Nuggets from reading …
Michael Singer – Untethered Soul & Living Unthethered … Both books have been profoundly helpful and an amazing complement to my Recovery Dharma practice.
I love this Sangha and the mindfulness we learn, and these last few meditations are just tools to add to our arsenals.
One nugget from the books that has really stuck with me is the concept of Samskaras.
The concept actually gets quite a bit more woo woo and karmic, but for today, I’m going to stay pretty basic …
The word samskara comes from the Sanskrit sam (complete or joined together) and kara (action, cause, or doing). In addition to being generalized patterns, Samskaras are mental impressions, imprints, or conditioning that result from past actions, experiences, and choices. They can be positive or negative, light or dark … and they affect our perceptions, well-being, and energy.
I liked this illustration because of the visual … https://youaligned.com/lifestyle/samskaras-impact-entire-reality/
When the settlers first took their wagon caravans from the East Coast across the Great Plains, the oxen and horses that pulled those wagons and carts eventually wore grooves into the plains, the rocks, and terrain.
The more people that traveled these paths, the easier it became – the paths were worn deeper, more permanent, more engrained . . . There are still parts of the Oregon Trail where you can see these incredible grooves, at times worn directly into the rocks!
Samskaras work the same way in the brain. Just as a river eventually weaves grooves through the rocks it passes over, so too do our thoughts weave grooves in our brains.
Samskaras are these habitual thought-patterns, that over time and with repetition, weave grooves in the brain. Naturally, it becomes easier to slide into these predisposed and pre-arranged grooves than to create an entirely new one.
One example is arriving at work and not actually remembering driving there, because it’s such a familiar routine. Or many of the mundane, routine things you do – Brain waves actually show up differently for these routine behaviors while you’re doing them, as if they’ve already happened …. Because in a sense they have!
Each time you do the same routine or pattern, it deepens the thought groove.
Circumstances – Events
Beyond these recurring patterns though, there are also singular events or circumstances that happen that result in samskaras – both good and bad.
The example in the book describes a guy who sees his girlfriend in a red convertible with another man. It turns out it wasn’t her, but still for a while every time he sees a red convertible he gets that gut wrenching knot in his stomach thinking about it. The word “trigger” is fairly commonplace for this type of negative samskara.
There are also ways that positive events can affect our lives in a negative way, like when you have an epic weekend getaway where everything is perfect. You book the same place the following year with the expectation that you’re going to have a similar amazing experience, but even though it’s fine, you don’t feel the same “magic” as the first visit … Sometimes we get stuck trying to recreate a happy experience, which can also lead to blocked energy.
Recurring Examples
I found some examples of both positive and negative samskaras that fall into more of the recurring pattern category. As I read through them, note which strike a familiar note – see if there is anything you can identify with, because we’ll be covering them in the meditation.
During your childhood …
If you grew up in a supportive and loving family, it fostered trust and emotional security.
But if you Experienced childhood neglect, it may have resulted in insecurity and difficulty forming healthy relationships.
In your community …
If you grew up in a culture that emphasized tolerance and diversity, it lead to acceptance and open-mindedness.
If you were Exposed to a culture that endorsed aggressive competition at all costs, it fostered ambition and disregard for others.
During your education …
If you Received consistent encouragement and support from teachers, it created self-confidence and love for learning.
If you endured a strict and authoritarian educational environment, it resulted in fear and conformity.
In your relationships …
If you Participated in supportive friendships and relationships, it instilled loyalty and mutual respect.
If you survived an emotionally abusive relationship, it resulted in fear, self-doubt, and difficulty trusting others.
If you experienced trauma …
If you recovered from the loss of a loved one by finding solace in community and meaningful rituals, it fostered healing and connection.
You Survived a natural disaster but developed persistent fear and hypervigilance in response to potential threats
With your habit energy …
You Replaced a negative habit like overeating with a healthy exercise routine, fostering self-care and discipline.
You Battled alcohol addiction for years, leading to cravings, guilt, and strained relationships.
In your religious or spiritual life …
You Practiced meditation and mindfulness for years, creating of inner peace, clarity, and compassion.
You Encountered exploitative spiritual leaders, resulting in disillusionment and mistrust in spiritual authorities.
In your Work life …
You Achieved career success through hard work and dedication, fostering achievement and confidence.
You Pursued a career path solely for external validation, resulting in emptiness and burnout.
With your health and well-being …
You Cultivated a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and balanced nutrition, creating vitality and self-care
You endured a chronic health condition from childhood, leading to physical pain and frustration.
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Before we start, once we get to the part in the meditation about identifying your samskaras, try not overthink it. I am not always skillful at honing in on a particular issue about myself in the moment and then I spend the rest of the meditation trying to think of an example and end up missing the time to just reflect.
SO, If there wasn’t something specific that resonated, just take the opportunity to consider that samskaras exist. And that whether the samskara is positive or negative, light or dark, it affects your current thinking and your future UNTIL YOU ACKNOWLEDGE its existence, without judgement.
And … I am still without my singing bowl, so we will just begin.
