While the body may respond to certain situations with defense mechanisms - an intelligent and sometimes necessary response - awareness offers a subtler, more profound & surprisingly effortless approach with respect to arising preferences. Instead of defensive reactionary behavior, the simple subtle feeling of offness is ample for awareness as an inherent pointing to alignment & the true nature of awareness.
For example…
A challenging conversation arises and there is a bodily contraction, a muscular tensing or tightening. As this is not a bodily threat, but rather - is a challenging conversation - the tensing up or rigidity is not truly justifiable, and is a reaction to the belief that one is a separate self inside of a body, and the bodily reaction is a preparing to defend this separate self of thoughts. Put another way, the body is preparing to defend the belief, that awareness is finite and inside of the body.
The ‘offness’ of this is that a belief is a thing. The relief & truth is that a belief is an appearance.
That a belief is true is illusory, and is the basis of misidentification as, a body.
The discord felt could seem to be of the conversation, while in fact the discord felt is much more direct, and is of the belief.
Awareness, the actuality of the body, is always ample. It is enough to be aware of the contraction & discord of the belief, which serves as a gentle pointer with respect to misalignment, the truth & true nature.
In short, being aware of reactivity based on misidentification is ample. It’s not a problem to be solved. It’s not some thing (to be figured out). It’s a belief, and the discord of the belief is felt.
Being aware of the contraction, the belief, and the discord of the belief, and any reactivity which follows such as judgments, rationalizations or justifications - is ample.
Of the example…
During a conversation about misidentification, anxiety & a tightness in the chest arises.
Being aware of the belief, the rationalization (anxiety)…
… and the discord of the belief…
… and the bodily reaction to the belief (the tightening)…
…is ample.
Should any further judgments, rationalizations or justifications arise, it is ample to be aware that they are.
While one is never not present, arising beliefs and defensive rationalizations, judgements & justifications can obscure, making it seem like awareness is not aware of these thoughts (rationalizations etc).
Again, being aware of these thoughts is ample and inherently reaffirming that awareness is in fact ever-present & these phenomena, including the body, are appearing of & within awareness. Whats clarified is that you, awareness, are not a finite thing inside of a larger finite thing, but rather are the indivisible infinite awareness, aware of apparent phenomena.
As awareness is ever-present, as in doesn’t come & go… and the body is not ever-present, and does come & go, awareness is aware that it is what’s appearing as, the thought, body.
In terms of day to day life, this shift from reaction to & defending of thoughts & beliefs, to awareness unobscured of this apparent activity, is the unobscuring of the profound truth of self-abundance, and therein the truth of effortless attracting & receiving.