bliss is there is not, quite of necessity, rapture. Rapture is like a weary traveller who hears or sees water or a shady wood. Bliss is the enjoying of the water or entering the forest shade.
When there is desire, then alone is there pleasure. The cause for pleasure is desire. When there is no desire, there cannot be any pleasure. When there is no hunger, delicious food can give you no pleasure. When there is no thirst, any refreshing beverage will have no effect. So, hunger is the best sauce. The first cup of hot milk gives pleasure. The second cup induces disgust. After the enjoyment is over, Tripti comes. Hence, disgust arises when the second cup is taken. There is no real pleasure in milk. The happiness is in Atman only. It is reflected in the object (milk) owing to ignorance, owing to Bhranti (illusion). It is Bhranti-Sukha. If there were real happiness in milk, it should induce pleasure always and in every person. It is not the case.
A desire arises in the mind. There is a Vritti now. This Vritti agitates your mind till you get satisfaction through enjoyment of the desired object. There is Santi or peace or happiness after the enjoyment is over. Another desire arises in the mind. Now, in the interval between the gratification of one desire and the manifestation of another, there is pure bliss, because there is no mind then. It is at rest. You are in union with Brahman. That state of pure bliss between two desires is Brahman. If you can prolong that period of bliss through Sadhana by keeping up the idea of Brahman and by not allowing another Vritti or desire to crop up, you will be in Samadhi. The period between one Vritti and another Vritti is the real Sandhi (juncture).
Desires Are Insatiable
Mind plays havoc through desires. As soon as a desire arises, you think you will get all happiness by its realisation. You exert yourself to achieve the desired object. As soon as you get it, a little satisfaction (false Tushti or gratification) is experienced for a short time. Again, mind becomes restless. It wants new sensations. Disgust and dissatisfaction come in. Again, it wants some new objects for its enjoyment. That is the reason why this world is termed as mere Kalpana (imagination) by Vedantins.
Desires are innumerable, insatiable and unconquerable. Enjoyment cannot bring in satisfaction. It is a mistake to think so. Enjoyment fans the desire. It is like pouring ghee in fire. Enjoyment strengthens, increases and aggravates a desire. See the case of Raja Yayati of yore. He borrowed the youthful state from his son to have sexual enjoyment for thousands of years. At last, he cries out in his old age with bitterness, "Alas! What a fool I am! Still my sexual desires are waxing. There is no end of desires. I have wasted my life. O God! Have mercy on me. Lift me up from this mire of Samsara." This comes in Mahabharata. In the Gita, Chapter III-39, you will find "Kama-rupena Kaunteya Dushpurena-analena cha-desire which is insatiable as a flame."
Freedom From Desires Necessary For Jnana
You can attain Jnana only if you are free from sensuous desires and immortal mental states. Aloofness of body from sensuous objects and aloofness of mind from immoral states of mind are needed for the attainment of Jnana. Then only will Divine Light descend. Just as a bungalow is cleaned of cobwebs and all kinds of dirts and the garden of all its weeds for the reception of the Viceroy, the mental palace should be cleansed of all vices, desires and immoral states for the reception of the Holy Brahman, the Viceroy of viceroys.
When a desire arises in the mind, a worldling welcomes it and tries to fulfil it; but, an aspirant renounces it immediately through Viveka. Wise people consider even a spark of desire as a very great evil. Therefore, they will not entertain any kind of desire. They will be ever delightful in Atman only.
How To Control Desires
In this ocean of Samsara, desires are the crocodiles. Kill them as soon as they arise on the surface of the mind. Do not yield to them. Do not become despondent under your trials. Make friendship with the pure, Sattvic mind and destroy the impure mind with the help of the pure mind. Make your mind rest in the blissful Atman. Desires should be crushed the very moment they arise in the mind, by discrimination and dauntless, indefatigable efforts.
Whenever a desire arises in the mind, consult always your Viveka (power of discrimination). Viveka will at once tell you that the desire is attended with pain, that it is only a vain temptation set up by the mind and that Vairagya and Tyaga alone can bring about satisfaction and peace of mind. It will advise you to renounce the desire immediately and take to the study of Upanishads, repetition of OM and to have Samadhi-Nishtha in a solitary place on the bank of the sacred Ganga. Think deeply again and again whether the new desire will give you more happiness or more spiritual gain. Viveka will guide you to take up the help of will and drive the desire immediately. Viveka and will are two potent weapons for an aspirant on the Jnana Yogic path to destroy evil Mara (temptation) and remove all major and minor impediments.
