Ancient meditation and mindfulness traditions invite us to view thought-feelings as clouds passing through the expansive sky of our mind.
Thoughts and feelings are to be seen as clouds that come and go, form and dissolve, appear and
It’s an analogy that helps us not get too attached to the temporary thought-clouds in our permanent sky-mind. It helps us take a few deep breaths in the midst of an upsetting experience and to remember our thought-feelings are transient and ephemeral. In a few moments they will be gone and soon enough a clear sky will take their place.
The idea of thought-feelings as clouds is a beautiful analogy. However, it’s not complete enough. Physical clouds are high above us in a faraway sky whereas we are
Our thought-feelings are here and now, all around us. In times of turmoil or
One way to make the thought-feelings as clouds analogy complete is to see ourselves as birds.
Birds can manouver above or below clouds at will. Birds can distance themselves from clouds at any moment. That’s the strategy we should take in moments of passion. We should fly like birds and regain a view of thought-feelings as clouds.
How do birds do it? How are they able to fly?
There are three crucial aspects of bird anatomy that allow them to soar across the skies:
- Birds are light because their bones are hollow
- The wings of birds are arc-shaped creating lift and thrust as the wind rushes across them
- Birds have incredibly strong breast muscles allowing them to flap their wings with rapidity
That’s what we need meditation to do for us. It should make our insides lighter allowing us to empty the bones of contention that weigh us down.
It should strengthen our breast muscles allowing us to take deep breaths in intense moments of passion and fury
It should shape and form our
A consistent meditation practice builds our flying muscles and
