Most of us would be skeptical upon hearing that we could experience joy through sitting with resistance. After trying this practice many years ago, during a particular difficult period of my life, I realized this was a profound meditation indeed. When I practiced earnestly, I found that a sense of deep peace and serenity began to surface during these meditation periods. As I allowed myself to go fully into these practices of non-resistance, a fleeting almost fragile sense of joy began to arise.
Over the years this practice has grown even deeper, with the joyous state of presence arising daily. I offer this practice now to you as a way out of your suffering and a reclaiming of joyous peace within your life, whether you are a solitary practitioner or one who is practicing tantra with a partner. I now see this practice as an important part of our collective path to awakening joy and reconnecting again and again with our sacred state of being.
What does it actually mean to sit with resistance? Well, I describe it this way: it is sitting with all the suffering, contraction, or avoidance that we experience when we are confronted externally with something that we don’t like, is painful or causes discomfort. What we are confronted with could also be internal such as a physical pain in the body, an emotional reaction or a disquieting thought. Whatever it is, it is important to note that the pain and suffering that we are experiencing does not stem from the situation or the internal grief but from the resistance itself.
This revelation is important to note, as it is the resistance that causes our suffering so much of the time. As you sit for longer periods with this resistance, holding patterns, contractions in the body, and difficult mental constructs that keep you in pain begin to release. Once this occurs, that fragile joyous space may begin to arise within you. Check it out for yourself and see what happens.
Are you resisting something right now? Sit and make friends with it. Let me know what wisdom you find there…