Ep. 126 – Staying Awake When Feeling Neutral

As a path to eternal vigilance and ultimately, cessation of suffering, Ramdev encourages us to tune into the present moment during times of mundanity and neutrality. 

 In this episode, RamDev offers a balanced perspective on:

• Practicing awareness during neutral, mundane, or transitional moments
• The four Buddhist foundations of mindfulness (body, mind, feelings, dharma)
• The three Buddhist characteristics of existence (impermanence, suffering no self)
• Working skillfully with neutral states so that we are prepared for both joy and adversity
• Embracing eternal vigilance as a tool for inner transformation
• Observing the process of thinking instead of getting caught in thought content
• Asking the powerful question: “How alive do I want to be?”
• Practicing loving-kindness (metta) and checking in with our inner states and levels of connectedness
• Shifting our mental habits to move from unconsciousness toward greater conscious awareness

“What I notice, if I am not paying attention to neutral states, that almost always there is this eternal monologue going on and it’s a way of the ego saying ‘I’m here’. One of the most direct practices I have found for not getting lost in that inner monologue during so many of these neutral moments is learning the practice of watching the mind—Not what you're thinking about, but being aware of thinking itself.” – RamDev

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