Fall Into the Space Behind the Mind

 Be the space for that which arises.

Eckhart Tolle

"Follow me," the mind says. "You have to fix and work out your whole life?" 

Too often we follow that order from the conditioned and "normal" mind.  We go off trying to analyze what is wrong, what could go wrong,what needs to be fixed,what we have to do to prevent things from getting broken, who is to blame, who we need to defend ourselves against,  and how to bloody control  every thing in our lives so it fits us comfortably.  Wow!  That is a tall order from the mind and though it does its best to assist us in fixing our whole life, it certainly causes a whole host of other problems, doesn't it? 

Most obviously, it keeps us stuck in our heads away from the quiet stillness we hunger for, whether we know it or not.  It takes us away from the only place Life can be found: here and now. It also leads to alot of judgement on our parts, a lot of determining what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong...and therefore  a lot of expectations about how our life "should be" or "shouldn't be". When we meet up with the sad reality that our expectation are constantly going unmet we fall into unconscious reactivity.  We end up hurting others and we end up hurt by others.  

After all, it is the "normal" mind that says "follow me." It is the "normal" mind that says there is a problem out there-fix it!"  It is the "normal" mind that says , "Things and people should be a certain way." If it is "normal"that means  most people operate under the control of this mind. That doesn't mean, however, that normal is healthy.  This isn't healthy...at all. This keeps us unconcious. 

The Healthier Option: Fall into the space behind the mind.

Instead of listening to this mind with its never ceasing demands, we can simply fall into the space behind the mind...the space from which the mind and all its thought emerges.  We can move from the unconscious state of reactivity which is in the forefront of our experience, to the conscious state of response which is the background.  

Movement there requires little effort. Just fall into that space. Meditation, yoga or a mindfulness practice can drop us into this space. Once there we can tap into the Observer who is not following the sick advice of the "normal" mind...it is simply watching it. It is not attempting to fix, or manipulate and control what is happening around us... it is just watching it.  It is not judging or expecting...it is simply watching.  It does not tell Life what to do...it just observes...It becomes alert, and aware of mind and all its thinking, feeling , reacting. It is alert and aware of the circumstances of  life unfolding.  It acknowledgs those thoughts, and emotions, as well as the people around us and everything they may or may not do. It does this while  it accepts and appreciates all the moment offers.  It clings to nothing. It denies nothing.  It just is as Life just is. Loving all of it. 

That is the healthier option, don't you think?

All is well in my world.