Contractions

"Contraction," perfectly describes how I experience so-called "unfavorable," circumstances in my life and that of others. It's that moment of feeling or thinking "I don't want this," or "Please no, not that," and with it comes a tightening below the stomach. It's a moment when both body and mind are seamlessly focused, reacting together to the circumstance and nothing exists outside of that moment. That moment is the entire universe and nothing exists outside of it.

These contractions can range from someone "stealing," our parking space in the grocery store parking lot to, the moment we are told a friend or family member has been hospitalized, lost a job, had their feelings hurt. There are a million things that can cause the contraction but only one thing that can cause the contraction to release. The mind has to change it's feeling about what caused the contraction in the first place. This can be simple but difficult, because negative emotions can be really sticky.

To begin changing my mind and releasing the contraction, I focus on my breathing. Mind follows the breath, so I bring my attention to the inhalation and exhalation. I feel and visualize my breathing, placing it just below my belly button. If it's high up in my chest, I move it down, until it's a rest in the "hara." Often I bring my attention to the koan that my teacher has given me or I say to myself silently, "Right now at this moment, I am breathing in." And then when I exhale I say, "Right now at this very moment, I am breathing out," which is a traditional practice Thich Nhat Hanh encourages, that I find helpful.

Using either method, the effort is to become present. That's key. So often when the contraction occurs, my mind and body are wanting to go somewhere else. Centering in the breath is the realization that we don't have to do that. Being with the present moment is okay.

Going further, I use a method from Neuro-Lingusitic Programming (NLP). Whatever is drawing the focus of my attention, through the contraction, I visualize it within my mind, making it smaller (less threatening). I might also change the color of what I'm visualizing, brightening it. I then visually move what's causing the contraction further away in distance. In this way, I can sometimes gain a different view and perspective on what causing the contraction or pain, making my mind my own, rather than misdirected and mismanaged by anxiety or fear.

While this may seem fairly elaborate, it's not. Connecting with these methods only take a matter of seconds. The effectiveness varies, but I like to remind myself that things like this are a process not an event. It can take time to make friends with our mind. We're looking to gain traction and movement, not quick fixes and so-called "perfect resolutions." We are making an effort to release the contraction. It requires practice, determination and diligence. We can help ourselves. We can release the contraction.

May Your Life Go Well,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
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