Awareness and Equanimity

There are two words that stood out to me at the end of my most recent course, they are awareness and equanimity. I find they really sum up the essence of what the practice is and aims to achieve, and although simple, they are foundational to joy, harmony, and success in all aspects of our lives.

These terms may seem self-explanatory, but equanimity is less common; it's defined as "mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation," by the Oxford dictionary. However, in the context of practicing Vipassana meditation, their meanings can be understood slightly differently. It's hard to explain well, and is better understood through practice, but in simple terms, the practice cultivates a subtle awareness of the breath and body, and equanimity towards that observation. Understanding how that occurs is the purpose of a 10-day course, but I'd like to share the value of it.

Awareness and equanimity are challenging enough in a silent meditation course, surrounded by people who are also there for the same purpose , so when stepping out the center, maintaining them becomes even more challenging, but also more valuable. Awareness and equanimity determine how we interact with all we encounter, inwardly and outwardly. All our goals, flaws, and qualities are influenced by them. Stronger awareness and equanimity means being more resilient towards habitual behavioral patterns, whether it be unhelpful overconsumption, overreaction, or other aspects of ourselves that we frankly feel out of control of. The practice helps break down those habits at a subtle level, which leaves us feeling more grounded, compassionate, and helpful to ourselves and others.

Whenever I attempt to write about the practice, I ultimately find myself falling short of doing it justice, and that is because it is not really possible to grasp it without practice, and honestly, even with practice, there always feels so much more left to understand. In any case, I left this last meditation course as I leave each time, with immense gratitude for it being in my life, and an understanding that maintaining the practice is no doubt the best thing I can do for myself and others in this life.

Wishing you well. Much love.

Naser

P.S. I uploaded a video sharing some more thoughts from the meditation center, and will be sharing a short tour video of the center soon too.