Brainfog

Hello Members, happy January.
And happy Gregorian calendar New Year if that’s something you celebrate.

In February, we’ll talk more about celebrating Lunar New Year, in June we might discuss Hijri New Year, in September Rosh Hashanah new year, etc. ‘Cuz new year, as with new anything, depends on context, perspective, and relationship- when you’re practicing mindfulness.

But today at 6:01, I’ll send out a “new-year-new-meditation-practice” email to the Guest Pass subscribers list. You can read it at this link. I gave it a little twist. Instead of being all upbeat, it’s a warning about one of the ways that mindfulness works, and even works too well. If you have graduated from either MBSR or the Toolbox course, you have heard this warning in person during class. And I thought it could be good for everybody to have a reminder.

This is the quote from that email that I would like to unpack further:

“There’s a side effect to all that presence, focus and clarity: you become more intimate with the truth of your life experiences. There’s a vulnerability that comes with being here. Since it’s not always pleasant, we humans sometimes hide from that which is right in front of us. And mindfulness practice is one of the practices of un-hiding.”

There’s been a lot going on.

And I want for us to recognize that as part of our Tier2 labwork.

There’s been a lot going on.

I’ll be transparent that I have been experiencing brainfog myself. And it would not surprise me if some of you have been experiencing it too.

While meditation helps to ground me, the point of meditation is not to dissipate my brainfog.

Nope, that’s not the point.
It doesn’t work that way.
Even when I want it to work that way.

And, it’s important to recognize that the advertisers and truth-benders are leading pop culture to believe that your brainfog (or pain) should magically disappear with mindfulness. They are putting out a noisy message that somehow you’re not doing it right if you feel anything that is not-necessarily-pleasant.

Please note:
Doing it “right” actually includes sometimes brainfog and sometimes pain within a larger context of a long term relationship with mindfulness practice.

If you are experiencing some of the side effects of un-hiding, it is an indication that you are following the instructions properly.

Please come to our labwork meeting on Jan 19th 3pm.

We will be discussing why it is that not-necessarily-pleasant side effects do happen when doing meditation “right.”

This is one of my favorite discussions. I’m not kidding. It lights me up.

I hope you can join me.