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Welcome to the journey of self-discovery and transformation with the Inner Witness spiritual newsletter. Each month, you are invited to put into practice these spiritual teachings that will enhance your mind’s alignment with its Presence.
With enough dedication and perseverance in contemplative practice you will strengthen the witness part of your mind. Thus, you will have the key to allowing your meditations to be carried by the transcendental reach that your mind naturally possesses due to its component of presence.
Embracing the Inner Witness through contemplation
Contemplation - The Mental Witness
The position of the witness is the antechamber to the perception surrendered in the same consciousness of the presence; it is the passage that leads us to the Presence.
In contemplation, the emergence of the full attention of the Presence—without executing a series of complex techniques—happens precisely because we are observing, from the position of the witness, the instant in which the mind pretends to identify itself with its subjective content, such as points of view or thoughts. That is where the attention of the witness, which originates in the Presence, resumes its existence.
We can expect there to be a significant approach to alert attention in the stillness and silence that leads to the perception of the presence when we manage to sustain the imperturbability, equanimity, and indifference of our witness.
As the detachment is prolonged from the position of the witness, the moment arrives when the mind ceases to travel through the experience that was recorded in its conscious memory, and thus the perception of the presence arises, which is not misaligned with its existence in a perfect present.
Contemplation In the Midst of Physical Exercise
Dynamic contemplation is the practice through which we adopt the position of the witness while engaging in a physical activity, such as walking, jogging, or running. We intentionally seek the conditions in which our mind will exercise the position of the witness in its alert and silent attention, while also sustaining a positive state of mind, even with the rigor and fatigue of the activity’s physical demands.
We are going to seek to have our intense contemplation sessions in an outdoor space, where the witness part of the mind is exercised by dealing with a variety of stimuli, sensations and moods.
For example, if we jog, it is normal that halfway through the run, the physical strain may result in feelings of fatigue, discomfort, a decrease in our motivation, or even uncertainty, just to mention a few. In the midst of physical exercise, the witness part of our mind faces constant stimulation, not only due to the sensations of fatigue, discomfort and physical strain, but also due to moods and thoughts that may arise.
What we achieve, while we prolong the position of the witness that remains imperturbable and immovable in the midst of physical activity, is that the sensations of fatigue, strain and discomfort serve to accustom the mind to remain in the center, in its balance, in its equanimity, without giving up its good mood.
It is not expected that the arising sensations and moods will disappear. Even if we continue to feel tired, or experience sensations of muscle pain, or the desire to stop due to fatigue, without giving in to them, we maintain the witness part of our mind that is effectively detaching itself from the emotional dimension. It is difficult to notice the equanimity and silence of the witness consciousness while detaching itself from the constant stimulation that arises during physical activity. But we can be sure that, by remaining in the consciousness of the witness, we are strengthening imperturbability, detachment, equanimity, in addition to maintaining a positive emotional disposition, which are fundamental while entering into a state of deep meditation.
Cultivating equanimity and detachment in the face of a succession of feelings, moods and emotions, maintaining silent attention, in its center, in its balance, means an achievement for the witness part of our mind that will enter with ease into deep states of consciousness during meditation.
What happens, for example, if during our deep meditation session, we have already reached the imperturbable and immovable witness consciousness that remains in alert and silent attention, and suddenly we feel doubts or begin to lose interest—or we feel tired, bored, or uncomfortable because we have been sitting for so long?
Those impulses—those notions, sensations, and desires—could even present a greater distraction to the position of our witness on its journey, to acquire the perception of our presence, free from impulse and meaning, than thoughts or views arising in our mind.
This part of our mind that adopts the position of the witness is the resource we possess to progress in this stage of purification of the mind, which is so important to initiate us in spiritual practice. With a dexterous, adept, and agile witness, we enter into the dynamism of the reality of the presence, which allows us to take that all-important step to transcend the notion of our “self.”
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