My practice has hit a new level in the last week. In large part this is because I`ve been cultivating the habit of seeing the ball of energy. Or rather, resting in my visual awareness of the ball. It`s a subtle distinction, but it's important. In the past I've tried to "visualize" this energy. But I realized recently that not only do I not need to visualize it, visualizing is counter productive. It sets up a parameter in my my mind that I'm somehow creating or imagining this energy. But I'm not creating it. I know it's there. I can feel it, and if I can feel it then I can see it. Just because the energy is clear doesn't mean I'm not seeing it. What I'm seeing is the clarity of magnetic energy.
And when I see it, it's like my brain is much more easily able to rest in it. Seeing it is a deeper peace than merely feeling it. My brain relaxes at a new level of faith. It sees the energy, so my arms merely relax into it, and eventually my body relaxes into it.
I've discovered that seeing the energy makes it easier to recall throughout the day, when I want to take a moment to rest my mind, or do informal practice.
The more I see, the stronger my faith in this energy grows, as does its power as a source of happiness.
This morning it entered that extremely solid state that I think of as metal energy. When the force field is so strong, I feel it could hold up buildings. When I rest my mind in an energy this visceral and mighty, it's hard not to feel stable, confident and optimistic
