How to Be More Open – Week 3 of Our 6 Week Meditation Series at ArcStone

If you missed why many of us at ArcStone are meditating in the first place, take a quick peek at "Practicing Mindfulness at Work – A 6 Week Meditation Series."

Over 3 weeks, we've practiced the first few steps of meditation. We've all now figured out which seated position allows us to sit for 20 minutes most comfortably, what time of day works for us and what doesn't, how we would like to open and close our practice, and we have used the breath to really sink into a meditative state.Now it's time to take meditation to the next level. David introduced us to the concept of "opening." David spoke about the benefits of training ourselves to open in formal sitting practice, and that we will better be able to enter other methods of the practice, as well as refine our current practice. Read more on how this works and how this may affect meditation.

Defining Opening

To introduce us to this concept, David discussed a couple variations on the matter.

David referred to a Buddhist text the, Anapanasati Sutra. Anapanasati (mindfulness of in and out breathing) is one of Buddhism's key texts that outlines the Buddha's method for meditation. David said that he figured that the Buddha was probably a pretty good meditator so it makes sense to check those sutras out if you're thinking about taking on a practice.

According to David, one of the steps in the sutra is to “gladden the mind.” He feels that the Buddha's instruction to "gladden" is similar to this idea of opening - it just makes you feel better when you do it and it makes you glad / happy. By doing so, meditation is easier and your mind is more likely to settle.

Another way to look at it is to consider how we spend much of our day: we tend to close off and protect ourselves from various threats in the world. Through opening, the mind can become more accepting and aware of surroundings. David compares the sensation to,

"a flower opening to the sun; all sensations, feelings, thoughts open to everything, surrender to everything, as you relax a natural warmth and pleasant feelings will spontaneously arise."

A pretty beautiful image right? It seems to me that this state of openness would be quite a wonderful way to be in this world.

How to start practicing opening

Besides simply thinking about the opening as described above, another way to get started with this practice is to do an exercise David introduced in class.

Find a mundane object and then an intimate object, something that is meaningful to you. Stare at the first for a minute and then the latter for a minute. Then notice how you feel. It's likely that the first doesn't stir any emotion in you and that the second creates a definite reaction - a shift that feels like warmth or connection.

To practice opening, you want to extend that warmth that you felt when looking at the meaningful object to everything in your awareness.

Journaling + Homework

As David encouraged at the end of session, "keep working on your journaling! Note how you felt before, during and after your sit. Journal about what happens when you open. How did you feel?

Try doing a 3 breath meditation periodically throughout the day and open see what happens."

For more guidance, contact us for more information at ArcStone!

– Here's the link to all our meditation posts –

Topics: Inside ArcStone