Yes. By 'accepting' everything including the contraction,
shrinking and flinching, you are no longer creating more
aversion/resistance to that moment of experience... no longer
'fixated' on being hit by someone, no longer holding on tightly
(for 'self' defense) to the 'shrinking away' (i.e. 'contraction'),
not further reacting or following the content, but simply allow
whatever thoughts and physical sensations to arise and pass by
itself. This is also related to the 'leaving no trace' I was
talking about earlier. It is linked with non-fixation.
As Aaron said -- contraction is not the problem, but the fixation
that brings us out of the state of pure awareness. Fixation have
different expressions but all stems from our egoic identification,
in this case, the (perceived) 'need' to 'defend' a (perceived)
'separate self'. Do look carefully and try to understand the
differences between contraction and fixation from the
article.
As long as there is still 'reacting' it means the fixation is still
there, just observe with acceptance. This acceptance is a
non-fixated open awareness that is aware of whatever mental states,
physical sensations that is arising, and also the space of pure
awareness.
This is similar to what Aaron explained:
Choiceless Awareness and Non-Fixation
...When there is an arising, the lawnmower going by, and there is a
momentary contraction around the lawnmower, if there is
mindfulness, you note that contraction almost immediately, as it
arises. The contraction around the hearing is not the hearing
itself. That contraction, also, does not pull you out. Now
this is a tough one. I'm going to be more specific. What really
pulls you out is fixation on the contraction. Here is the
delusion. The hearing was not "other-than," but the
arising of contraction, like or do not like, and the energy
contractions therein, are judged and experienced as "other-than." I
want you to think about the difference between contraction itself
and fixation on the contraction. I'm going to ask Barbara to make a
loud noise. I want you to watch any contraction around that noise,
and then, whether you simply note the contraction around it and let
it go, or whether there's judgment or wanting to hold on to the
contraction for defense Let's just observe. (There's a long pause,
and then Barbara gives a sudden, loud shout. And again.)
Could you feel that shift? Of course the body startled from
the surprise of hearing and there was a contraction of energy. The
energy contraction is simply a conditioned arising, just as was the
physical sensation of hearing. Fixation on any conditioned arising
pulls you out of that state of pure awareness. By "fixation" I mean
a self-identity with, a move to change, prolong or control it which
is movement of the small ego-self.
What if you see the fixation after a time, and then release it?
Then, yes, you do come back to that state of pure awareness
again. The body may still be reverberating from that
contraction. There is a distortion, a warp of sorts, in the energy
field. In my book, Path of Natural Light, I have delineated
practices with which you can work with that distortion and release
it. I'm not going to speak to that here. What I want you to begin
to see is how easily you can come back home. As soon as you catch
it, whether it's a fraction of a second or ten minutes later, as
soon as you catch it and re-open, you are home.
You are not denying the arising of fear, anger, desire or
any mind state. If those arise, then you work with them skillfully,
simply being aware that they are present until they begin to soften
or dissolve. To be aware of a mind state is not to fixate on it. It
is not to hold the anger, not to have aversion to the anger. It's
simply to be aware of it. It is not the mind state, any more than
it is the arising of any thought, that pulls you out of that state
of pure awareness. Anger is just another cloud, another
arising of conditioned mind. It is harder to make space for the
anger than simply for a thought like "planning," but it certainly
can be done. You are not denying anything in your experience but
observing the fixation around each contraction that follows the
thought or sensation. Observe how that contraction seems to have an
"other-than" quality....
