January's Calling

The days are slowly growing longer.  People are getting back to life after the holidays with great intentions for better health, deeper spiritual connection, better financial control.  I personally, have recommitted myself to Stillness, to Movement, to Surrender.

This time of year always calls me inside.  I become wildly erratic when I don't take the time to rest enough, exercise enough, drink enough water, eat enough hot oats, or drink enough strong herbal infusions.  The lack of light affects me.  The dry air affects me.  And somehow, this time of year is like a jolt that makes me look evermore deeply into the darkness and admit where I am compromising my soul.  I become ill.  It's a dance.

Sitting with eyes closed, breathing slowly with awareness, relaxing into this here...I surrender what is changing for me, what remains for me, and I surrender to the great Nothing from which all arises and returns back to.  This is my meditation.  Namaste.

Meditation Musing: Noticing the Stillness

Whatever the medium is that draws you inward and to the Stillness, let it not be more important than the goal.  Stillness can be recognized at the beginning of your practice session, even before you pay attention to your breathing, think your mantra, or whatever else you may do.

If there is effort involved in noticing the Stillness here, use your technique, but curiously consider how much Stillness you notice.  Even when there are thoughts the Stillness remains and can be noticed.  Even when techniques are being used Stillness may emerge.

It is in the paying attention of it that the magic happens.  Noticing the Stillness is not meant to be a struggle or a mission.  It will likely give you a headache to treat this tip as such.  Instead, innocently watch and wonder about the quality and degree of Stillness that is present more often during your practice.  Enjoy!
 Artwork by Jing Jing Tsong.  Used with the permission of Jing Jing.  See more of her art:  www.jingandmike.com

Meditation Tip: Observing

Let a higher power rule over your mind, your life.  Instead of being in control of it all,  observe.  Becoming the observer of your mind allows you to become the observer of your life.  While this may sound scary, counter-intuitive or even ridiculous, it might be interesting to try it out.

You don't have to do it forever.  No need to fear the uncertain and unattainable commitment to relinquish the cherished way of controlling forever.  Instead, just see what it might be like just now.  Perhaps later on you may want to become the observer again, just for fun.  Out of curiosity.

It is my experience that as this is practiced, life becomes more effortless and enjoyable.  If this sounds good to you, I recommend the joyful position of observing.

Meditation Tip: Non-Attachment

Practicing meditation can be like prayer.  It is a devotional practice and requires of us that we be selflessly unattached to outcomes.  This can be a bit tricky because we see the effect meditation has on our lives and we begin to desire similar or greater results.

We know that the quality of our lives improves with a consistent practice of meditation.  We know that each time we sit down, we are healing our bodies, cleansing our minds, and enlivening our DNA. We know that we begin to see life differently and that we begin to behave differently as well.  Effortlessly.  Yet, it is easy to recognize these changes and become attached to a desired outcome!

Since results happen effortlessly, however, we need not interfere with the way the Creator deems our unfolding to manifest.  We, as the budding god-lets that we are, are not to take control of what will be healed next or what behavior will change next.  We are asked to surrender all of these hopes, cravings and even true desires to that timeless, infinite, still place that we become aware of during our turning within.  The opposite action will actually slow down the positive effects of our practice since doing so is like going against the current.

As we surrender, the Creator has more to work with for we are more humble, maleable, and innocent.  We take on the discipline of surrendering our will over to God's will and miracles arise(ie. positive change in our lives!)  Maybe not how we would have manifested them, but maybe in far greater ways than we could have worked up ourselves.  Practicing non-attachment to the outcome, we become free and leave the details to something GREATER than ourselves.

Meditation Tip: Excuses

The most attractive thing is to tell ourselves that we are too busy to stop and do our practice. At the bus stop, on the bus, in the airport, at our desk, while the kids are napping, when we are leaving work in our car before we drive away...the moments are actually endless...just like the excuses!

It is uncomfortable to sit with ourselves when we are so busy. This is because it is not our natural state of being to be so busy. Stillness is our natural state. It isn't that the Stillness isn't there when our minds and lives are so busy, it is just that we are paying attention to the movement, or the busyness.

No matter what the excuse is, it is not valid. Period. The Stillness is there right now waiting for us to notice it. We have been paying attention to the busyness most of our lives and so it is unusual and uncomfortable to turn our attention elsewhere. Being disciplined in doing so is important. It is by exercising this "muscle" that we strengthen it, habituating a new focus and a new experience of life. So, taking my own advice and hoping you'll join me...let's just do it!

Meditation Musing

Listening Deeply is something many of us don't do. We've forgotten how to do so. Allowing for life to teach us in this way is powerful. Yet who takes the time to find this out? Hopefully we do!

Meditation can assist us in developing this ability. Mindfulness helps us to bring the practice out into our daily lives. We choose to walk throughout our day listening deeply to see what happens. We are innocent and curious.

Sit for a ten minutes, eyes closed, exploring the inner workings of yourself. Slowly open the eyes and allow for you awareness to notice if there is a quality which remains the same. Stand up and move into a simple task like light stretching, fixing a cup of tea, or watching the birds outdoors. Allow for mindfulness to lead you forth. Listen Deeply.

Meditation Musings

Thoughts will arise and fall away. Some will be linked to many others and some to none. Some will seem very important and some strange. Some thoughts will linger and others will return many times.

All thoughts are waves on the ocean of our infinite mind. Watch them come and go. They are like our breath or the clouds in the sky.

The mind is meant to think. Do not try to stop it from doing so. Instead, enjoy the moments when it does so on its own and get comfortable with the flow of thought.

There is something beyond that movement of the mind. Your challenge today: Notice what it is that is beyond the movement. I double-dog dare ya!

Om Shanti