Tips for Witnessing

Witnessing is an art which can transform our life. Witnessing can transform the energy of our emotions into their highest form. But for most people it is not easier to witness feelings and emotions. Here I am sharing few tips for witnessing strong feelings or traumas.

1) First of all we should not run away from negative emotions or moods. Most of us try to escape from sadness, anger or loneliness. Once we start facing sadness, anger or lust with ease then only we can even think of witnessing them. So the basic step is to be comfortable with them and get used to them, know them or start facing them but don't avoid them.

2) When we start facing negative emotions then we will be taken over by them. E.g. in sadness we will become sad. In the beginning it is bound to happen but slowly we should create a space or distance between mood and us. E.g. Sadness is there but we are not sad. Instead we are watching the sadness. This thing can happen easily if we have become good in witnessing thoughts. Emotion is a cluster of thoughts, so if we could not witness thoughts then how can we witness Emotions.

3) Another important thing is that we don't need to run away from any feeling or we don't need to do something about the feeling. Let the emotion be there and but we should also be there. So the situation is that there are two currents flowing in us. One is the current of an intense emotion and second is the current of awareness watching the emotions.

4) If sadness is there and we have become sad then it simply means that there is no watcher of the sadness. We have become identified with the sadness. So we can take it as a thumb rule that if we have become sad, angry or jealous then we are not witnessing, So immediately start witnessing again and create a distance between the emotion and the watcher.

5) We are always in a hurry and we tend to react to any emotion. But in reality we don't need to do anything with any emotion, except that we allow it to be there and watch it with passivity. We have to watch the emotion and nothing else. If we have the attitude of transforming or somehow getting rid of the emotion then possibly we could not watch the emotion. Our job is just to witness and nothing more.

6) Stillness - This is one of most important and most neglected area. Stillness or relaxation or ease in watching the emotions. If we are not still then possibly we can never watch any strong emotions. Strong emotions always makes us feverish or excited and stillness brings us closer to our inner center. A Meditator should pay importance to stillness not only while meditating but in day to day living. There are many occasions in the day when we lose our cool. On those occasions remember to be still and calm with awareness.

7) It is easier to witness an emotion in the beginning rather than when it has taken the shape of a monster. So practice witnessing all the time and whenever we see any emotion arising then start witnessing its high tide and low tide.

8) Most of time we only want to get rid of negative emotions but we tend to enjoy positive emotions. We need to watch both. No choosing of emotions. If one has to witness emotions then one to witness all type of emotions. We can either drop the mind completely or not. We cannot choose one side of coin. If we choose head then tail will also come some times. Either keep the coin or drop it.