Never accept gifts from anybody, even from your closest friends. It will produce slavish mentality, weak will and attachment. Asking is begging. Recommending is begging. A beggar is absolutely unfit for freedom and spiritual pursuits.
Just as you starve a plant by depriving it of water, so you may starve out obnoxious desires by allowing the mind not to dwell upon such desires. You have no desire for a thing till you know what it is like. It is only after you have seen it or heard of it or touched it that you get a longing for it. Therefore, the best principle for a man is not to take, touch or see anything that is likely to taint the imagination. You will have to turn aside the attention resolutely and particularly the imagination from the subject. In course of time, all objectionable desires will die out.
It is desire in the mind that has created this body. The nature of the desire depends upon the quality of Samskaras. If these are good, virtuous Samskaras, good desires will crop up and, if they are bad, they will give rise to evil desires. Buddhi also is Karmanusarini (according to the nature of Karmas). It has to be specially trained by repeated efforts to think and act according to the holy injunctions of sacred scriptures. Desire becomes the thought and thought becomes the action. An evil desire sets up an evil thought which leads to evil action. Do always virtuous action-charity, Tapas, Japa, Dama, Dhyana and study of scriptures. Give up Nishiddha Karma (actions prohibited by Sastras). Have constant Satsanga. This is very important. It is the only means of changing the evil Samskaras of the mind.
The mind with half-developed Jnana feels severe pain when it relinquishes all desires. It demands aid, through prayer, from higher souls.
A counter-desire, a desire for God, one strong desire to attain Brahman will destroy all other worldly desires. Put down vicious desires through virtuous desires. Then give up virtuous desires through one strong desire-Mumukshutva (desire for liberation). Abandon this desire for God also in the long run. Give up Asubha Vasana through Subha Vasana. Give up Subha Vasana through Svarupa Vasana. Give up Svarupa Vasana by Nididhyasana. Desires will become extinct with the rise of discrimination. When desires cease, Jivahood becomes extinct.
Brahma-Chintana will destroy all desires. There are no desires in Brahman. Brahman is All-Purity. Repeat OM. Repeat the Mantra, "All purity I am." All the desires will vanish.
Kill the thoughts. Practise thoughtlessness. You can destroy desires. Mind associated with thoughts of gratifying the passionate desires, blindly goads a man to seek for sensual pleasures. Uncontrolled thoughts are the roots of all evils. Sublime thoughts will easily destroy lower, base thoughts. Do not entertain any base thought.
Destruction Of Desires Leads To Atmic Bliss
Vasanasahita mind (mind associated with desires) is Bandha (bondage). Mind free from desires is Mukta (free). Desires are themselves pain. Non-desire is itself pure Atmic Bliss. Mere annihilation of Maya is Moksha. With the extinction of the base Sankalpas, there is also the extinction of Avidya. Should all longings for the visibles cease, then such an abnegation of mind is itself the destruction of Ajnana or the mind. Such a bliss is generated through one's efforts only. There is nothing like Purushartha (right exertion). Purushartha changed the destiny of Markandeya. He became a Chiranjivi.
Desire is the enemy of peace. You have become the beggar of beggars through desires. A desireless man is the richest man in the world. It is the mind that makes a man rich.
Free yourself from the firm grip of crocodiles of desires. Do not get disheartened under trials. Cheer yourself up. Stand up like a lion. Destroy the impure mind with the help of the pure mind. Make friendship with the Sattvic mind and rest yourself peacefully in Atman
The ego identifies with the body, mind, heart, senses and intellect (intelligence) and functions as:
And by identifying with the ego, we respectively assume the roles of the:
1. Doer by identifying with the body,
2. Feeler, enjoyer and sufferer by identifying with the heart (external and internal),
3. Thinker by identifying with the mind and intellect,
4. Perceiver and Observer. By identifying with the body, senses, external mind (manas), middle mind (intellect or intelligence), and Consciousness we become the Perceiver and the Observer of sense objects and psychological structures.
29. Hear thou the threefold division of the intellect and firmness
according to the Gunas, as I declare them fully and distinctly, O Arjuna!
33. The unwavering firmness by which, through Yoga, the functions of the mind, the life-force and the senses are restrained—that firmness, O Arjuna, is Sattvic!.
