Sai Baba Reiki

Thoughts to Ponder

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Why Meditate?

Reasons people choose to meditate include:

Better health, reduced stress, increased creativity, control of thoughts, better relationships, happiness and peace of mind, improved concentration, and to discover the purpose of life.

When we learn to be centered in ourselves, even for brief periods of time, to resist the pull of the outer world, to resist looking elsewhere for something to fill us up, to make us happy, to distract us; we learn how to be at home wherever we find ourselves. We learn to be at peace with things as they are, moment by moment. I love this quote from Sharon Salzburg, “May the circumstances of my life not define the state of my heart.” How do we get to that place? For me, my meditation practice is that path. Spending time in silence and reflection each day opens the door to wonder, possibility, creativity – the things that fuel the magic in our lives!

Mindfulness

What is mindfulness? I like Jon Kabat-Zinn’s definition:

“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; On purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”

 How to Start

Set yourself up for success. Make a commitment to meditate daily over the next month. Consistency is the most important thing. You are creating a habit, building a muscle; you are choosing to make space in your life: a space of “being” instead of “doing”, a space where we allow ourselves to rest in awareness, a space free of emotional clutter. When we can rest in the moment, rest in awareness and be truly present, something shifts. Start small; we can all find five minutes a day.  If five minutes is too challenging, how about starting with three! As you get comfortable with three minutes, add a minute or two a week with the goal of 20- 25 minutes daily. Meditating sporadically is fine, and it is beneficial, but meditation practice needs to be a regular habit in order for it to do its real work of transforming your consciousness. We seem to find time for important (and unimportant!) things in our lives. Most of us rarely miss a meal. See if you can make meditating daily a priority.

The Practice of Mindfulness Meditation

• Sit with dignity, whatever that means to you. Posture is important. Comfortable, yet dignified, the best posture is one that helps you remain alert and relaxed at the same time.
• Create an intention – it can be as simple as, “May my day go smoothly”, or “May I be filled with loving kindness”, or “I am willing to let go of struggle; I am open to the answers within.”
• Follow your breath; focus on the sensations of breathing.  If this is really challenging try counting, an in and outbreath is one, continue and see how far you can get. Start over when your mind wanders. It is not unusual to get to about four before you have to start over.
• When you get distracted: Acknowledge (“just thinking”) Experience without judging or reacting If you need to react, continue maintaining mindfulness – goal is to create space between stimulus and reaction – if you really have to scratch, try and take several breaths first, and then mindfully scratch Let it go – this is not forcing something to go away – it is an invitation. We are inviting that thought to stop distracting us. If it decides to stay, fine, if it leaves, fine.

That’s it! At the end of the time you have set aside to meditate, consider spending a moment or two reflecting on the things you are grateful for.

Am I Doing it Right?

And finally, here is the question most people ask if they are new to meditation: am I doing it right? The purpose of meditation is to notice you are thinking. We are thinking machines. Meditation is about noticing our thoughts and as soon as we notice a thought come back to watching our breath. Just breathe in and breathe out. Watch your thoughts, bring your mind back to your breath. A successful meditation is you sat and tried to watch your thoughts. You stayed. It is such a metaphor, a tool for our lives: learning patience, staying with un-comfortableness.

The most important moment in meditation is when you realize you are lost in thought and come back to your breath.

Jon Kabat Zinn’s response:

“If you are resting in awareness, you are doing it right. No matter what you are experiencing, whether it is pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. If you are bored, and aware of it, you are doing it right. If you are frightened, or confused as long as you are aware, you are doing it right.”

Meditation requires a strong commitment to:

• Working on yourself
• Breaking old unhealthy habits of thinking
• Dealing with built in resistance
• Regular practice
• Patient perseverance through uncomfortable times

Meditation is not about getting to some blissful state. It is about discipline. It is learning to stay with uncertainty, impatience, boredom, and un-comfortableness. It is noticing your thoughts and coming back to your breath over and over again. When we take back control of our minds, we take back control of our emotions.   When we can rest in the moment, rest in awareness and be truly present, something shifts. Our mind becomes highly relaxed and alert at the same time and three qualities emerge: Calmness, clarity, and happiness.  As we begin to develop a meditation practice our mind becomes calmer and more perceptive, we can focus our attention more strongly and longer.