“Open awareness meditation” is the only path of non-doing. All other practices of self-inquiry either involve some kind of doing or receiving from another. The practice of meditation and the outcome of meditation is learning to just be.
Warning: Side effects of simply being, may include, but are not limited to, deep relaxation, improved physical health, clarity of mind, joyfulness, restful sleep, emotional balance, and equanimity in the world of 1001 things.
The meditation practice that I am referring to is sometimes called “open awareness” (versus “focused attention” for example on the breath, a candle, a mantra). For most, this practice does not show results that can be defined as easily as with other methods. In fact, meditation requires a lot of patience, because of its subtle, non-interfering nature. Typically seated for an hour with the intention of being present with all inner and outer experiences; without any judgment, positive or negative, simply without interfering at all. Being here now, in witnessing presence with all that is.
I have been practicing meditation daily for 20 years. After several years of meditating with my partner and other friends and under the guidance of a spiritual teacher, we began offering silent and active meditation to the public in Chicago from 1999-2015; since 2005 in our meditation center “Inner Metamorphosis University”.
I do not currently offer meditations, but I may do so again in the future.
Meditative spaces are an important aspect of my life.
(While I have practiced a variety of active meditations as well, I am not describing them here.) This website describes a variety of approaches: Liveanddare
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