This week we had a small group and so we tried some new formats. There was a period of discussion and introspection on our selves and our egoic experiences. We arrive at a question that we’re unable to answer, a question that drives our experience and actions. We might arrive at questions like these:
- How can I be happy?
- Why is X going wrong in my life?
- How can I make Y happen in my life?
Like this we arrive at some basic question of interest to us, but without a clear answer.
The meditation practice centered on the breath, in the style of pranayama practices. We follow the breath and work toward experiencing the flow of pranic energy that follows the breath. With concentration and focus we move the breath and the prana to different areas of our body and in different patterns following the breath.
Returning to a steady stable conscious breathing pattern, we allow ourselves to remember the question we had. Then not to try and find an answer, just ask the question and sit with that.
Perhaps an answer arrives, perhaps not. Meditation practices do not reward expectations and demands. Instead we tend to be rewarded for a lack of expectations and an emptiness that allows for something to emerge.