Suggest a practice for re-engaging with Form

Hi friends! 

I wonder if any of you have suggestions on a gentle practice for re-engaging with Form. This is for someone who has been hard stuck in emptiness for a while. 

This unsticking from emptiness seems to be fuelled with a sense of loss. As in what’s the point all is dissolving anyway. Nothing can be saved so why bother. Turn your back to life.

All and any suggestion is welcome but I will appreciate clearly defined practice for a daily regiment.

Thank you one and all! 

What do you love?

Hm … … … 

I will reflect on that as I sense fear jerk and sadness from a possibility of engaging with “what I love” meaning have to open up to it/for it. Let it in completely. 

So I do not know the answer right this moment. 

The idea just popped into my head, inspired by Shargrol’s inquiry— make a list of what you appreciate/love/are grateful for/find interesting. Be as specific as possible.

Give yourself a little designated time to do this each day for, say, a week.
See how it goes.

Kate thank you. 

As in write it down list? Ok. I’m already feeling surge of energy through the body and also tears forming and that strong sensation behind the eyes and choking in the throat … 

You could write it down, or even speak it into a recording device if that makes it flow better for you.
The main thing is to allow yourself to dwell on the details.

Ok got it. Thank you! 

Your wonderful pictures seem like a start…

Look at those clouds behind the sunflower,  Dusko.   I sometimes see this incredible quality to clouds, a suchness that zen masters talk about.  
" Clouds are the mountains of Denmark, " I heard somebody say this awhile back, it may have been you. 

As I read this, it strikes me that grief and gratitude have some kind of relationship.
A soft heart, maybe…

Will take all your suggestions into consideration. Thank you all! 

Sometimes I find it helpful to notice two things. Firstly, something is always happening. Emptiness doesn't mean the absence of things or non-existence. The creative imagination is always happening and so is the constant, lively flux of sensations, even if all of it is empty of inherent existence.

Secondly, I try to notice the other side of emptiness, the non-separation of everything. If I see something beautiful, (I love seeing and smelling the trees in autumn for example) I'm not separate from the experience of the beauty. Without awareness, the experience of beauty would not exist. In this sense the experience of beauty is a part of me and I'm a part of it, or better it's all the same lively display. Perhaps this could be a part of dwelling on the details of what you love? Seeing that the experience of love is not separate from you or your experience.

I also find working with the body very helpful when emptiness is over-emphasized in my experience. I think it's another path that one can take. In my case, over-emphasis of emptiness might often be linked to some unnoticed tension or lack of awareness of the body. And I can work with it through the body as well as with more mind-based means. Working with the body feels very grounding and relieving to me. If you are interested in these sort of simple practices, I can share some with you privately.

Maybe I should do hands on self-Reiki again? (Hands on body and several positions) I certainly did that back in 2008 as my very first venture into this world of meditation. 

It just made me laugh, a thought of “reversing the stack” and kind of going backwards and back to the market place and that recent icon I’ve posted , John’s Ladder I think it’s called, where I see my self trying to walk down the ladder where all are trying to push upwards. There is a commotion on the ladder as I’m passing downwards saying “sorry, excuse me, sorry, sorry, it’s just me passing, oops sorry for stepping on your toe dear sir, carry on carry on, …” 

Here is a way I used Self-Reiki. These take around 30 minutes or longer. It makes perfect sense to “re-build” the body in this way which is also very much full of care (touch and warmth of the palms) and is leading the energy (drawing) the body from head to toes. 

I think Reiki sounds like a wonderful idea.