Commit to Sit: Hindrances

Recognize sleepiness as something we experience in parts of each day. We practice meditation in order to wake up. By bringing awareness to the state of torpor, you can gain glimpses into those parts of your world you may be excluding from the totality of your awareness.

If you find yourself losing interest in your surroundings, wherever you are, focus on just one thing. “Just this sentence.” “Just this step.” Bring yourself back into the present moment by becoming mindful of those objects and events that are actually arising.

Surrender. Let your mind be as restless as it wants to, but stay with it. As with any conditioned phenomenon, the restlessness will change shape as you watch it.

Recognize doubt as a thought process. It takes form as a string of words. Drop below the words to your actual experience, and you’re likely to encounter the subtle fear and resistance from which doubt can arise.

Adapted from Insight Meditation: A Step-by-Step Course on How to Meditate with Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein, an interactive learning program from Sounds True.

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