To grow into who you actually are, you need to learn how to let go…

Cultivating the “right” attitude- the “right” orientation of letting go or non-attachment is fundamental to a mindfulness practice. It is a practice in itself. When we start paying attention to our inner experience and to our inner landscape, we rapidly discover that there are certain thoughts, feelings, and situations that the mind seems to want to hold onto. If they are pleasant, we try to prolong them. Similarly, there are many thoughts, feelings, and experiences that we try and get rid of, or prevent and protect ourselves from having because they are unpleasant and painful in one way or another.

In our meditation practice,we intentionally put aside the tendency to elevate some aspects of our experience, and to reject others. Instead we just let our experience be what it is, and practice observing it from moment to moment. Letting go is a way of letting things be- of accepting things the way they are.

This is not such a foreign experience to us.We do it every night when we go to sleep. We lie down with the lights off in a quiet place, and we let go of our mind and body. If you can’t let go, you can’t go to sleep.

To fall into the present moment… to fall into actuality, clarity, compassion, or to one’s true nature, you must also learn how to let go of what you want… what you cling to… what you must have… what you most hate or are adverse to, etc.How can we possibly face the ultimate or pure reality of our experience if it is constantly filled with distraction? When mired in the distraction of habit energy (i.e. past conditioning), indulgences & attachment our reality is merely a projection, a distortion, an illusion to what may truly and completely be our reality.

Over time, fear, aversion, and attachments become deeply ingrained & layered (i.e.mental formations- “conditioning”) in who we think we are… a “self” which is separate from our own experience… and a refuge from facing our true & divine nature. In lacking this wisdom- this enlightenment- this awakening,we continue to keep running from ourselves.We keep searching for someone and something that is already right here within us all. The gift we all hold is the awareness to know- and the sentience to comprehend beyond our conceptual thoughts provided we are willing to let go of what we don’t truly possess.We are simply stewards of a mind and body that experiences all that is in our lives- and with this embodied awareness,we see all the wonderment that is here and now. To truly know our impermanence helps us to let go of the habitual and to live moment by moment with an awareness that values the gift of life regardless of whether the present experience is pleasant or unpleasant. Experience is our teacher and the lessons it brings are not to be too closely held or avoided- just experienced. Learn to let go, and see how much more your heart- your mind- and your life opens up.

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