The Paradox of Waking Up

Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today I'm going to talk about the paradox of waking up. So one of the, the most common patterns that I hear from people who may have done a retreat or a course with me is that when they go home and they begin to do regular mindfulness practice, they really start to see results. You know, they start to feel more calm, less reactive, and generally more happy. Some of them also find that they drop old habits, or they see improvements in their relationships.

So there's really a sense of achievement, or really a sense of joy about it. And then as their practice evolves and they develop more and more awareness, they are, of course, then more aware of their thoughts, of their feelings, of their urges. They're more aware of their conditioning and their reactivity. They're more aware of their moods and they're more aware of just how much they're not aware. So in this stage of cultivating awareness, that can be a real feeling of going backwards.

This is the paradox of waking up. But noticing all of this is actually a really great sign that awareness is growing. It's really important, therefore, to have patients with this process and just trust in continuing to practice mindfulness that will continue to heal old wounds, release ourselves from old habits. We'll become less reactive and we're gradually becoming more wise, kind and lighthearted people. So each time we fall, we simply bring ourselves back to the practice with patience and gentleness, knowing that every apparent step backwards just strengthens the next step forwards.

So, yes, on this path, we have to be patient, consistent and determined because change takes time and sometimes it's tricky. But you can trust that by continuing to practice mindfulness, you're moving in the right direction, you're moving towards a life with more love, compassion, and fulfillment. So as always, thank you for your practice and your presence here with us. And now let's settle in for today's meditation.