When the Flame Goes Dim. Welcome back to the second week of Sloth and Torpor.Today we explore Sloth and Torpor as more than tiredness and they’re a kind of inner dimming.
It isn't dramatic but just a soft fading of interest, of alertness, of care. And in mindfulness, that’s a doorway.
Sometimes the body slows because it’s had enough.
Enough stimulation, or enough striving, or enough pretending to feel fine.
Sloth and torpor can be a form of protection but they can also become habit and even an excuse to retreat from life.
The practice today is not to force wakefulness but to bring kindness to our low states. To feel the heaviness, name it and begin to move with gently.
When we move with awareness, even in the smallest ways, we’re saying: I’m still here, I haven’t given up on this moment.
Ask yourself gently: What does this moment need? Can I be with this heaviness, just as it is without fixing or forcing? Just with my awareness.
Even in low energy, the heart of practice remains the same: to be present, with whatever is here.
I’ll see you next week, Leia
Filmed in the temple grounds around the Wudang mountains of China
AI Generated·May contain errors
Welcome back to day two of sloth and torpor.
Today we are going to look at this hindrance not as an
obstacle toward achieving your goals but as a signal
as to why you may not be achieving your goals.
It's possible that the system has shut down
as a way of protecting you because
you've been pushing yourself and striving too hard.
It's trying to give you signals
but instead of just resting it's almost like the system's collapsing.
Maybe you feel too
overwhelmed. There's just been too much.
You've dealt with too much and you've had enough.
There's no way to just snap yourself out of it
and just come back to life.
You need to use this mindfulness to become aware of it
and then gently, with kindness,
compassion and awareness and understanding,
coax yourself back into life, little by little.
Start to slowly build the energy back up.
That's why we're here, to create that awareness
so you can begin to do that.
You don't have to get back on that horse and start galloping,
but you can maybe take the
horse out and go for a little walk around the stables,
get to know the horse again.
Let's do Qi Gong. We'll start by sinking the Qi.
Drop the hands, bring the energy up,
clasp the hands together, folding, keeping
the back straight but folding at the neck,
elbows meet,
breathing out,
and breathe in,
and out, and in,
breathe out,
And in,
breathe
out,
breathe
in, open,
again,
okay,
I lost
count,
I went
deep
into
the own
recesses of my own mind, or maybe I was feeling
scattered and listening to the children who
just came out from school behind me, thinking,
I better change locations quick, alright,
let's
move the
tongue 36
times,
6 times
each way,
swallowing
3 times,
ready,
with the
chi,
Put your hands on your belly.
Take a moment to breathe before the next Qi Gong exercise.
Let's open the Ba Hui. Drop the hands.
Bring them above the head. Breathe in and out. Breathe in
and out. One more. Breathe in and out.
Hands down on the belly.
Take a moment to breathe.
Do this three
times. The hands
come up. Breathe
in and out.
And out,
more,
hands up,
out, out,
last time,
out, hands
down,
let's sink
the chi,
all the
way up this time to where we had our hands before,
and settle the energy into the belly.
Now we will begin our contemplative meditation.
Perhaps you've worked very hard in your life,
a very long time,
raised a family, given everything
to your work, to the people you love.
And now you're tired.
You got to a point where you just couldn't give anymore,
I suppose.
And then the dullness came.
Did you criticize it?
Did you get mad at yourself?
Why couldn't you keep giving?
Why couldn't you keep doing?
Maybe you didn't take enough breaks.
Did you criticize yourself for that?
It's just a part of you
that's trying to protect you now.
Maybe you're in a new phase in your life.
Let's meet all of that with acceptance,
with compassion and kindness,
and find a way
To encourage the energy to return, not at full speed,
just a little bit, whatever that may be for you
and however that may show up for you.
Drop the hands, collecting the energy into the heart,
sharing your heart-centered energy with the group, receiving
the group's heart energy and putting it into the belly.
Thank you for showing up today and being willing to explore this.
dullness or
The tiredness that you may be feeling,
it isn't laziness, it's something else.
And I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow
to do some more exploration.
