Discovering Embodiment, a.k.a. Presence in the Body
Why should I learn to feel neutral sensations? That sounds unpleasant!
Becoming a free, happy, whole Human Being requires Presence of Body. This means we learn to actually inhabit our bodies, to feel them, to sense them, from the inside out. Learning to contact the felt sense of ourselves takes practice, and a radical re-direting of our Attention. Our attention is typically captured by our mechanical, fixated mental stories and discourses of thinking, a.k.a. the constant chatter of the mind. To conjure the discipline to shift the attention onto the body is a leap of faith, because with that shift we are saying, “I trust the present moment. I trust Reality. I am willing to let go of my constructed sense of ‘self.’”
When tracking sensations in the body, it's very important to bring an awareness to neutral states -- in addition to pleasant and unpleasant sensations. Typically, the awareness only notices dramatic things on either end of the spectrum:
Pain----discomfort-------———————----neutral -------—————————-------- comfort----Pleasure
But this is a fatal error when we are trying to develop continuous present moment awareness, because we are actually experiencing neutral sensations MOST of the time! For example, RIGHT NOW, check: Am I feeling my upper arms? Am I feeling gravity holding me in place (i.e. the weight of my body)? Am I feeling my breath moving in and out? ...................
Chances are, you weren't feeling any of these things before I directed your attention there. That's because these are neutral sensations! If we wait until something is pleasant or painful to feel our bodies, we are missing at least 90% of our lives. And if we are trying to conjure up pleasant states, we are not learning to be with the present moment exactly as it is---which means we are rejecting and denying ordinary, simple, everyday moments and considering them 'not good enough' to deserve my attention. And the whole Aim of practice is to be with whatever is arising in the moment — pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral—- with a non-reaction and nonjudgmental Awareness. This is an Awareness that shows no preference for pleasant or unpleasant. It can be with all of life’s experiences with an attitude of loving acceptance.
This is tricky, because many of us are doing everything we can to avoid being mundane and ordinary, aka "boring!" So this is challenging and cutting edge work for everyone to begin including every moment, even seemingly boring ones.
BUT HERE'S THE REAL "SECRET BENEFIT" of present moment awareness in the Body:
When we actually train the mind to stay with neutral sensations, those neutral sensations begin to become pleasurable. They begin to take on a sense of settling, grounding, enlivening energy, even if it is very subtle.
Why?? Because Presence itself is pleasurable. When we are truly present with sensation, even neutral sensation, the neurotic/fixated mind gets to take a break---- and then we get a break from its torments! An opportunity to rest in the Ground of Being opens up. Presence in the body brings with it a stabilizing force, a sense of solidity, a way to re-member myself, a way to come home to myself. It turns out the thing right under our noses-- neutral sensations-- is the key that unlocks freedom from inner tyranny, and the key to contentment, happiness, and yes, eventually even bliss.
