How Often Do You Look Within?

by Ryan Biddulph

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However maddening, I decided to look within by meditating more often the prior 2 days. I spend some serious time going within as is but a little passage from yogic teachings gave me a nudge to delve deeper.

Meditating last evening and this morning for extended sessions revealed my mind as it really is. I observed random thoughts, varying fears and wicked discomfort in moments. More key; I did NOT look outside of me for coffee, food, streaming videos or any activity-thing to repress the thoughts-feelings, to avoid the thoughts-feelings or to distract myself from the thoughts-feelings.

Going within changes your life dramatically over the long haul but like showering, you better go within for a sustained period of time daily to benefit, or to begin to observe your mind as it really is. Practice emotional hygiene daily, just like physical hygiene. You and I are capable of astounding things as we come to master our minds but going within, looking within, and observing your mind as it is proves to be:

highly uncomfortable
highly scary
highly agitating

in moments. I cannot lie. I feel mad sometimes as I go within. Ditto for any human being who meditates, does yoga or sets aside extended periods daily for serious introspection. But the freedom adjoined to the discomfort feels quite liberating. For example, if most humans appear to be running around in a state of fear because the humans never go within to observe the fear in their mind, you see through this illusion-appearance, remain calm, remain poised and enjoy the freedoms consistent with being alive.

The majority of travel bloggers I know seem to cling to fear in mind, using phrases like “when it is safe to travel”, or “since traveling will not be happening for a while”, because the bloggers deeply fear dis-ease and death. I observed my mind as it is for quite a sustained amount of time for 12 years, observed my fear of dis-ease and death, released a hefty portion of my fear of dis-ease, and will likely book a trip to Costa Rica in January. I am at ease because I largely dissolved the fear of dis-ease from my mind.

Being at ease, I enjoy the freedoms of traveling. This is a simple way to view life but uncomfortable too; I had to face, feel and release many fears by going within for a long time. But the upside of feeling calm, feeling free and living life as a free thinker certainly made uncomfortable meditation sessions worth it.

My wife and I have been traveling since July in the States. Most travelers remain hunkered down in their homes, fear in their minds scaring them into submission. Life is for the living. Death is for the dying. Going within purges fears to make you feel alive. Living solely in the without strengthens fears that scare you into trying to avoid death.

Anyone who makes living about avoiding death is dying. Death is for the dying. Live however you want to live. Or prepare for death. Everything is on you but you better believe; once you go within for 10 to 20 minutes daily, for just 1 month, observing your mind as it is likely unearths deep, pulsating fears that need to go for you to feel alive and to seize life, freedom and liberation.