THE SCIENCE + ANATOMY
Vichara is a yogic practice of self-reflection that maintains your attention in a steady aware fashion where your mind becomes quiet + less reactive. This still non-reactive mindset is the state of consciousness or awareness, which is an intrinsically skillful + resourceful state.
For most of us our judgments + reactivity cloud our perceptions, muddle our decisions + tend to lead to frustration + distress. When your thoughts + feelings are held in the non-judgmental spaciousness of pure awareness it is a profound moment of yoga. You can notice how you feel with out getting lost in the emotions + be aware of the accompanying thoughts + feelings without buying into them. Vichara opens up a significant opportunity to free you from the circling story line + reprogram the self-limiting patterns of reactive emotions, negative thoughts + old beliefs.
It works like a water filter. The filter (awareness) repeatedly recognizes + removes the pollutants (the self- limiting judgmental thoughts, feelings + beliefs) changing the structure of the water (your mind) so it is now free + clear. When you direct nonjudgmental awareness to something it illuminates the stuff in your psyche + transforms it.
And when you are aware of your own state you are better equipped to deal with your thoughts, emotions + beliefs before taking action This empowers you with skillful perception to make more resourceful choices + decisions which in turn build a capacity to be in the stuff that would normally spin you out.