One of the means I use to enhance meditation, increase awareness/attention is to "pick wool."
What in tarnation?.....William? ...Huh? ;)
I enjoy fibers, handling them, processing them and creating with them. Wool as a raw fleece needs to be washed, dried and "picked." Starting with the raw fleece that is full of little pieces of plant material I give it a good shake and then I wash it very gently in hot water and Dawn dish soap. After a couple of washing's and rinses (icky water full of lanolin etc.) It gets set out to dry.
Now comes the "picking" :) commercially the wool would be treated with harsh chemicals (even fire) to "burn out" any left over contaminants....but this isn't so good for the wool ;( and....well not my style :) Some use a mechanical picker that kind of thrashes the wool knocking out some of the contaminants...but they do a rather poor job. Me? I do it by hand....very much like the cotton pickers of old removing the seeds from the burr. So far all of this is to some extent a mediation but this final part is the really cool part.
Sitting quietly with a very small clump of wool in my hand I gently "open up" the fibers. loosening the locks and knots that are there and discarding any large weed stickers and the like that may still remain. Looking at the wool (if it is dark) you see little slivers of grass, dander, hardened lanolin. Using my left hand I pull very small lengths of fiber out of my bundle and catch them in the palm of my left hand. I don't attempt to attack and remove the contaminant from the wool, but rather remove the wool from the contaminant. As I pull/pick the contaminants drop to the floor.
A slow methodical process that has a single focus and calms/empties the mind. Often I do this while I listen to a lecture without viewing any visual that may accompany the lecture. I never pay attention to the massive pile that needs to be picked... that is unimportant. I am not in a hurry...perfection is my desire.
It reminds me that often it is far easier and more effective to remove the body/mind from the offending contaminant than it is to try to grasp the offence and pluck it from our body. I watch the contaminant fall from the fleece and drift away to wherever the comic is now sending it.
Peace Profound,
William
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