You know that saying, be careful what you ask for? Once on retreat, I was feeling complacent in my practice. Meditation was fairly steady and peaceful and insights were flowing, but I felt too comfortable, and wanted to go deeper, so I asked my teacher how I could ’turn up the volume’ on the intensity of my practice. Maybe I was hoping for some kind of secret teaching, but he gave me instead a very simple formula: Eat less, sleep less, sit more. Ouch. That certainly did for my complacency.
At various times, it can feel like meditation practice has become routine. That nothing is really moving or deepening. That the insights you’ve tasted or the depths of meditation you found on retreat have disappeared. The inspiration has dwindled, or the everyday stuff of life – the duties and dramas, your roles and responsibilities – take up all your energy and regular meditation falls away. Or now that your mind is a little easier to manage from the practice you’ve done so far, you take refuge in the convenient and comfortable, instead of orientating to what is truly compelling. You go to sleep in the midst of your practice, despite it being one of awakening.
There are many ways to consciously potentize your practice. During Sunday’s class at the wonderful new Sangha.live website, I’ll explore various different ways of turning up the volume. You’re welcome of course, to eat less, sleep less and sit more, but we’ll look also look beyond meditation, to 3 ways in the midst of everyday life that you can bring more energy to your practice.
Join me on Sunday to meditate, explore and reflect together.
See you there.
🙏🏼
Martin