Session 2 Pain x Resistance = Suferring

This is one of the most fundamental insights we can receive from meditation. How our relationship to pain and discomfort affects us constantly in everyday life. Understanding this concept totally changed my perception on how to deal with many different challenges that I face on a day to day basis. This is something that must be understood experientially. Stillness and lack of distractions are crucial in seeing our own experience with precision and clarity. Try to tap into your body and mind. Pay attention to what starts happening when pain and discomfort arise in the body.

Steps

- Find a quiet place.

- Set your phone timer to at least 15 minutes.

- Sit down in a comfortable position with your back straight and your chin tucked. (On a chair, the floor, or a meditation cushion)

-Place your hands on your lap or your knees.

-Set a clear intention in your mind to be COMPLETELY still until your timer goes off.

-Take 5 deep breaths

-Do 5 full-body scans. Start at the top of your head and focus your awareness as much as possible on scanning the whole body down to the tips of your toes, and then back up.

-Focus on your breathing where-ever it is natural to do so. (Tip of the nostrils, Lips, Chest, Stomach, etc)

-Count each out-breath starting from 1 to 10 and once you reach 10 starts the process all over again.

E.G( Breath in, Breath out, and at the end of the out-breath that is 1)

-Whenever you feel like you are ready it is time to add your contemplation. For this week we take the phrases "How does my state of mind affect my play in each session? During a session, does my mind trick me into making certain incorrect decisions based on an exploitative strategy that I am applying incorrectly? If so, how is it doing this?"

-Feel like you are just taking words and putting them into some open space in your mind and allow it to digest and process them.

-Pay attention to the thoughts and feelings that arise from this. You will most likely be taken down a thought train. Just watch these thoughts arise and try to see them as they are.