Watch The Gap

I practice mindfulness meditation for three main reasons:

• Learning about the mind;
• Training the mind;
• Creating spaciousness in the mind.

It’s only through our mind that we relate to ourselves, interpret the world around us, and relate to others. Therefore, the more we understand how the mind views events, responds to problems, and reacts habitually, the more opportunity we have to avoid unskillful reactions and, instead, chose skillful responses.

 Personally, I want to create a mind that causes less suffering for myself and other. I’m working on developing a mind that responds wisely and compassionately in all situations and with all people. To develop such a mind, I need to learn how it operates. Once we get to know how the mind operates – its likes and dislikes, where it’s skillful and unskillful – then we know what thoughts we should ignore, listen to, or develop further.

Subways and trains now have recorded announcements warning passenger to watch or mind the gap … that little space between the train and the platform. The mind has a similar “Gap” for which we want to remain aware. The “Gap” is that brief moment after an event occurs or a thought arises, and just before we react thoughtlessly or respond wisely.

Most often, those flashes of spacious moments get overlooked in the whirlwind of life. With meditation – time and practice – we can expand the ”Gap” so that we consciously choose how we want to respond in any given situation.

OBSERVING THE GAP

You may have noticed that when breathing, after you have exhaled, you have a slight pause before your next inhalation. Some call that pause the “Gap.” Sometimes, it’s long and sometimes it’s short … but it is always there between the out-breath and the in-breath.

When you sit in formal meditation, take a few minutes to watch when that Gap occurs. What does the body experience? What happens in the mind? Over time observing the Gap, I’ve discovered a spacious, rich, and deeply peaceful moment.

Another opportunity for you to experience the Gap is with any breath, during any part of your day. People ask me how they can use meditation during work, traffic jams, family gatherings, or airport lines. Obviously, during these activities, you can’t begin formally meditating. You can, however, take a simple breath, let it out, and experience the Gap before taking the next inhalation. As you become familiar experiencing the Gap, all it takes is a few moments of spaciousness to relax the brain’s stress pattern, relax the body, and freshen your mind.

True, this Gap method isn’t like formal meditation. It is, however, a wonderful way to give yourself a gift of creating openness in the mind. Over time, you’ll find that the Gap – both with your breath and in your life – becomes more prominent, more healing, and you become calmer. And of course, the calmer you are, the more skillfully and creatively you respond to life’s challenges.

Tagged as: anxiety management, insight meditation, learn meditation, meditation, meditation blog, meditation techniques, mindfulness meditation, self-improvement, stress management

Beth