Did YOU Take YOUR Meds Today?...The Art
of Meditation!
Plant the seed of
meditation and reap the fruit of peace of mind.
Your mind is your instrument. Learn to be its master and not its slave.
-Remez Sasson
So… I awakened this morning to a day of New Beginnings…and
Miracles in all areas of my Life…and… in addition to Affirmative Prayer…I went
within to the place I Desired to BE!
Over the past nearly 50 years, meditation has entered the
mainstream of modern Western culture, prescribed by physicians and practiced by
everyone from business executives, artists, and scientists to students,
teachers, military personnel, and … on a promising note …some politicians.
During most
of our waking life our minds are engaged in a continuous internal dialogue in
which the meaning and emotional associations of one thought trigger the next.
All day long our mind experiences and expresses stories about our work, our
health, our finances, our family, or, perhaps, even our Life Purpose.
Too often
we’re not even conscious of the internal messages and recordings taking up
residence in our mind…and, perhaps, often, the greatest source of stress in our
lives.
Although the mind is capable of creating life-affirming stories, it has what neuroscientists refer to as a negativity bias…yes…that tendency to pay more attention to negative experiences than to positive ones. The negativity bias evolved as a survival instinct millions of years ago, as our ancestors…and, now those who choose to focused much more attention on avoiding potential threats than on rewards. Stopping to enjoy and savor a delicious meal or admire a Once-in-a LifeTime sunset would have used valuable intentional resources, leaving our ancient ancestors more vulnerable to attack by a predator. Hey…go figure!!! Those who survived to pass on their genes paid a lot of attention to danger. Their legacy is a brain that is primed to focus on negative experiences and has a tendency to get stuck in conditioned patterns of thinking, returning again…and once again to thoughts of anxiety, and limitation…that “not enough” stuff!
Meditation
is difficult. False!
This total misconception is
rooted in the image of meditation as an esoteric practice reserved only for gurus,
saints, and the Spiritually elite. In reality, when you receive instruction
from an experienced, knowledgeable teacher or practitioner, meditation is easy
and fun to learn. The techniques can be as simple as focusing on the
breath or silently repeating a mantra. One reason why meditation may seem
difficult is that we try too hard to concentrate, we’re overly attached to
results, or we’re not sure we are doing it right.
You have
to quiet your mind in order to have a successful meditation practice. False!
This misconception
regarding meditation is, likely, responsible for many people giving up in
frustration on a daily meditation practice. Meditation isn’t about stopping our
thoughts or trying to empty our mind.
Actually, both of these approaches only create stress and contribute to
that internal dialogue. We can’t stop or control our thoughts… but we can willingly decide how much attention to give them.
Although we can’t impose quiet on our mind, through meditation we can find the
quiet that already exists in the space between our thoughts. Sometimes referred
to as the gap, this space between thoughts is pure consciousness,
pure silence, and pure peace. When we meditate, we use an object of attention,
such as our breath, an image, or a mantra, which allows our mind to relax into
this silent stream of awareness. When thoughts arise, as they inevitably will,
we don’t need to judge them or try to push them away. Instead, we gently return
our attention to our object of attention. In every meditation, there are
moments, even if only microseconds, when the mind dips into the gap and
experiences the refreshment of pure awareness. As you meditate on a regular
basis, you will spend more and more time in this state of expanded awareness
and silence.As you become less identified with your thoughts and stories, you experience greater peace and open to new possibilities…truly a benefit of meditation! Of this, I AM certain!
It takes
years of dedicated practice to receive any benefits from meditation. False!
The benefits of meditation
are both immediate and long-term. You can begin to experience benefits the
first time you sit down to meditate and in the first few days of daily
practice. Many scientific studies provide evidence that meditation has profound
effects on the mind-body physiology within just weeks of practice.
Meditation
is a means of escaping. False!
The real purpose of
meditation isn’t to tune out and get away from it all but to tune in and get in
touch with your true Self – that eternal aspect of yourself that goes beyond
all the ever-changing, external circumstances of your life. In meditation you journey
below the mind’s ego surface… which tends to be filled with repetitive thoughts
about the past and worries about the future, into the still point of pure
consciousness…present awareness…where peace thrives. In this state of higher awareness, you have
the opportunity to let go of all the proverbial stories you’ve been telling
yourself about who you are, and all that
is limiting you… and you experience the truth that your deepest Self is
infinite, unlimited, and without boundary. As you practice meditation on
a regular basis, you clear out that which is not serving of perception… and
your clarity expands. While some people do try to use meditation as a form of
escape …that way to bypass unresolved emotional issues…this approach runs
counter to all of the wisdom teachings about meditation and mindfulness.
