Sleepless hours as practice
Last night, I found a great deal of things surfacing for me before falling asleep, possibly since it was the night of January 1st and the typical time for reviews of the past and projections for the future.
Sometimes, I decide to listen to BBC World Service until I fall asleep, get up and have a cup of hot apple cider, or read something, or even do some self-Breemas.
Other times, including last night, I decide to just be with whatever comes up, to be with what comes up and any resistance that may come up along with it, simply, quietly, without adding any stories to it, a soft docking, and it becomes a powerful spontaneous practice. Shikantaza in bed, just allowing everything surfacing to be, to unfold within and as the seeing of it, allowing knots to untie on their own, contractions to be seen, soften, dissolve, one after another, a string of contractions and knots surfacing, unfolding, morph, unravel, within and as awake emptiness, revealing themselves as nothing other than awake emptiness.
Labels: being with, practice