From Mindfulness to Insight by Rob Nairn & Choden & Heather Regan-Addis

Author:Rob Nairn & Choden & Heather Regan-Addis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shambhala
Published: 2019-04-01T16:00:00+00:00

Mindfulness of Spoken Words

This is another practice that can sensitize us to the involuntary arising of thoughts and the compulsive tendency to engage with them. We start by following our usual practice involving intention, motivation, settling, grounding, and resting with a support of sound. Then a single word is spoken aloud, either by a person leading the practice or on a sound track, and then there is silence for a couple of minutes. Then another single word or phrase is spoken, again followed by silence for a couple of minutes. This happens several times during the practice, with the words gradually becoming more personal. An example of the progression of words or phrases might be: “butterfly,” “bicycle,” “exam assessments,” “my last holiday,” “how tomorrow looks,” “my to-do list.”

Each time, we notice what happens when we hear the word or phrase. Do we hear it in a relaxed and neutral way? Do we feel like or dislike in response to the word? Do we elaborate upon the words in some way, such as forming stories in our mind about when we last saw a beautiful butterfly or when we last sat for an exam? Do we get caught up in thinking about our to-do list and only notice this when the bell goes off at the end of the session? Do we get angry about how unfair our exam assessments were? All the time, we try to stay in tune with how our body feels.

This exercise can sensitize us to the process whereby the impulses arising in response to the spoken words are categorized and conceptualized by the mind. It can also sensitize us to the firing of the subliminal reflex that gets us caught in the story lines about the word and their associated emotions and default mind states. We just need to be open and curious to whatever happens.

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