Why Do We Use This Approach?

We live in a relative universe where the body both exists (it needs nutritious food, and exercise, and good self care) but also doesn’t (it is mostly made up of the empty space between atoms, which are themselves made of the very same building blocks as the surrounding environment). And in deeper meditation states, or of those in the higher Fetters, the feeling and perception of the body can radically change, or disappear altogether.

We can hold all of these relative truths equally, because none of them are fundamentally the one and only Truth. Each view can be useful or detrimental depending on our purpose.

If we deny the body, and instead let it starve and rot, then this is not a healthy conducive view to hold.

If we believe that material form, and that everything I experience is all that is real, then we severely limit our understanding of the universe, as well as dismissing many life-changing experiences that are within the scope of this BodyMind organism.

Each view is made relevant by the lens and the needs of the one who is using it. And that may change throughout the day.

So we bring them all together, using whichever tool is appropriate for each person, applying course-correctives to bring balance without any artificial limitations as to whether or not a particular tool fits in with the “non-dual paradigm”.

Sometimes we need to reconstruct a healthy sense of self before we can see that one never was there at all.

The path is not always comfortable; we often encounter many things that we haven’t felt safe enough to confront in the past. But we can do it with openness, gratitude, love, and kindness.

The most important thing is to stay open. And stay curious.

It’s okay. Nothing is the way you believe it to be.