Breath Awareness (3 minutes)
Sit in a comfortable but attentive posture, allowing your back to be straight but not rigid or stiff. Upright but not uptight 🙂
Feel your head balanced on your shoulders, allow your face and jaw to relax, with arms and hands resting in a comfortable position.
Be attentive to what’s happening within your own awareness, right here and right now, without judgment.
As you sit, begin to notice the sensations of breath. Pay attention for a moment to how your abdomen moves on each in-breath and out-breath, the movement of air through your nostrils, the slight movement of your chest and shoulders.
Find the spot in your body where the sensation of breathing is most vivid, whether it be your abdomen, your chest or your shoulders, or the movement of air through your nostrils. Try to keep your attention at that spot.
As you breathe in, be aware of the in-breath; as you breathe out, be aware of the out-breath. Simply observe the breath going in and the breath going out.
You may notice your attention shifting away from the breath from time to time. It’s perfectly normal for thoughts to wander into fantasies, memories, worries, or things you need to do. When you notice your mind has wandered, try to meet it with a spirit of friendliness. You don’t need to do anything about it. There is nothing to fix. Rather than forcing it, just try to allow yourself to become curious about what it’s like to be breathing right now, and you’ll find that the attention is naturally drawn back to the physical sensations of breath as it moves through your body.
[Three minutes of silence]
Setting the Intention (3 minutes)
Begin by setting your intention for this meditation. Let’s Spend a minute or two discovering if there is anything specific that resonated. If not, your intention could be something as simple as, “I am here to explore and release any samskaras that no longer serve me, and to cultivate inner peace and clarity.”
And breathe.
Body Scan (5 minutes)
Close your eyes and bring your attention to your body. Start from the top of your head and slowly move down, noticing any areas of tension or discomfort. As you notice these sensations, imagine them as knots or blocks related to your samskaras.
With each breath, visualize these knots loosening and dissolving, allowing your body to relax further. Imagine a warm, healing light moving through your body, soothing and releasing any tension.
Exploring Samskaras (7 minutes)
Without judgment, observe any recurring patterns, memories, or emotions that come to the surface. These are the samskaras that have shaped your life. As you notice these patterns, imagine them as clouds passing through the sky of your mind. Acknowledge them and let them drift away. Repeat to yourself, “I release the patterns that no longer serve me.”
And breathe
Mantra Repetition (5 minutes)
Choose a mantra that resonates with you, such as “I am free from old patterns” or “I release and renew.” Begin to repeat this mantra silently or aloud with each breath. Let the mantra help you break free from the grip of samskaras.
And Breathe
Visualization (4 minutes)
With your eyes closed, imagine yourself in a beautiful, serene place, like a tranquil forest, Visualize a large, serene lake in front of you. This lake represents your mind, calm and clear.
Now, imagine tossing pebbles into the lake, each one representing a samskara. Watch as the ripples spread across the water and gradually disappear. With each pebble you toss, repeat your mantra.
And breathe
If your thoughts start to wander, just return to your breath and your mantra.
And breathe
Deepening Inner Peace (3 minutes)
Return your attention to your breath. As you breathe in and out, visualize a deep sense of inner peace and clarity filling your entire being. Feel a sense of lightness and freedom as you let go of old patterns.
As you watch the last of the ripples spread across the water and gradually disappear, listen to these words that will continue the samskaras to dissipate …
- Compassion and Wisdom Guide Me
- I Embrace Enlightenment Beyond Boundaries
- I Radiate Compassion and Take Action
- Infinite Light and Boundless Compassion Flow Through Me
- I Purify My Karma and Release Attachments
- I Clear Obstacles and Realize My True Nature
- I Heal and Uplift Through My Compassion
- I Invoke Divine Presence and Protection
- I Am Protected, Guided, and Free from Obstacles
- I Seek and Embody the Wisdom of the Buddha
- I release and renew
- I am free
- I release and renew
- I am free
Closing and Gratitude (2 minutes)
Slowly bring your awareness back to your physical body. Wiggle your fingers and toes, and when you’re ready, open your eyes.
Take a moment to express gratitude for this time you’ve dedicated to exploring your samskaras and cultivating inner peace.
Gently bring your attention back to your breath for the last few moments. Take a few deep breaths and feel a sense of gratitude for this practice.
When you’re ready, slowly open your eyes and take a moment to reorient yourself to your surroundings.
DEDICATION OF MERIT
By dedicating merit, we express our gratitude for the opportunity to practice and share the dharma together as a group. The words also serve as a reminder that we practice not only for ourselves, but for the benefit of all the people in our lives and in the world as well.
Refuge does not arise in a particular place, but in the space within the goodness of our hearts.
When this space is imbued with wisdom, respect, and love, we call it sangha.
We hope that the pain of addiction, trauma, and feeling “apart” actually leads us back toward the heart and that we might understand compassion, wisdom, and change ever more deeply.
As we have learned from practice, great pain does not erase goodness, but in fact informs it.
May we make the best use of our practice, and whatever freedom arises from our efforts here today.
May this be a cause and condition for less suffering and more safety in our world.