Every observed inner quality — a tension, an opening, an impulse, a resistance — exists in a space defined in part by its opposite. Tension has meaning in relation to relaxation. Opening in relation to closing. Working with opposites consists in systematically exploring this space by observing not only the present state, but also its contrary pole and the relationship between the two.
This is not an abstract exercise. It is a concrete exploration method that produces information about the structure of states that unilateral observation cannot provide. Observing tension alone says little about its nature. Observing tension and relaxation — their alternation, their possible coexistence, the conditions of passage from one to the other — says much more.
Practical application
For a given state that one is observing: identify its functional opposite (not necessarily its linguistic antonym, but what in experience is its reverse). Observe whether the opposite is accessible. Observe the zone of transition between the two. Observe whether both can partially coexist.
What this method regularly reveals: certain opposites seem incompatible in theory but can coexist in practice. A relaxed vigilance. An engagement without contraction. An awareness of pain without resistance. These apparent paradoxes, when reached in observation, signal states of a particularly rich quality.