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From Resistance To Transcendence
We suffer not from the situations or circumstances
of our lives, but from our reactions to these events.
Mindfulness training teaches us to note these
reactive patterns as they arise in thoughts,
feelings and actions. As we note these patterns,
we can recognize the suffering we experience
when we resist what is.
It is difficult for us to respond fully and adaptively
to anything we are resisting. What seems to be
called for is a shift in our state of mind that would
allow for creative responsiveness. Open state
training is a meditative practice that helps relax
constrictive, reactive states of body and mind. An
open state allows us to enjoy more degrees of
freedom, enabling more fitting responsiveness and
a feeling of being vibrantly alive.