Imagine standing in the sunshine on a beautiful spring day. The sky is blue, you can feel the breeze on your face and there is a slight fragrance of fresh earth in the air. You are enjoying the moment when all of a sudden a huge dark cloud passes over head and blocks out the wonderful sunshine. You know you can wait a minute and the cloud will pass and you will be back again enjoying the sun’s shining. But why wait? The loss of the happiness you experienced are only changes in your mind. You were thinking happy thoughts and then you started to think less happy thoughts. It’s all just thoughts in your mind. Want to be happier more often? Change your thoughts to being happier. Try this.
Practice letting go. Practice focusing attention of the ending of things. Each breath you take has a beginning and an ending. Focus attention on the ending of the breath. Let it go. Notice your thinking during the day. Each thoughts that comes up has a beginning and an ending. Focus attention on the ending of a thought. Watch it fade away. Practice noticing the ending of things.
When the first pang of irritation or annoyance comes up due to life unfolding in a way you do not want; think ugh and then watch the end of the ugh disappear. Do not linger on it going away. You practiced focusing on the end of things, now just let the ugh go. You can wait for the clouds to pass by or you can actively practice noticing the end of things and then apply it to letting go of what you do not really want to be holding on to.
Many traditions have a ritual practice to help this process. On the afternoon of one of our Jewish holidays, there is a ritual called Tashlich. One manner of practicing this is to go to a lake and cast out pieces of bread onto the water. The bread can represent shortcomings that you are casting out to be washed away. Other traditions ask you to write a note on paper and then cast the paper into a fire. The bread or note contains something you are ready and willing to give up . A trait or habit that you would prefer to be cast away.
Amazingly the subconscious mind which is a source of much of our active thinking does not differentiate between the reality of our actions and the imaginary thoughts of our actions. So the symbolic casting away creates an opening for greater happiness, compassion and appreciation for being alive.
Spiritual Gravity 