In fact, there are a variety of meditation techniques specifically
developed to identify, mobilize and release stored emotional toxicity… safely
explore and heal the pain of the past, allowing you to return to your natural
state of wholeness and Love.
I don’t
have enough time to meditate. False!
There are busy, productive individuals
in all walks of life who have not missed a meditation in years. If you make meditation a priority, you will
do it. If you feel like your schedule is too full, remember that even just a
few minutes of meditation is better than none. In fact, I encourage you not to talk yourself
out of meditating just because you might be feeling hurried, or you feel too
sleepy.In life’s paradoxical way, when we spend time meditating on a regular basis, we actually have more time. When we meditate, we dip in and out of the without time and space realm of consciousness . . . the state of pure awareness that is the source of everything that manifests in the universe. Our breathing and heart rate slow down, our blood pressure lowers, and our body decreases the production of stress hormones and other chemicals that speed up the aging process… and give us the subjective feeling that we are running out of time. In meditation, we are in a state of restful alertness that is extremely refreshing for the body and mind….and, most especially, the Spirit! As people stick with their meditation ritual, they notice that they are able to accomplish more while doing less. Instead of struggling so hard to achieve goals, they spend more and more time in the flow… aligned with universal intelligence…Source… that orchestrates everything.
Meditation
is a spiritual or religious practice.
False!
Meditation is a practice
that takes us beyond the noisy ego of the mind into a place of stillness and
silence. It doesn’t require a specific spiritual belief, and many people of
many different religions practice meditation without any conflict with their
current religious beliefs. We meditate
in order to experience inner quiet and the numerous physical and emotional benefits
of the practice… including lowered blood pressure, stress reduction, and
restful sleep….to name but a few of the benefits. Meditation helps us to enrich
our lives. It enables us to enjoy whatever we do in our lives more fully and with
Joy…with bliss…whether we are at work, play, or rest.
I’m
supposed to have transcendent experiences in meditation. False!
Some people are
disappointed when they don’t experience visions, lightning bolts, levitate, or
glimpse enlightenment…that light bulb Ah ha moment…when
they meditate. Although we can have a variety of wonderful experiences
when we meditate, including feelings of bliss, vitality, and oneness with
Source, these aren’t the purpose of the practice of meditation. The real
benefits of meditation are what happens in the other hours of the day when
we’re going about our daily lives. When we emerge from our meditation session,
we carry some of the stillness and silence of our practice with us, allowing us
to be more creative, compassionate, centered, and loving to ourselves and
everyone we encounter…identifying us to our highest and best good… or something
better!
While we have just touched upon some the things that
meditation is not… It remains this meditator’s experience that…Meditation remains a
birthplace of Happiness!
Beyond the substantial benefits meditation creates for the
mind-body physiology connection, the greatest gift of meditation is the sense
of calm and inner peace it brings into your daily life. When you meditate, you
go beyond the mind’s noisy ego into an entirely different place… the silence of
a mind that is not imprisoned by the past or the future. This is important
because silence…the present moment… is the birthplace of happiness. For it
remains in that very silence that we get our bursts of inspiration, our
feelings of compassion and empathy, our sense of love…our sense of Self. When you discover the silence in your mind,
you no longer have to pay undue attention to all the random images that trigger
worry, anger, struggle, and pain. When you meditate on a regular basis, all of
your thoughts, actions, and responses are infused with more love and mindful attunement. The result
is a deeper appreciation and a profound awareness of the Divine quality of
existence….the Truth of You!
I NOW invite YOU to
Celebrate LIFE…Let’s Talk …with Your 30 minute complimentary Consultation!
Rhonda
949-5271574
949-5271574
"There is a mighty Power within you. There is that Spirit of
Life, Light, and Love. The more you feast on these ideas and fast from old
corrosive ones, the closer you experience the Life you desire."
-Frank Richelieu, The Art of Being Yourself
Rhonda Maria Farrah, MA, DRWA
The Wellness Institute International
949.527.1574
888.770.7370
Licensed Teacher
The Art of Feminine Presence™
Author of the
Forthcoming Book
How To Live & LOVE During
The Process of Divorce...
A Journey In Healing &
Transformation
Speak Up, The World Is Listening!
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