When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place. In the still mind, in the depths of meditation, the Self reveals itself. Beholding the Self by means of the Self, an aspirant knows the joy and peace of complete fulfillment. Having attained that abiding joy beyond the senses, revealed in the stilled mind, he never swerves from the eternal truth. He desires nothing else, and cannot be shaken by the heaviest burden of sorrow.
From the Bhagavad Gita 6: 19-22
There are hardly a day goes by that I am not asked how to get through these turbulent times. And we all are going through stuff. My stuff may be different than your stuff but we are all experiencing some changes An interesting part of these turbulent times is the answer to dealing with all our stuff is the same.
Meditate
Meditation can be many things and done in many ways. Find a way that suits you. Music does it for me. I can not-think when I am really listening to music. It could be exercising for some or driving for others. Recognize when the energy is in the now. Pay attention to when you are not-thinking. There you are. This is BLISS. And! “You cannot be shaken by the heaviest burden of sorrow”. And if you can hold on to the “not-thinking” you’ll hear some answers.
I know it is difficult for some. It was for me. I have a busy mind. So I took it in small increments. If I could sit or walk 5 minutes with the intention of quieting my mind working into not-thinking mind, then I felt accomplished. Like any kind of exercise, I had to continue to do more time. I did it minute by minute at least 3 times a week. Then it was 4 times a week. Slowly but surely. You’ll reach your comfort zone and feel good and comfortable there {I do well at 15 minutes}. Right now, I am on the downside. I know I will work back up. It ebbs and flows.
When you meditate, you lock into the energy of all those meditating. If you do that intentionally, you will feel the difference. All that meditating is healing our world. You heal you, you heal all.
The following is a simple meditation exercise on one of the most important parts of meditating:
Breathing
Focusing on the breath is one of the most common and fundamental techniques for going into the meditative state. Breath is a deep rhythm of the body that connects us intimately with the world around us.
Close your eyes, breathe deeply and regularly, and observe your breath as it flows in and out of your body. Give your full attention to the breath as it comes in, and full attention to the breath as it goes out. Whenever you find your attention wandering away from your breath, gently pull it back to the rising and falling of the breath.
Inhale through your nose slowly and deeply, feeling the lower chest and abdomen inflate like a balloon. Hold for five seconds. Exhale deeply, deflating the lower chest and abdomen like a balloon. Hold for five seconds. Do these three or four times and allow your breathing to return to a normal rhythm.
You will begin to feel a change come over your entire body. Gradually you become less aware of your breathing, but not captured in your stream of thoughts. You will become more aware inward, more centered inward. You will have the feeling of just being.
ENJOY!
