Is that you, or just an experience?

Most of what we call 'me' is really just an experience; a thought, a situation, a body, a job. But if these so-called experiences aren't me, then what is? A largely neglected element of mindfulness practice is the art of self-awareness, sensing yourself as the watcher of all experiences. Most teachers ignore this and treat mindfulness as a mind training exercise instead, but this misses the most powerful part. Realising that you are not who you think you are is the greatest gift of this practice and of any type of meditation. It releases you from the cycle of worry-scheme-stress-react-worry-scheme-stress that most humans are completely caught in. It also destroys the idea of a time based self, which ends the reliance on past and future. Instead of ignoring this challenging place, I invite you to lean into it, and to realise that thoughts and experiences are there to be enjoyed, but there is something else that endures through the ever-changing craziness we call life.