As Adapted from Thich Nhat Hanh by Don Boice
Mindfulness of Consumption
This is called “mindfulness of consumption.”
We don’t want certain feelings to come up, so we suppress them by consuming something.
There’s some feeling of loneliness, fear, or depression inside that we do not want, so we pick up the newspaper, we turn on the radio, we turn on the television, we go to our phones, we go for a drive. We do everything we can to avoid confronting our true selves.
This kind of consumption is a practice of running away, and the items we consume continue to bring the toxins of violence, fear, and anger to us.
By practicing an embargo on our negative feelings, we create a situation of bad circulation in our psyche, suppressing our unwanted thought patterns and not allowing them to circulate.
When we create a situation of bad circulation in our consciousness, it causes symptoms of depression and mental illness. It is especially important to lift the embargo, allowing the negativity to come up.
You can only do this if you’re ready, or you’ll be overwhelmed by your suffering.
You invite the negative thoughts to come up with the energy of mindfulness generated by your practice. This energy is there to recognize, embrace, and transform.
You’ll learn how to sit and tolerate the distress. You will bring relief to your suffering.
Make friends with all your feelings, “You can see, my dear old friends, you are welcome to come up. I will offer you a bath of mindfulness so you will feel better.”
When they are free to circulate, the symptoms of mental illness begin to disappear.
Mindfulness of Consumption
This is called “mindfulness of consumption.”
We don’t want certain feelings to come up, so we suppress them by consuming something.
There’s some feeling of loneliness, fear, or depression inside that we do not want, so we pick up the newspaper, we turn on the radio, we turn on the television, we go to our phones, we go for a drive. We do everything we can to avoid confronting our true selves.
This kind of consumption is a practice of running away, and the items we consume continue to bring the toxins of violence, fear, and anger to us.
By practicing an embargo on our negative feelings, we create a situation of bad circulation in our psyche, suppressing our unwanted thought patterns and not allowing them to circulate.
When we create a situation of bad circulation in our consciousness, it causes symptoms of depression and mental illness. It is especially important to lift the embargo, allowing the negativity to come up.
You can only do this if you’re ready, or you’ll be overwhelmed by your suffering.
You invite the negative thoughts to come up with the energy of mindfulness generated by your practice. This energy is there to recognize, embrace, and transform.
You’ll learn how to sit and tolerate the distress. You will bring relief to your suffering.
Make friends with all your feelings, “You can see, my dear old friends, you are welcome to come up. I will offer you a bath of mindfulness so you will feel better.”
When they are free to circulate, the symptoms of mental illness begin to disappear.
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