Attention

Our attention is like a beam of light that brings what is at first hidden, into view. By focusing our attention on our experiences, listening to our thoughts, and feeling our emotions and bodily sensations, the forces behind our pain and distress can be seen. Moving our attention away from these uncomfortable experiences and feelings will only perpetuate our defense and resistance strategies against feeling them. 

By not trying to push these distressing elements of our experience away and out of awareness, we will start to see, that instead of them remaining and continuing to cause us tension and pain, they come and go by themselves. They are what we call, "self-released" from within us. This in itself can be a powerful insight.

As we become more able to contain and tolerate these uncomforta ble feelings, and sensations, trying to avoid or ignore them will become even more difficult than facing them. Within this purposeful, yet gentle act of looking inwards at ourselves, our defense, and resistance strategies will slowly diminish. No therapist or teacher can be so exact, so effective, and so appropriate as the power of our own awareness.