Introduction to Mindfulness_349810_bookemon_ebook.pdf Coaching and Practising Mindfulness | Page 21

simplified environment, even in these settings one isn’t exactly
withdrawing. Instead, the vicissitudes of life are experienced more
vividly, because we’re taking the time to pay attention to our
moment-to-moment experience.
Not Seeking Bliss:
The image of the spiritual master blissfully smiling while the rest of us
struggle with existential reality is very appealing. Early in their
meditation careers, many people become distressed when they find
that their minds wander and they feel agitated or unsettled. While
exceptionally pleasant states of mind do occur, in mindfulness
meditation we allow them to arise and pass—not clinging to blissful
states nor rejecting unpleasant ones.
Not Escaping Pain:
Rather than escaping pain, mindfulness practice helps us to increase
our capacity to bear it. We deliberately abstain from automatic actions
designed to make ourselves feel better. For example, if we are
meditating and an itch arises, a typical instruction is to observe the
itch and notice any impulses that arise (such as the urge to scratch)—
but to not act on the urge. As a result, we actually experience pain
and discomfort more vividly. This extends beyond itches and physical
pain to include the full spectrum of emotional discomfort as well. As
we explore and accept these unpleasant experiences, our capacity to
bear them increases. We also discover that painful sensations are
distinct from the suffering that accompanies them. We see that
suffering arises when we react to pain with resistance, protest, or
avoidance rather than moment-to-moment acceptance.

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