34. But that firmness, O Arjuna, by which, on account of attachment and desire for reward, one holds fast to Dharma, enjoyment of pleasures and earning of wealth—that firmness, O Arjuna, is Rajasic!
35. That by which a stupid man does not abandon
sleep, fear, grief, despair and also conceit—that firmness, O Arjuna, is
Tamasic!
By Swami Sivananda
Sattva quality (guna in Sanskrit) is the guna of light, intelligence, happiness and harmony and the foundation of virtues and higher abilities of the mind such as clarity, discernment, stability, calmness, dispassion, concentration, kindness, devotion and compassion. Sattva and sattvic qualities make the mind able for deep meditation and samadhi. That is why sattva is the foundation of the spiritual path and a life full of peace, light, love and harmony.
Sattva guna makes the mind calm, clear, serene, concentrated and introverted and causes us to aspire for truth, peace and bliss. Discernment, dispassion, concentration, meditation and Self-inquiry flourish and are effectively practiced when the sattva guna predominates in our minds. On the contrary, due to rajas guna, the mind becomes extroverted, attached to sense pleasures, agitated, distracted and disturbed, and thus it hinders concentration and deep meditation. And under the influence of tamas guna, the mind becomes inert, indecisive, clouded, drowsy and therefore very difficult to remain attentive, to perceive clearly and to be able to learn and understand.
Therefore, by increasing the sattva guna in our minds, we create the
foundation upon which all the necessary abilities for deep meditation and
Self-realisation can easily flourish. Therefore, one of the fundamental goals
in spiritual life and practice is to increase the sattva quality in our minds.
A sattvic lifestyle along with spiritual practices is the means to achieve it.
The sattvic life
Sattvic lifestyle means focusing on sattva in all aspects of our life (e.g., diet, music, books, activities, entertainment, etc.) in order to increase the quality of sattva in our mind. It means maintaining sattvic contacts and interactions at all levels of existence and practicing meditation, Self-enquiry and other spiritual practices.
The increase of the sattva quality, like everything else we want to increase (to both material and psychological things), is based on the law of 'like increases like'. That is, for example, heat increases heat, cold increases cold, and respectively anger increases anger, fear increases fear, sattva increases sattva, rajas increases rajas and so forth. So, if we want to increase the heat in our body, we should be close to a heat source (fireplace, radiator, cooker, etc.), if the cold then we should be close to something cold, such as air conditioning, ice, etc. Similarly, to increase the quality of sattva in our mind, we should seek as much as possible to be in contact through our body, senses and mind with things, people, impressions or anything else that is of the sattva quality. When we are in contact with something of sattva quality, our mind is infused and nourished with sattva vibrations and, consequently, the sattva quality gradually increases in our mind.
More specifically we can increase the sattva quality:
• selecting
sattvic sensory impressions* (sounds, images, tastes, smells),
• eating
sattvic foods and beverages (foods and beverages are classified
according to the three gunas, as sattvic, rajasic and tamasic. For example,
fresh juice is sattvic and concentrated juices with preservative tamasic, fresh
seasonal foods are sattvic, canned tamasic),
• reading
sattvic books (spiritual books, self-improvement books, sacred texts
and scriptures, etc.),
• listening
to sattvic music and songs (classical music, mantra, kirtan, hymns,
sacred songs, etc.),
• maintaining
relationships with sattva people,
• engaging
in sattvic activities,
• cultivating
positive, luminous thoughts and feelings,
• Living
in a sattvic environment (city, home, work),
• putting
pictures and paintings of a sattvic nature on the walls, such as pictures or
photos of nature, sacred symbols, pictures of enlightened beings, etc.,
• Creating
a sattvic atmosphere in our home, using sattvic colours, using natural incense,
essential oils, etc.,
• practising
regularly meditation, Japa Nama and other spiritual practices,
• being
in contact with spiritual teachers,
• practicing
in spiritual centres,
• living and practising in sacred places and centres of enlightened
beings
• frequently visiting and living for some time in nature (nature is sattvic).
Comment
with sattvic sensory impressions*: sensory impressions are the food for our mind and that is why it is crucial to be of sattvic quality.
The sattvic way of action
In
addition to the importance of associating with sattva at all levels and all
aspects of our life, the way we do things is equally important. In other words,
our mental and emotional attitude and state of consciousness are also important
when we do something.
