Every time we sit down and close our eyes to meditate, we engage in a powerful process of transformation.
Granted, the transformation is gradual and subtle, but it is also cumulative and irreversible. When we meditate, our awareness shifts from being lost in the whirlwind of our thoughts and experiences to noticing and perceiving them. With the ability to perceive what is going on in our mind, we have a chance to realize that we are not the perception or the thought, but the perceiver of everything that appears in front of our inner eye.
This ability to be the perceiver or Knower of our thoughts and experiences has a profoundly transformational impact - not just on our Meditation practice, but on the way we experience life. An example my husband shared with me many years ago illustrates this point beautifully: When he took his first yoga class at age 18, he felt like his feet were not touching the ground for hours after the class finished. He felt as if he were walking on air and his whole sensory experience of the world around him had expanded. The same phenomenon happened after the second and third class. After he finished his fourth yoga class nothing seemed to happen. At first he was disappointed, until he realized that the expanded awareness had become so much part of him that it didn't seem unusual anymore. It had become "the new normal".
In the same way, every time we acknowledge ourselves as the Knower of our thoughts and experiences in Meditation, the infinite nature of that Knower as "me" becomes more familiar in our awareness; its presence is strengthened and our ability to recognise the Knower as our own True Nature becomes easier and more immediate. Our Meditations become more peaceful and effortless, because we are no longer trying to control our thoughts or thinking that they should disappear. Instead we simply and neutrally witness the movement of our thoughts as no more than clouds moving through the sky, while we remain firmly established as the Knower.
As the Knower, our sense of Self is no longer limited to our human form, our thoughts, emotions and conclusions about ourselves. As the Knower we are aware of the underlying Oneness of all existence, and, more importantly, we know that there is no separation between what we perceive as me and the all-encompassing Knower. As Knower we are Pure Free and Forever.
The awareness of the Knower-Self in Meditation is powerful in and of itself. It leaves us peaceful, transformed and expanded in our awareness. The same sense of expansion continues when we open our eyes to come back into the waking state. Having shifted from individual awareness to Knower awareness, the power of the Knower is now consciously active in all the situations we encounter.
This can manifest in different ways for different people. For some, the surroundings may seem brighter and ambient sounds may appear sharper when they open their eyes after meditating. For others, a sense of peace keeps accompanying them as they move into their daily activities. Some people experience a heightened sense of purpose or concentration and some just feel a new sense of wellbeing and calm.
In the early stages of a Meditation practice the transformations experienced in the waking state may appear to be short lived. But just as in the example of my husband's experience with yoga, you will notice that a subtle yet very distinct "new normal" is taking place in you. In our human system, the transformations from Meditation appear gradually and subtly, yet the changes are permanent. You may notice that in your "new normal", you no longer react in the same way to situations that previously aggravated you. You may also notice that emotions in general are losing their power over you. When you are aware of and aligned with the power of the Knower in you, then your life is peaceful and your actions are effortless.
As our Meditation practice deepens, the knowledge of the Knower becomes stable. We no longer vacillate between thoughts and Knower - we remain firmly established as the Knower at all times. In this process of increasing stability, our understanding and direct knowledge of the Knower expand in ways that the mind cannot grasp. We come to realize that the Knower is our true reality. It is our highest Self that has been covered by the belief that we are separate from our Divinity. Continuous practice of Meditation dissolves the covering. It matures our understanding and the realization that we truly are Divine Beings appearing to live a human life. This is the ultimate transformation.
Are you looking for help with this process of transformation? Ask for a free half hour consult with Sampriya to find out how she can help you build or expand your Meditation practice.