A couple of weeks ago, I experienced a day of bliss – breathing my way through a floaty state that I wanted to think of as something approaching that of transcendence. But that could sound pretentious for something that was simply a feeling of lightheartedness and buoyancy that by degree was strong enough to minimise, if not prevent, the possible intrusions of negativity.
And the prompt for that day’s feeling came from the contrast it held from the previous day’s wall-to-wall pain.
Any negative condition that captures one’s focus is often compounded by fear-filled explanatory stories that arise in the mind, painting bleak outcomes. And pain is no exception if the cause of the pain is unknown.
So, to feel no pain on awakening, to feel normal again, was in itself a release from the snare of suffering. The subsequent joy and relief filled me with appreciation that spilt over the edges of my reality, seeping through every pore of my awareness.
Image: Jenny Hermann
The filter of my perception fell under the spell of this transformation, where everything that I gazed upon revealed its beauty, yes beauty. Little things or what ordinarily could be called mundane, no longer fitted those descriptions. Such as the glint on leaves from the sunlight, the episodes of stillness in between daytime sounds, and the fact that I could put washing into the washing machine.
This may sound somewhat over the top, but my counter comment is that if it felt right, why not allow it, nay encourage it as it can only deepen a realization that life has much to be savoured.
I was so moved by this feeling that I spent time mulling over the possibility of encapsulating it in a kind of visceral way where I could draw from it, strengthen it, extend it to the point where its existence no longer depended on the knocks of contrast, or something extra special and out of the ordinary. Is it even feasible and if so, how does one do that without becoming desensitised to the burst of magic that contrast generates?
During my state of floaty appreciation, I was very present, as my senses seemed to milk each moment for its awe. So, being present is part of it, but how do we keep reminding ourselves to go there? Is it really possible? Part of me wants to say “No”, because then the contrast is no longer available and that’s what highlights the good feeling for us.
But another part of me wants to say “Yes”, that with practice, ‘floaty’ can approach the norm, where peace with awareness becomes the overriding response to life and the state within which one lives.
Perhaps that is placing ambition beyond reasonable probability but at least the direction of intent is favourable - as long as it is free from pressure. It is the relaxed and gentle approach to change that is more likely to increase its occurrence.
Other than simply trying to remember to return our focus to the present, that memory of experiencing ‘floaty’ can be kept alive by revisiting it frequently, and rekindling the sensation we experienced by immersing ourselves in the memory. Recollection of the memory through association, as for example the glint of sunlight on leaves, can also be a useful tool to take us there.
The purpose of practising this is to learn to evoke that state of being at will, thereby becoming less reliant on external factors to awaken it. Call it a potency, skill or ability, it is inherent in being human. Just as anxiety arises from within us, prompted by our interpretive thinking, so too does a blissful state of being arise from within. It is from the self, it is the self’s creation, always within us, and not solely dependent on external circumstances to unlock it.
Let your awareness be filtered through the softness of a gentle smile.
I really enjoy your writing. You manage to combine just the right amount of wit and personal experience with essential topics of interest to your readers. Readers who go away with something to really think about - and act upon. As I do. Thanks for the reminder to choose 'floaty' more often than not!
Thank you for this insight! I am so often in pain and your post has given me a good identifying tool to deal with the frustration that often preempts the notion of pain.