CB2TB: The Only Thing You Need To Know
I started meditating a couple years ago. Before that, my mind raced constantly. I wasn’t even that fast paced of a person, not active on social media and generally by all accounts (don’t ask my wife), “normal.” But, nevertheless, I have always had a non-stop mind churning and burning creative ideas, worry about what’s to come and pain about what has passed.
Discovering meditation changed all of that. It didn’t cure my mind, but gave me permission to be aware of it. You always hear from really smart and insightful people about presence and awareness, but at first all of this seems abstract. I will take a crack at it and give you a different perspective.
For me, this means that you are no longer a participant of the unconscious “you” that’s turning the hamster wheel in your head. You see, your brain tricks you into believing you’re having these thoughts. The reason I know (and you can too) that you’re not is you can sitback effortlessly like a stoner at a Dead concert and “watch” the show. That’s right, you can just sit there as an observer and watch and listen to the thoughts just fire off. The phenomenon of this experience raises all kinds of questions about the human mind and those of all living organisms potentially. I mean, you ever think about who you are talking to when you talk to yourself? Lots of places to go from here, but I will stay on track to my main point. So, this observational experience of which I am describing is called meditation. You see, it’s not about the fancy sitting positions or sanskrit (Gooz-fra-ba Anger Management) mantras. It’s not about having some out of body, psychedelic trip. It’s not about going somewhere else. It’s about being right here, right now and observing the reality of your existence, the reality of your own mind and those thoughts flying on auto-pilot.
Now, granted there are several types of meditative practices that touch different parts of the mind and moderately vary in effect based on practitioner account and scientific research. But, I think the most simple form of meditation is called Vipassana. The lesson that strikes me the most from Vipassana is what to do when the mind drifts off to that seductive thought factory. It teaches to come back to the breath (CB2TB). Once again, come back to the breath. I know, it seems too simple, but such are usually the most elegant solutions, but not simpler (just ask Albert Einstein). It’s not just about drawing your attention back to another area of focus besides the brain dwelling thought monster. It’s about returning to a place that gives you your foundation for life and spirit. Breath is life. Breath is not thought. Breath is not the future. Breath is not the past. Breath is right here and right now. The hard part is actually doing it. Try focusing on your breath for 5 minutes right now. It’s tougher than you think. You’ll laugh when you catch yourself after your mind wanders to toward the thought magnet. Even the most practiced meditators have difficulty, but they should. They are human after all. It’s part of what has allowed to survive for eons, but it’s also a source of discontent in our modern world of unprecedented bombardment of our senses.
Come back to the breath or CB2TB. It almost has a mantra tone to it. Say it if you need it to get your there. When stress hits you, say it and do it. It will take you back to the most primal and comfortable place no matter where you find yourself physically. When it comes down to it, there’s really only one secret to life. Just come back to the breath (CB2TB).
