For highly seductive and unhelpful thought patterns, practice ‘Cowboy Dharma’ by giving them ’no airtime at all,’ metaphorically shooting them out of the sky the moment they arise. This technique, done with a sense of humor rather than aversion, helps abandon thoughts that would otherwise lead to rumination and anguish.
While acceptance and saying ‘yes’ to experience are central, it’s equally important to have a ‘wise no’ in your toolbox for unskillful or unwholesome mindsets that are not useful. This ’loving no’ allows you to abandon unhelpful patterns without anger or aversion, just as effectively as a ‘wise yes’.
When caught in endless thought loops, worry, or rumination, ask yourself ‘Is this useful?’ to determine if the thinking is productive or merely a repetitive, unhelpful pattern. This question acts as an antidote to overthinking and neurotic self-assessment.
When unskillful thoughts, images, or fantasies arise that lead nowhere productive, use the phrase ‘dead end’ at the front end to remind yourself that the thought pattern is futile. This makes it much easier to let go and return to your practice or present moment.
Begin sitting meditation by using the phrase ’there is a body’ to settle into a full-body awareness, creating a larger, relaxed framework for attention instead of narrowing focus to a specific point. This helps in being with the breath and other sensations without over-efforting, fostering ease and relaxation.
During walking meditation, use the phrase ’there is a body’ to cultivate a whole-body awareness moving through space, rather than narrowing attention to specific sensations in the feet or legs. This can lead to a different experience of walking, dissolving the sense of a solid, fixed body.
In walking meditation, observe ‘sensations moving through space’ as a shorthand for the experience of whole-body awareness. This practice can help dissolve the sense of a solid, fixed self and reduce identification with the body.
In walking meditation, intentionally frame your experience as ‘walking through space,’ making the visual space the holding framework for your awareness. This practice helps reduce identification with the body and offers a different perspective of movement.
During walking meditation, experiment with the perspective of ‘walking in a dream’ to shift your frame of awareness to the mind or the dream state itself. This can loosen attachment to a fixed perception of the body and self.
In walking meditation, try the phrase ‘walking through the mind’ to experience a different perspective where the mind becomes the framework for your movement. This practice helps to loosen identification with a fixed self and highlights how perceptions are conditioned by the framework we bring to experience.
Become cognizant of ‘practice assessment tapes’—the tendency to constantly evaluate your meditation practice (‘How am I doing?’). When these thoughts arise frequently, practice mindfulness by noting them as thoughts and letting them go, rather than getting caught up in neurotic self-judgment.
To prevent getting lost in worry, practice becoming mindful of worry thoughts as they arise and name them (‘worry, worry’) much earlier on. This helps you recognize the pattern and avoid being carried away by it.
When facing a situation that needs addressing, focus on assessing it clearly and planning actions or contingencies without the added layer of worry or anxiety. Worry is an extra mental quality that can be separated from practical problem-solving.
Practice using both a wide-angle lens (taking everything in, like ’there is a body’) and a zoom lens (focusing on a particular object, like the breath) in meditation. Trust your intuition to switch between them: use zoom if the mind wanders, and wide-angle if feeling tight.
Adopt a mindset of ‘play,’ ’explore,’ or ‘investigate’ in your meditation practice, rather than being uptight or rigid. This encourages learning the many nuances of practice and discovering what works for you at different times.
If a specific instruction isn’t working for you, explore why or adjust it until it becomes effective for your mind at that particular time. This emphasizes flexibility and personal adaptation in practice, rather than rigid adherence to a single method.
Experiment with different meditation approaches, such as wide-angle body awareness or zoomed-in breath focus, and intuitively choose which is most helpful at any given time. This allows for flexibility in practice based on current needs and avoids dogmatism.
Occasionally step back to assess the quality of your mind during practice, but do so out of interest rather than judgment. Be mindful of the frequency and quality of these assessments to avoid falling into neurotic self-evaluation.
If you lack a one-on-one meditation teacher, use Dharma Seed (DharmaSeed.org) to access thousands of free Dharma talks by topic or teacher. This resource offers specific suggestions for working with common mind states like anger or sleepiness, providing guidance similar to a personal teacher.
Use AI platforms like ChatGPT to get answers to Dharma questions, from basic to esoteric, noting that responses are often accurate, clear, and comprehensive. Always cross-reference AI answers with other resources like Dharma talks or readings, as AI can sometimes be incorrect.
Sign up for the free seven-day New Year’s meditation challenge led by Joseph Goldstein by downloading the ‘10% with Dan Harris’ app, which includes a 30-day free trial covering the challenge. This challenge offers a masterclass and on-ramp to Buddhist meditation, suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators.