Reverse Meditation

April 24, 2023
In this enlightening entry, meditation teacher Holecek (Dream Yoga) introduces readers to the practice of reverse meditation, so called because it entails “revers our relationship to unwanted experiences, which means going directly into them.” Holecek opens with the concept of “contraction,” or the tendency to “retreat from reality... when things start to hurt,” positing that “super contractors” such as anger and aggression trigger this reaction to protect the self amid crisis. As a corrective, Holecek outlines three meditation types, beginning with referential meditation (which involves a “hitching post” such as breath or a mantra) and nonreferential meditation (the removal of the hitching post for “formless” mindfulness), followed by reverse meditation. Reverse meditation is broken into four steps: practitioners can observe their pain; be with the pain “without commentary”; analyze the nature of the pain; and finally “yoke or unite with” the pain. In so doing, the author suggests, readers can transform contractions into opportunities to generate compassion for the self and others. Despite drawing on a host of sources in way that can feel rather kitchen sink—within a few pages he cites T.S. Eliot, Jewish scholar Zvi Ish-Shalom and British scientist John Wren-Lewis—Holecek’s plan is grounded in an intuitive logic, and the principles are outlined clearly enough for nonspecialists to grasp. Those looking for a more freeing meditation approach will want to take a look.

June 10, 2024

Author Holecek (Dreams of Light) has practiced meditation for 45 years and recognizes that it can sometimes pull practitioners away from dealing with challenging moments and unwanted experiences. He describes this book as an owner's guide to life's difficulties and encourages readers to use it as a repair manual. According to the author, one should not employ avoidance strategies or evasion tactics, actions he labels "contractions." Instead, individuals should welcome unwanted experiences in order to properly address them. Divided into two parts, the book's first section provides an overview of various contractors, including self-consciousness, anger, aggression, fear, and panic. These contractions generate negative thoughts and often become habitual or stratified; as a result, they are difficult to alter. The second section offers meditative practices that help tackle these contractions. Exercises are scaffolded, starting with basic referential body/breath meditation, then moving to open awareness, and finally, reverse meditation techniques. A brief summary of concepts presented in section one and a glossary of Sanskrit and other terms might be helpful, especially for neophytes. VERDICT This book teaches how to use painful or difficult emotions as a doorway to inner freedom. Recommended for readers seeking to add to their mindfulness practices.--Erica Swenson Danowitz

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