It is one
thing, for instance, to eat anxiously, in a hurry, looking at your mobile phone
or tv, talking, being careless (i.e., rajasotamasic way) and
another thing to eat calmly, carefully, with gratitude, praying, repeating
bright thoughts, the name of God or a mantra (i.e., sattvic way).
The same applies to any other activity and our work. It is one thing to work calmly, concentrated and in a spirit of offering (sattvic way) and another to be careless, bored, greedy or in a spirit of obligation (rajasotamasic way). So, to increase sattva, we must choose whatever has a sattvic nature and also learn to do things in a sattvic way.
Spiritual practices increase sattva quality
Spiritual practices (meditation, worship, hymn singing, repetition of mantra, pranayama, Self-enquiry, studying of spiritual books, etc.) being of sattvic nature are the primary means to increase the sattva and eliminate the rajas and tamas qualities from the mind.
The sattva treatments
It is also important to treat our body and psychology principally with sattva treatments and only, when necessary, with chemical medicines. Ayurvedic remedies, sattvic diet, herbal medicines, shiatsu, reiki, Bach flowers, Hatha Yoga asanas, pranayama and in general most natural remedies are sattvic and can restore the balance vital energy (Prana) and the three bio-energies (Dhosas in Sanskrit: Pitta-Kapha-Vata) which are the basic factors of health, and well-being.
Comment
the three Bio-energies (Dhosas in Sanskrit: Vata-Pitta-Kapha): The three bio-energies determine our temperament on the physical and psychological levels. Maintaining the balance of these three bio-energies is a prerequisite for good health, well-being and psychological harmony, happiness, mental clarity and peace.
The resistance of the lower rajasotamasic ego
Undoubtedly, the lower rajasotamasic ego (with its selfish tendencies, desires, mental and emotional patterns and habits of life and body) will, by all means, resist our effort to change ourselves in order to continue experiencing, expressing, behaving in the same or similar ways as before. The ego, at the beginning of our journey, will strongly resist the changes we want to bring about. And herein lies the importance of a spiritual guide, a spiritual centre and teacher and spiritual practices. With their help, we can overcome obstacles, resistance and the inertia of subconscious habits and patterns.
I would like also to point out that we cannot change everything at once and from one day to the next our mind becomes sattvic and meditate uninterruptedly and deeply for many hours. This can be achieved gradually by following a well-organized sattvic lifestyle and practicing regularly, systematically, diligently, sincerely and with determination for several years. It also requires a good deal of perseverance, endurance and patience until we see quality sattva prevail in our minds.
However, by practising with regularity, diligence, sincerity and determination, we can overcome all barriers and obstacles that prevent us from transforming ourselves and enjoy the higher vibrations of sattva and the peace and bliss of our divine nature.
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1. Find a comfortable seated position. Either sitting on a cushion on the floor, or in a chair. Allow your spine to be straight and long, and let your shoulders drop. Gently close your eyes, or, if you’d prefer, simply gaze down in front of you with a soft focus.
2. As you sit here, notice where your body is making contact: your feet touching the floor, perhaps your back on the ground, your sit bones on a chair...
3. Notice your breath. For the next five or so breaths, follow each inhale and exhale, feeling or imagining the breath flowing into and out of the body.
4. Now, shift your awareness from your breath to your body, and begin to scan through the body slowly from
head to toe, observing any feelings or emotions that are present.
5. You might detect numerous feelings or emotions throughout the body. For the purpose of this exercise, choose
one feeling or emotion to focus on for now.
6. Notice where in your body this emotion located... so what part of the body is holding this feeling?
7. How big or small is the feeling?
8. Where are its edges? Are these edges sharp or soft?
9. Does the feeling have a color? And if so, is the color changing or remaining the same?
10. Is the feeling heavy, or light?
11. Is the feeling moving, or still?
12. Is the feeling hard or soft? Is it rough or smooth? If I could touch this feeling with my hand, what would its texture be like?
13. Now, if you were to give a name to this feeling or emotion, what would it be? Can you identify it? Can you give it a label?
14. If a name for this feeling doesn’t come to mind, that’s OK. Be kind to yourself, and continue to observe the feeling in the body with curiosity and without judgment, until the nature of this emotion becomes clearer to you.
15. Continue to get to know this emotion for another five or so minutes. When you feel that you have reached a level of comfort with and understanding of this feeling, gently open your eyes and bring your attention back to the room you are in.
Step 2: Reflection