Friday, October 10, 2014

Meditate

After many years of promising to myself that I would take up meditation, I have finally established the practice. The benefits are as vast as the methods are varied, and I highly recommend it for all. The funny thing about it is the paradox between its simplicity to perform, and its complexity to explain. Many newcomers believe it to be much more complicated or difficult than it is. While the ultimate goal may be to clear your mind completely, a very worthy approximation is to focus your attention on just one thing. This approach opens up a plethora of possibilities. It also means that we meditate more often than we realize! Any time you study something, or find yourself in a groove working on something, or put your mind to visualizing a specific scenario - be it recalling past events, making plans for a future endeavor, or imagining a desired outcome - you are effectively meditating.

I find that routine is quite helpful to my practice, and I have incorporated a handful of expert opinions, as well as my own personal flare. The system I have adopted involves a morning set which I do first-thing (I may use the restroom and/or make the bed real quick first, but that's it), often involves some appropriate music, and takes approximately 15 minutes; and an evening set I do just before crawling into bed, which only takes about 7 minutes. I am inspired to share my method with you :)


In the AM:

~ I take my peaceful spot on the floor, and commence with some stretches.

~ Sitting upright, I just breathe few breaths.

~ I then open all my chakras, making the associated hand formations, and stating my related affirmations:
      "I am grounded and connected to the earth.
      I am a sensual being with creative abilities.
      I have great power and an effective will.
      I am loving, open, and empathetic.
      I express myself, and speak the truth.
      I have vision, clarity, insight, and intuition.
      I am one with Source (the Source is One)."
{These are affirmations I put together as statements that ring true for me in relation to my understanding of each of the chakras; feel free to use them, but I encourage you to explore your own.}

~ With this Oneness recognition, I then transition into a recommended series, which begins with envisioning a beam of white or pink light flowing down into me from Source, filling me with love, and then flowing out of me to fill the room, and then the house, and then my neighborhood, my city beyond, my state, the continent, and the world. {At this point, I am usually smiling.}

~ Filled with love, I discharge any negativity held in grudges, by calling to mind one or two people who have gotten under my skin; sometimes I conjure my own self. I picture them facing me, and say to them, "I forgive you. Can you forgive me?" We smile together, and then I pray for them with, "May you be filled with loving-kindness; may you be well; may you be peaceful and at ease; may you be happy. I love you; I bless you; I release you." {The releasing is especially relieving because dispels any judgement, obligation, or expectation tied up in there.}

~ Moving on, I visualize my ideal life 3 years from now {apparently, people tend to overestimate what they can accomplish in 1 year, and underestimate 3 years' time}, focusing on health, relationships, and abundance.

~ Then I take note of 10 things for which I am grateful today, particularly blessings that have occurred recently, including some personal, and some professional.

~ Next I walk through my coming day, setting intentions for each plan to go excellently, making sure to incorporate my evening meditation (as I keep forgetting it!), followed by an intention for restful and regenerative sleep. I also set an overall intention for the day, to guide my spiritual growth, such as "to be present", "to refrain from judgment", or "to incorporate frequent moments of stillness".

~ In the final step of this recommended series, I imagine love and blessings pouring over me from Omni.

~ Taking the yogic "Child's Pose", I recall my gratitude prayer: "O Universal Existence, I am eternally grateful to share in your loving light. To know such joy is a divine gift, extended of your wise and benevolent grace. May your will be manifest in my life. Thank you."

~ Moving into a pre-push-up position, I stretch a little more, take three slow and deep breaths, and state, "With this effort, I strengthen my body." I then perform a brief workout of three short intervals:
     30 mountain climbers,
     20 bicycle crunches, and
     10 forward lunges

~ I bring my palms together and think, "I am here, I am grateful, I am Love." I smile.


In the PM:

~ Seated next to my bed, I breathe a few breaths.

~ In order to better acknowledge my achievements, I then recap my whole day.

~ To get a head-start on tomorrow, the next thing I do is set a general intention for it.

~ Then, as it is the single most highly recommended practice for health and happiness, I do another round of thanksgiving.

~ And finally, "I am here; I am grateful; I am love."



1 comment:

  1. NOTE: I've made a couple subsequent edits, and will likely make a few more, as I continue to tweak and modify my routine to best suit my blissipline :)

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