Witnessing vs. Intervening

Question: I am trying to understand the balance in being the silence witness to my mind, (in just witnessing all it’s churning thoughts of insecurities etc. and knowing that it is not my true essence), verses taking what an insecurity says to me and working it through. An example is that I can witness my thoughts (and know they are just thoughts) regarding my fears of not being good enough, but should I not try to change this fear as well to grow as a person (by risking being vulnerable, open, honest etc.)? Answer: If I understand you correctly, you are trying to determine whether you should work on an issue like fear or low-self esteem primarily through the cultivation of your silent witness, or through a more active approach involving changes in behavior and beliefs. I believe both are needed, but because the awakening of the spiritual self has been so neglected in our society, and because it is the real foundation of self-esteem and fearlessness, I may tend to place more emphasis on it than on psychological modalities. However, the two practices are complementary and mutually supportive, so you don’t really have to decide between them. rnIf we have deeply ingrained conditioning like phobias or limiting behavioral patterns, then it is helpful to use specific techniques to assist in clearing those blocks. Meditation awakens the silent witness value that will eventually wash all that away, but that can take a long time. The same rule applies to physical illness and imbalances—meditation will help improve the ability of the body to heal itself, but for chronic or acute situations, it is also important to intervene with physical treatment.rnLove,rnDeepak