Monthly Archives: July 2018
We were talking tonight about the ways that people explore meditation, and the “roadblocks to progress”. There are so many types of meditation, so many “languages” of mindfulness or meditation…I find it confusing too! And yet I don’t…here are my current ideas, (and I’d love to hear yours too):- In early meditation practice, what matters is regularity. Once a day is good, twice a day may be a bridge too far for some people. Once a fortnight is not so…..
I have been a most inconsistent meditator, up until the last few years. Now I am a daily fumbler into the amazing world of meditation experiences. What I am discovering now is that by setting aside a time every night (and morning also, when I am disciplined), for meditation, that progress and awareness are moving much faster. I am getting “tugs” through most days, especially at the designated times, to remind me that I should be meditating. Weird and…..
Meditation is not the same as prayer but both have overlapping elements. Depending on your own spiritual outlook, prayer may have a part in your life, or it may have no part at all. The objective of a prayer time may be different to the objective of a meditation session, or it may be very similar. Meditation is compatible with religious, atheist or agnostic world views. Some meditation practices say things like: “It is not important you believe anything; just…..
So why do people get drawn to meditation? The stereotypes fall down here, because I am regularly meeting people who declare that they are meditators, and I find myself thinking “YOU? A meditator?!” It seems that all sorts of people are integrating meditation or mindfulness into their lives. For some it is curiosity, for some, meditation is a part of their spiritual belief systems, and for other people, meditation is an important survival tool in very tough situations. Let’s look…..
Not my own original thought at all, but several meditation traditions use the analogy of our “day to day” mental activity resembling the bouncing waves on the surface of an ocean, as a way to demonstrate how the discipline of meditation or mindfulness can take us “down” to stiller and more effective levels of brain functioning. Buddhist traditions refer to the “monkey mind” ( a really humorous example is the Mingyur Rinpoche YouTube clip on this : https://youtu.be/n6pMbRiSBPs ) as our…..
…..what is the most profound thing you have ever experienced? ….what, absolutely without any shred of doubt, makes your heart sing? Or who? Where is the place on the world that speaks to you of mystery and wonder and adventure? ….what makes you feel completely real, and are you there yet? In my book, Moving Light – Meditation Journeys, the chapters explore the idea of touching the profound within us. Profound moments alter us. Inspire us. They may be experiences…..
We are doing winter colds and bronchitis in our house. Meditation is not a panacea or cure-all, but it has a role to play in winter also. Science tells us that the immune system is linked to our state of mind, all the way down to the individual functioning of our white cells when fighting infections. Intuitively it would seem likely, although hard to prove, that meditation helps our immune system function better. So as I endured upper respiratory symptoms…..
I’m not sure about you but I misplace my own pause button too often.. From waking to working, to precious family time at the end of the day, the cycle of “too fast” seems welded into our lives. Cycles of travel, cycles of work patterns, cycles of tiredness, cycles of emotional reactions. Holidays and breaks are rare and like gold. But sustainable? The external world we know is lurching. No wonder that adult stress levels are so high, no wonder…..