How to Co-Opt All the Stuff That Gets in the Way of Your Meditation | Christiane Wolf

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spk_0 This is the 10% happier podcast. I'm Dan Harris.

spk_0 Happy Sunday party people. Today we are bringing you a meditation from Kristiana Wolf.

spk_0 It's about one of those ideas that sounds like a zen riddle, but actually turns out to be incredibly useful.

spk_0 What's in the way is the way. The obstacle is the way. If you've ever sat to meditate and thought, I can't focus.

spk_0 I'm totally distracted. I'm incredibly physically restless and it's driving me nuts. If you've ever sat and bumped into a barrier like that, this one's for you.

spk_0 Kristiana is going to show you how to turn these obstacles, these distractions, these powerful emotions into the practice itself.

spk_0 As you may know, Kristiana is our teacher of the month over at DanHarris.com. That means she is very busy creating custom guided meditations for all of our Monday, Wednesday episodes here on the podcast.

spk_0 For the most part, these guided meds are only available for paying subscribers, but we're dropping this one for free.

spk_0 The strategy pursued by drug dealers everywhere. Subscribers also get access to our weekly live meditation and Q&A sessions.

spk_0 The next one is coming up with Kristiana Solo. We're doing this one on Wednesday at four Eastern Wednesday, November 12th.

spk_0 We usually do these on Tuesdays, but Tuesday, November 11th is a holiday in the US. It's Veterans Day, so we're moving our session to Wednesday.

spk_0 Quickly, if you want to meditate with me in person, I've got two events coming up. I'm doing a live taping of this podcast on November 18th in New York City.

spk_0 My guest will be the comedian Pete Holmes. It is a benefit for the New York Insight Meditation Center. Then coming up on November 23rd, I'll be doing an intimate Sunday afternoon meditation

spk_0 and Q&A session at a lovely hotel in the Hudson Valley in New York called Troutback. If you want a nice day trip from the city, come and say hi.

spk_0 I've put links to both events in the show notes if you want to get tickets. Okay, after a quick break, a guided meditation from Kristiana Wolf.

spk_0 So in this meditation, we will explore how to work with something in your life where you find yourself saying something like, if only this wasn't here, then dot, dot, dot.

spk_0 For example, then I could really meditate. We will use the example of meditation. What we believe gets in the way of us meditating.

spk_0 But of course, the principle is applicable for anything that we feel gets in the way of filling your own blanks.

spk_0 So make yourself comfortable for this meditation.

spk_0 If you're seated, placing your feet firmly on the ground and sitting with your back pretty upright.

spk_0 If you like, close your eyes or simply lure your gaze.

spk_0 Start by feeling into the areas where your body has contact with the ground or your chair.

spk_0 Simply feeling into those areas where your body has contact and sensing is it hard or soft, warm or cold.

spk_0 Find an anchor for this meditation too, which you will return to again and again whenever you get lost in thinking.

spk_0 If your breath is a good anchor, if it feels pleasant or neutral to you, if not then maybe staying with the sensations in your feet could be a good alternative.

spk_0 If you're using the breath, then now just allow the breath to become a little bit longer and deeper.

spk_0 Becoming aware of the body just sitting here and breathing deeply.

spk_0 Giving yourself a little bit of time to arrive and settle into this meditation.

spk_0 Now asking yourself, what do you expect from a meditation?

spk_0 Or what is a good meditation for you?

spk_0 Maybe you've heard the phrase, a good meditation is one you do.

spk_0 But having heard this doesn't necessarily mean that your mind gives up its expectations that a good meditation should be or feel a particular way.

spk_0 We often have the expectation that a good meditation should feel good in some way, ideally even blissful or at least some would calm and relax.

spk_0 Why would we even meditate if we wouldn't expect this?

spk_0 Be curious and find out what it is for you.

spk_0 What makes you feel disappointed in the meditation or maybe even in yourself if that doesn't happen?

spk_0 Mindfulness has the wonderful qualities of curiosity and openness.

spk_0 We can turn mindfulness like a flashlight onto anything, including something that we don't fully understand.

spk_0 So you can now shine mindfulness onto what you're struggling with in meditation.

spk_0 What would you like to have gone where you find yourself thinking if only this wouldn't be here then I could meditate?

spk_0 What is it? Is it restlessness?

spk_0 Is it restlessness? Is it restlessness? Is it restlessness?

spk_0 Let's now focus of your attention, getting really curious about it.

spk_0 Can you explore it?

spk_0 If it is within you, where does that show up?

spk_0 Is that in your body or mainly in your head or both?

spk_0 Does it have any particular qualities?

spk_0 Is it solid or is there some movement to it?

spk_0 Is it still the same or has it changed?

spk_0 Or can you imagine bringing the breath into what is challenging, breathing some space into or around whatever you're working with right now?

spk_0 Or what are you noticing?

spk_0 What if this wasn't a problem but just a part of this meditation today?

spk_0 What if what you're doing right now is exactly what makes a good meditation?

spk_0 As best as you can allowing what you think is in the way to be here and actually be part of the way.

spk_0 Allowing yourself to be restless, having racing thoughts, to be bored or having the sounds around you.

spk_0 Let us just how things are right now.

spk_0 So giving yourself some credit for showing up today and doing the work.

spk_0 And when you're ready, bringing this meditation to an end, inviting some movement back into the body

spk_0 and open your eyes when you're ready.

spk_0 Thank you for meditating with me.

spk_0 Thanks again to Kristiana. Don't forget I'll be doing a live taping of this podcast, which will also double as a fundraiser for the New York Insight Meditation Center that's coming up on November 18th in New York City.

spk_0 Also, as always, a reminder to sign up at Dan Harris.com. You'll get guided meditations that come along with all of our Monday Wednesday episodes plus weekly live meditation and Q&A sessions.

spk_0 Our next session is on Wednesday, November 12th. We're skipping Tuesday, which is when we usually do meditations because it's a Veterans Day in the United States.

spk_0 We do these always at four Eastern. So Wednesday, November 12th at four Eastern with Kristiana Wolf, who's our teacher of the month.

spk_0 And then we'll be back to our regular Tuesday at 4 p.m. Eastern schedule.

spk_0 Finally, thanks so much to everybody who works so hard to make this show. Our producers are Tara Anderson and Elinor Vasilie.

spk_0 Our recording and engineering is handled by the great folks over at Pod People. Lauren Smith is our managing producer, Marissa Schneiderman is our senior producer.

spk_0 DJ Kashmir is our executive producer and Nick Thorburn of the band, Islands wrote our theme.

How to Co-Opt All the Stuff That Gets in the Way of Your Meditation | Christiane Wolf

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