Meditation for Emotional Healing: Get Your Mind in Shape!

If you suffer from depression or any other mental malaise, try meditation for emotional healing as a way to get your mind in shape.  This article published by Wisdom Heart takes a look at how our minds-if not properly trained in the practice of witness consciousness-functions like a cup of tea! Initially I thought what a delicious idea!  There’s nothing better than waking up and having a freshly brewed cup of Rosie Lee.

Right?

No, not exactly.

This excerpt below is by Eric Klein, writing at his fine blog Wisdom Heart.

Meditation for Emotional Healing: Get Your Mind in Shape

When you pour tea into a tall thin cup, the tea assumes that tall, thin shape. When you pour tea into a squat, round cup, it assumes that shape.

It’s wonderful that tea does this. It facilitates tea drinking. But your mind needn’t act like tea. Too often it does.

How does the mind act like tea?
Just as tea takes the shape of whatever container it’s poured into, the mind tends to assume the shape of whatever thought, emotion, or sensation captures its attention. But it doesn’t just assume the shape of what is arising– it identifies with the object of attention.

The mind believes it is what it is aware of.
When the emotion of sadness arises, the mind identifies with that emotion and believes it is sadness. Not, I’m aware of sadness but I am sadness.

When anger is present, the mind believes – I am angry.

The mind identifies with whatever condition is most intense at a moment in time.
Whether its an inner condition like a thought or emotion or an outer condition like hitting a homerun or losing 10 pounds – the mind tends to lose itself and identify wit

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h what it is aware of…

To become aware, the mind needs to step back.
To dis-identify with what is arising in order to be fully aware. This state of non-identified and fully engaged awareness is called witness consciousness. It’s quite different from tea-like mind. Witnessing consciousness allows the mind to fully experience what arises without being overcome by identification.

It’s a paradoxical state of mind.
It’s neither lost in identification nor separate from experience. The witnessing consciousness simultaneously transcends the object of attention while fully entering into it. It’s this paradoxical quality – of being beyond and fully engaged – that makes witness consciousness such a powerful source of healing…

It’s not just for when you’re on the cushion.
This capacity to enter into life fully – but without being overwhelmed – isn’t just a meditation thing. It’s a life thing. Witness consciousness allows you to meet the conditions of your life – whether these take the form of emotions, thoughts, people, or snowstorms – with clarity, wisdom, and creativity.

Then whatever cup of tea life pours – you’ll be able to enjoy it fully.Original story by Eric Klien published in full  here.

Meditation for emotional healing, when properly “brewed “ will result in one delicious cup of….YOU!