Meditation Monday – Why Resist Quiet Moments?

I’ve really enjoyed each of the meditation practices when I’ve done them.  I’ve tried Watching Your Breath,  Naked Sound Meditation, and Noting Body Sensations.  I also made up my own visualization technique, “fallow field meditation.”  I had some real successes, like when the phone rang and I kept meditating and breathing.  I’ve felt the peace and awareness of letting my mind empty.  I just haven’t let myself experience it enough.

I’m realizing that meditation is not just about technique.  It’s about value.  Do I value myself when I am still?  Do I value myself when I’m not “producing?”  Do I value quiet, rest and healing?  Can I value these things and still be a productive person?  Just asking myself these questions, reveals a lot.  That’s funny, because even not meditating is teaching me about myself.

This is week four in the book.  It’s time for “This Magic Moment” meditation.  The focus is on maintaining consciousness in the present moment.  This is a quick outline of the process:

1.     Find a comfortable position, upright, but not tense.

2.     Set your timer to eight minutes.

3.     Close your eyes.

4.     Allow your body to relax.

5.     When a thought wafts through your mind, label it as either “past” or “future.”

6.     As the thought floats away, notice the space around them – that’s the silence you need.

7.     Don’t fret if your mind attaches itself to a thought.  Just gently release it and allow, allow, allow.

I like this meditation, because most thoughts are nothing more than “past” or “present,” despite the fact that the only real moment is the here and now.  Please join me in meditation and let me know how your practice is going.    

Survival > Existence,

Debbie

Image courtesy of Stefan Rüdiger