Why start a contemplative practice? If you are reading this, you have asked yourself this very question or something similar. Perhaps you have thought about starting meditation or finding out about mindfulness. At contemplative, we prefer the term contemplative practice. Meditation means different things to different people and is often offered as a magic trick to do away with your obstacles. Contemplative practice can take many forms too but essentially involves a remembering to pause, despite what might be happening or create a space that is still and quiet. While thoughts are generally inadequate to generate a space of ease and stillness and flow, they can be used, albeit skillfully to help realize that they themselves as well our actions and our usual attitudes are ill equipped to bring about lasting peace and joy.
So when you ask why start a contemplative practice, you might harbour the notion that you have to get rid of thoughts and give up your indulgences. The term contemplative practice is not burdened by tradition or associated with inflexible techniques. You can create your own contemplative practice, borrowing from ancient systems like Daoism, Dzogchen and Buddhism but not restricted by them. Many find calm and fulfillment with practices as mundane as knitting, prayer or walking and elaborate ways such as Qi-gong or artwork and breathwork. With the right practice and as you gather experience, you will be able to generate creativity, space and meaning. The masters of systems such as Daoism and Dzogchen started out with the search for meaning and the way to freedom. You can learn from their insights and create your own way.
Why start a contemplative practice then? Because it is a wise and wholesome way to create joy and flow. With any such way, you start out with garnering some focus and use that to create meaning and space, which usually leads to more focus and an attention on what truly matters. Any effort you make is directed towards generating ease and moving towards freedom and flow without relying on too many centers or circumstances. That way the practice becomes the way, and you can create a movement towards joy effortlessly. That is key. The process is the way, which is why coming upon the right practice is crucial. Any end or goal you visualize is just another center and usually detracts from an easy focus. Striving to better oneself or change things to be happy is usually a self defeating endeavor!
Take sitting and contemplating impermanence for example. Why do it? Because everything is change, and contemplating this helps every aspect of your life. From generating humility, empathy and goodwill to broadening your perspective, such a practice can help you find meaning when you are in the midst of distress or create a tolerant, open space that leads to ease and enhanced flexibility. It doesn’t have to involve much effort and can be a joyful and calming experience. Practices such as these lead to wisdom and with wisdom, life becomes more wholesome and meaningful. The value of such a practice is felt immediately but more so in the long term. You do not need any special technique or rely upon any belief or dogma to do this. The only thing that is needed initially is some focus and the willingness to suspend our usual reliance on that which offers easy gratification.
The answer to why start a contemplative practice becomes evident as you start to see the ease and openness that comes with regular time spent in practice. Remembering that the process is the way, you stop seeking results or affirmation and truly enjoy the practice. So you can spend long periods of time moving and flowing and seeking nothing. That is happiness, the kind that you produce rather than consume.
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