We gaze out at the world from a position of self, and this gazing prepares us to spill into that world. And for most, this is life – the quotidian.

But in meditation we withdraw that outward gaze and direct it inward, effectively stanching leakage through self. This allows the spirit to reach out from the spine/back, like a pair of angel's wings, and embrace a much larger world of feeling and energy. The realm of compassion.

Both are important but the one we most need to practice is the one we usually neglect.