I’ve previously mentioned being fortunate enough to not really have been bogged down by physical pain, yet how to work with pain in meditation is a seemingly common request. Instead, for a while now, I’ve faced (energetic) blockages; or worse, ignoring them to continued and often increased detriment. I trust most of the following considerations may be helpful if experiencing blockages, especially when in meditation and contemplation:
- Assessment: What’s being blocked, from where, how and why?
- What is the origin, causes and root condition?
- Is there an associated organ, energy meridian, and/or area of the body?
- Can the heart of the blockage be located?
- What is the essence of the blockage?
- Can the blockage(s) be used as meditation object and/or how can it be incorporated into meditation?
- Explore any and all correlation of the blockage(s) with cessation
- What is the overall relationship with/to the blockage? Are there any other corresponding areas of the body with the blockage, and if so, what’s the relationship like between them? What is the relationship like between the blockage and the whole body?
- Feel into the truth of the blockage
- What can be noticed of the breath in and around the blockage?
- What are any associated and related emotions? Why and how might emotions be relevant?
- When/how do different aspects of the blockage change?
- How could this blockage be trying to help?
- Can this be made into a teacher?
- Reverse psychology: what if I desired more of this blockage? Can I actually express genuine gratitude for and towards the blockage?
- What does it need? Perhaps ironically, how can you serve it?
- Bring complementary energy, not contentious or conflicting energy
- Soften and notice energy flowing near the edges
- How is the energy — and energy circulation/flow — in and around the blockage?
- Upon noticing, is there a defaulting to habitual patterns and tendencies in the ways and manners of attending to the blockage? If so, how quickly and frequently? And how long does it usually take to become aware of this?
- What energy is needed and/or required for (and/or to address) this blockage?
- Are there more wise and skillful terms to use and refer to other than “blockage” and “stuck energy”?
- Is it helpful and wise to practice with the blockage using the four great elements — earth, wind, fire, water?
- Starting around 12 minutes 38 seconds, Ajahn Succito talks about how to work with blockages (on an energetic level) including:
- introducing and invite blocked energy to unblocked energy
- bringing the energy of the heart to the energy of the body
- inclining the heart to open and patiently stay with and encompass the blocked area in benevolent energy
- As a practice suggestions:
- invite ideal energy — perhaps an area where there’s unblocked energy — to, from, circulating through, in, out and around in all directions, boundless. If requiring more specific energy, the sublime abidings of the Brahama Viharas may be helpful.
- “wrap” the blockage in an energetic cocoon of the aforementioned energy
‘Feeling blocked does not mean anything is in your way. That’s just an old way of interpreting the mysterious complexities of life while confusing self-criticism and blame for new forms of insight. Quite literally, feeling blocked means you are in such a state of expectation that you are innocently blocked from seeing the circumstances of this very moment as evidence of what’s already on its way. The reason you may live in drastic states of anticipation is because you are an intuitive being who is so excited about what the future holds, you can’t help but do everything in your power to rush towards it.
The opposite of feeling blocked is being in the flow.
Quite literally, being in the flow means you are advancing towards the future in a more balanced, heart-centered, and grounded way — so much so, you are able to clearly see each moment as auspicious evidence of what is already flowing in your direction. The notion that you have to fix your blocks and ‘do everything you can to stay in the flow is an old paradigm way of unknowingly blocking the awareness of life’s inherent flow. It is simply the case of life planting seeds of possibility, only to refine the process as individual and collective consciousness ripens in maturity.’
~Matt Kahn
Only if yet to achieve mastery with the aforementioned do I recommend considering the following, somewhat fringe, more metaphysical approaches that I’m not responsible for what does or does not happen so proceed only with full self-responsibility and with caution:
- Investigate from various levels: astral, intuitional, vital, etheric, spiritual, divine, etc. [For possible reference see dharma teacher Phillip Moffitt’s Nine Bodies of Consciousness teachings and meditations]
- Are there implants, etheric technology, energetic parasites?
- Perceive blockage as a reminder that on an higher/expanded dimension (perhaps 8D) any blockages have already been transmuted, transformed, and/or healed.
- Experiment merging with the blockage
3/27/21 UPDATE: Beth Upton provides two major approaches that relate to cultivating samadhi: (starting at around 52min 11sec) One is an excluding and ignoring training where blockages unravel by themselves. The other is finding blockages and doing certain practices to unblock them.
