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Ice Cube Meditation

One of the purposes of meditation is to be with whatever arises in the moment, without trying to get rid of the unpleasant, get more of the pleasant, or nod off on the neutral.  Our survival as humans depended on our ability to judge whether something was dangerous (bad) or safe (good).  We have carried that forward and now apply it to our internal experiences with some unfortunate results.

In this meditation, you will learn to be with something usually thought of as unpleasant while noticing the sensations and resisting the urge to change them.

Wrap a couple of pieces of ice in a paper towel and set a timer for 5 minutes.

Now take a seat and maintain an upright and alert posture.  Begin by holding the ice on the outside of your forearm.  As best you can, feel the sensations without judging them.  You might note to yourself "tingling" or "burning" or whatever sensation you feel in the moment.  See if you can feel the line of demarcatin between where the ice is touching your skin and where it isn't.  Leave it there for 1 minute or so.  

Next, move the ice to the inside of your forearm and repeat the process, mindfully noting the sensations for 1 minute or soIf you feel the urge to move the ice early, notice the urge and how that urge feels in your body, but see if you can keep the ice where it is.  Now over the ice to the inside of your elbow where the sensations may be more intense, and experience the sensations, without trying to change them in any way, for 1 minute or so.  Move the ice down to the inside of your wrist.  The sensations might get quite lively here; everyone e is different in terms of where they feel them the most intensely.  Again, take 1 minute and experience what is present.  

Finally, move the ice to your palm and be with that is there.  

The intention of this meditation is to experience sensations as they are and as they change moment to moment. 

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