What would happen
if we removed the word ‘anxious’
and just paid attention
to these flickering sensations in the belly?

What would happen
if we took away the concept ‘lonely’
and simply became fascinated
with this heavy feeling in the heart area?

What would happen
if we deleted the labels ‘sick’
or ‘broken’ or ‘bad’
and just got curious about
the tightness in the throat
the pressure in the head
the ache in the shoulders?

What would happen
if we stopped looking for solutions
and checked to see
if there was actually a problem here?

Let’s come out of the exhausting storyline.
It’s not true. It was never true.
Commit sacred awareness to a single living moment.
Come closer to yourself, Now.
Bring warmth to the tender places.
Infuse sensation with the light of attention.

It’s never as bad
as we think.
And always,
always more alive.

by Jeff Foster

 

I’ve heard direct and insightful words by the English spiritual teacher Jeff Foster a few times in the last couple of weeks (including these ones here), and every time they struck a chord with me. This invitation to be aware of the bare sensations rather than get caught up in the storylines feels particularly apt today; some stories are just so tempting to dive right into. And there’s no need! Whatever is going on is so much easier to bear without having to carry those as well. And so I particularly like the reassuring ending: It’s never as bad as we think. And always, always more alive.

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash