Aug
07
Untangling the knots that bind us
Have you ever found yourself all tied up in knots over something? Perhaps so tied up that you can’t think your way out of it, and the more you try the tighter those knots become. Have you noticed how tight the knots are physically, in the gut, the shoulders, a headache or a confusion in your thoughts? I’ve even found myself tripping over my own feet when I am all “tied up” in my mind. Think of it like trying to unravel a cable or wired headphones from a bunch of other cables. The more you try to force it, the more entangled they become.
I’m sure this is a situation you can picture yourself in. I have found myself here many times in my life, and most recently around an incident and a responsibility I must take on. Worry, uncertainty, and narrow perceptions literally had my body tied up in knots, and then I froze. I wanted to run away, not face it, not deal with it, only to find that a couple of days later, these physical and mental knots and disturbances returned…stronger and harder.
My mindfulness training and practice reminds me that there are ways to manage this. One way is to turn toward this disturbance, the cause of these knots, to understand my experience. I remind myself that I am human and these are real and felt emotions and thoughts, and then this is where the practice proves to be crucial and helpful. Practicing slowly and consistently to turn toward my experience, even though it felt unpleasant at times. In those caring moments, I also notice some pleasant experiences in my body, and a softening of the fear and worry.
Mindfulness is the practice of pausing to pay attention to this inner experience, the knots and all, with kindness and care, to be with the experience and hold it caringly, compassionately, and letting the physical and mental knots unravel on their own, revealing the beauty and strength within this tender human being who has the capacity to be resilient.
It feels like the art of Shibori, which I have just begun learning. Our object is tied up in knots, and there is no real perception of what is possible – other than the remembering of our good intention for the piece we hoped to create. The process of preparing, making (a practice of mindful attention in itself), and then pausing for many moments as we wait for the indigo dye to do its work. Throughout this pausing we take the knotted tangled fabric out of the dye and massage it, give it some of our loving care. We kindly work with the fabric and the knots before returning it to the dye to pause once more. This process goes on for some time, AND this is the practice. Pausing, relaxing and softening into disturbance, and being present for the unravelling, the reveal.
This is one of the many moments in the past weeks that I have found strength from the practice of mindful awareness. sometimes with the support of my meditation practice, and sometimes in the midst of the disturbance, pausing and being with it, without contracting or wanting it to go away. Pausing, noticing what is present and what is needed and being with that….It’s not perfect, and just like the practice of Shibori Dyeing, this tender body and mind is a work in progress.
Learning to pause and see what is present, and needed, is a practice. Just as acknowledging that there are difficulties and disturbances in our life, we can transform how we respond to these, with practice.
If you could benefit from slowing down and pausing, learning practices to help you untangle from the knots that bind you, then you may like to learn with me in the upcoming Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course.
On this page you can learn more about our Mindfulness Based courses – and details of the next group program starting on September 9.
Early Bird discounts and payment plans are available
If you are curious but would like to meet me and learn a little more about what you will experience in our group program, you are very welcome to join the free introduction session on zoom on August 20. Please register here for your zoom link.
If you are looking to deepen your meditation practice, get in touch about our other offerings listed below.
