HOW DO I "DO" EM&B?
"What you really Are, This Spacious Awareness, is ALWAYS Here...
However, you must not just believe me.
This is what you will discover to be True through your own direct experience of more and more glimpses of This Spacious Awareness ~ your True Self..."
What is EM&B in its Most Simple Form?
So, as you are reading this, you have hopefully already watched the introductory video. Maybe you even had a glimpse of What you really Are. And you may also have some questions about how you can do this on your own.
Here is EM&B in its most simple form:
PAUSE ~ When you become aware that you are stressed, depressed, worrying or suffering, the first and most important step is to PAUSE or STOP (whichever resonates more for you) and see that the mind is running on auto-pilot. It presents us with a near-constant stream of thinking that we hook into and identify with, without even realizing that we have a choice, and an opportunity, to do things differently.
TAKE A DEEP BREATH OR TWO... ~ You may notice that on the out-breath there begins to be some relief from the stress.
OKAY, BUSY MIND, GO AHEAD, BE BUSY... ~ This is key. This means Surrendering to whatever the mind is doing. This Surrender is the key to Awakening.
Usually, when we are stressed or anxious or depressed, we have a very busy mind - perhaps even a racing mind. In this moment, if your mind happens to be like that, you can consciously give permission for your mind to be busy. It may sound silly, but you can talk to your own mind and say something like "Okay, busy mind, go ahead, be busy." Do this just as an experiment to see what happens. At first the mind may still be busy, but then it may dissipate some.
THE BUSY MIND IS SEEN AS AN OBJECT ~ When we give permission for the mind to be busy, there is a stepping back from it. There is another part of us, an aspect of us, that is noticing or observing the busy mind as a kind of object appearing "in front" of us.
TURN YOUR ATTENTION "BACK" TO WHAT IS NOTICING OR WATCHING THE BUSY MIND ~ When you bring your attention "back", in some sense, to What is noticing, you may find that there is nothing there - just This Spacious Awareness.
REST IN AND AS THIS SPACIOUS AWARENESS FOR A FEW MOMENTS ~ Don't just immediately return to the stream of thinking. Simply rest here... Ahhhhh... This is your True Self. This is Enlightenment or Awakening...
APPRECIATE THIS SPACIOUS AWARENESS FOR A FEW MORE MOMENTS ~ It is really important to take time appreciate this space. For me (Jeff), this appreciation gave me more of a connection to Love (one of the subtle essences of What I really Am). This Spacious Awareness is the only true and lasting Peace or Refuge from stress, anxiety, depression, suffering...
TRUST THIS SPACIOUS AWARENESS AS A HIGHER WISDOM, INTELLIGENCE AND CREATIVITY ~ When we are under stress, there can often be a sense of overwhelm. EM&B brings us into a quieter place where we can begin to Trust What we really Are regarding what we are called to do or say next... Trust It to live your life more and more...
While all of these steps are important, the heart of EM&B is to:
pause
okay, busy mind, go ahead, be busy
turn your attention towards What is noticing the busy mind (This Spacious Awareness)
How Often Should I Meditate/Surrender?
As I mention on the Meditation Videos page, I have found through my own experience and the experience of others, that deepening Enlightenment is accelerated the more frequently we can Surrender (“okay, busy mind, go ahead, be busy”) throughout the day. I suggest Surrendering at least three or four times a day (or more if you can). This can be for as little as one minute. Surrendering even for 15 seconds, several times a day, is beneficial.
Surrender anytime - as you are waking up, while sitting, walking, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, preparing meals, driving, stuck in line at the grocery store or in traffic, watching TV, working on the computer, interacting with others, etc.
Over time, I have found myself Surrendering more and more frequently, not as a "should-do discipline", but because I really love experiencing the Peace rather than being caught in stress, worry, depression, fear, anger, sadness and other negativity.
Give it a try...
In this moment, after reading all of the above, notice what is happening in terms of thoughts - positive, negative, curious, skeptical... See if you can simply allow these to be here, just as they are, as objects in your Awareness. Now turn your attention to what is noticing the thought-objects. What do you find?
What Do I Do When "Stuff" Happens?
Please note that issues, "stuff" to use the technical term, may show up during these meditations. Sometimes distractions, or our expectations, may interfere with resting in and as This Peace and/or Spacious Awareness. Also, strong emotions or mental stories may possibly arise that can upset us. All of this stuff can be included as part of our meditation. To help guide you through them, please read: