Wednesday 28 March 2012

Street walking, Staying awake

"An on-the-spot equanimity practice is to walk down the street with the intention of staying as awake as possible to whomever we meet. This is training in being emotionally honest with ourselves and becoming more available to others. 

As we pass people we simply notice whether we open up or shut down. We notice if we feel attraction, aversion, or indifference, without adding anything extra like self-judgment. We might feel compassion toward someone who looks depressed, or cheered up by someone who's smiling to himself. We might feel fear and aversion for another person without even knowing why. 

Noticing where we open up and where we shut down - without praise or blame - is the basis of our practice. Practicing this way for even one block of a city street can be an eye-opener."

- Pema Chodron, excerpt from "Comfortable With Uncertainty".

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