We had our Sunday Introduction to Meditation Class at Yoga Bliss.   We practiced a guided meditation to deepen concentration adapted from Dr. Rick Hanson‘s book, The Buddha’s Brain: the Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom.

We explored ways to steady the mind in contemplative practice:   applied attention, sustained attention, rapture, joy and singleness of mind.  Yes, that’s right rapture and joy are mind states that can help us experience deepening states of concentration!

Rick has a number of helpful suggestions that address the difficulties we have in applying and sustaining our attention.  These techniques are aimed at helping us hold onto our focus, filter out distractions and manage our desire for stimulation.  This is where rapture and joy come in.  He describes rapture and joy as “wholesome” mind states that we can cultivate and nurture without getting caught up in a web of attachment.  Rapture is experienced as a bliss state that arises when we practice sustained contemplation.  Joy can be thought of in terms of constituent experiences of happiness, contentment and tranquility.

Rapture and joy help concentrate and sustain attention by causing our brains to secrete the neurotransmitter dopamine.  Rick describes its role in balancing the demands on our attention.  He writes that a kind of gate protects working memory from all other information that’s coursing in the brain.  When new stimulation comes knocking, the gate opens allowing new information to update our working memory, then the gate closes again.  As long as contents of working memory are moderately stimulating, a steady stream of dopamine is produced keeping gate closed.  This helps us stay focused on the object of our attention and screen out distractions.

Our goal is to foster singleness of mind.  In this deep state of concentration, we can experience insight.  This is the kind of insight that reveals the true nature of our lives or wisdom.  Hopefully, the experience of direct understanding will help us to live our lives in more meaningful ways.  We can encourage this singleness of mind by practicing whole body awareness, surrendering to the present moment and relaxing our  sense of self.  It’s amazing to consider this relaxed, focused state of simply being can give rise to wisdom.

Rick suggests just meditating on happiness.  I tried it for the first time – cultivating the feeling state of happiness in my being.  The experience evoked associations and memories that were light, free, funny, warm and loving.  Times when an uncontrived playfulness just seemed to bubble up to the surface of my awareness.  It was interesting to notice that this experience didn’t involve seeking material things or some sort of stimulation.  This version of happiness didn’t appear to have any baggage.   I hope you find your glimmer & glow!

You can find this week’s homework and other resources at:

Sunday Meditation Class 22 Homework