Sunday, 17 March 2019
For those familiar with “Burgs” (the art of meditation guru) you may have just heard his distinct invitation to “begin” (a practice, any practice) in my blog title. For those that haven’t; yet – and are looking to explore a meditation practice – he is one of my personal favourites!
Excerpt from my journal (post meditation)
“Seeing myself in the middle of the meditation experience, a witness from outside of my physical form looking in.
Bringing my awareness to the music; feeling it coursing through me, becoming my brain waves as they rhythmically dance to the tempo in creative crescendos; entering my bloodstream to course through my veins; sensing my heart harmoniously doing its job to the beats of the drum…I AM the rhythm…and anything else I could cleverly imagine.
…detour ahead, temporarily lost in a moment of thought…is it distraction? I am, for a nano second with a seven year old…or am I that seven year old? – AND just as soon as I arrive to explore – it seems…
I’m here within my breath and acknowledging the sensations; the tingling and numbness of my feet from sitting for 20 minutes. I’m thinking, don’t let this override the otherwise experiential realm of being at ease with me for now.
Next, I’m enveloped in thoughts of ‘my story’, acknowledging each of us has one which makes us unique. How has mine shaped me? And is it necessary to get caught up in or feel that it defines ME.
As I drift in and out of thought I return once again to the ‘theta dream’ that plays on and I allow myself to fluidly settle back into my meditation.
Honoring that I’m not looking for answers or something of a revelation to behold me…but just some peace; some light; some connection and some time to investigate the depths and layers of me and my place here and now”.
My Practice
For a long time I fancied that meditation might offer some mystical and magical light and announcement that would turn my world completely right side up to help make sense of everything!
The more I believed in the possibility of this manifesting, the further away I drifted from the practice (trying too hard for it to be something nirvana like). I allowed my monkey mind (unsettled, restless and capricious-ness) to draw me further away from the purpose of meditation entirely. Hence, for a long while I gave it away altogether.
My teacher training was largely my meditation salvation (opening my mind to a less resistant format), reminding me that it’s just about honouring time and space; whether it be two minutes or 20 minutes. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s more about observation and a degree of allowing practise and flow between breath, thoughts and feelings to just BE…and once in a while you might just touch on the infinite, larger than life YOU.
It can be a different experience each time and utterly and completely different for everyone and this is the beauty, the unlayering and discovery of you from within a cosmic time capsule.
Not sure where to begin:
- Dedicating some time (whatever you have) each day – or a particular day of the week
- Finding an app (there are a plethora) that can guide you along the way initially, my fave : ‘Insight Timer’,
- Creating a space and removing all distractions
- Allowing thoughts and feelings to come and go, without investing too much energy in them.
- Journalling the experience in a very non-judgemental fashion. Just allow what comes to mind to spill onto the paper.
The meditation journey (like anything) will inevitably change and evolve just as you continue to invest in your growth.
Let go of the struggle, the excuses not to do and the stigma perhaps attached to the act and get on down to meditation town.
Feel free to share and find your own awesome-ness.
Love and Light