A friend shared with me that she is doing a 21 Day Meditation Challenge and she invited me to do it with her. Being a person that is partial to meditation challenges, I accepted. Knowing full well that I didn't need a challenge because I was already a mediator and I knew more than "these people"did.
Oy...maybe it's time for a meditation challenge, after all. I love when things work out the way they do to remind me how to be humble and teachable.
Today is day three of the challenge I am doing and it was new and quite lovely. I am looking forward to the next two and a half weeks to see what I can bring to the experience and what I can learn from it.
Namasté
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Another 30 Days Later...
Well, it has been a month since the end of the 30 Day Meditation Challenge and I wanted to report in.
I missed about 4 days but didn't let that derail me entirely. I also noticed that my mind wanders a bit more than it was during the first month. My instincts tell me it's time to up my time and so tomorrow I will change my timer from 10 minutes to 15 and see what happens.
I have meditation cushion now - I got this one online from Amazon for $28 - and I find it to be a great help with my sitting posture. I also moved my meditation place from sitting right up in bed to moving into my office. I think this has a little to do with why it has been harder for me to do it in the morning because I have to actually get out of bed now. Still, the intention is there and I am grateful for it.
All in all, meditation is no less a part of my life and I am experiencing no less of the magic and so I will keep with it.
How has your meditation practice changed in the last month? Care to share with me?
Namaste
I missed about 4 days but didn't let that derail me entirely. I also noticed that my mind wanders a bit more than it was during the first month. My instincts tell me it's time to up my time and so tomorrow I will change my timer from 10 minutes to 15 and see what happens.
I have meditation cushion now - I got this one online from Amazon for $28 - and I find it to be a great help with my sitting posture. I also moved my meditation place from sitting right up in bed to moving into my office. I think this has a little to do with why it has been harder for me to do it in the morning because I have to actually get out of bed now. Still, the intention is there and I am grateful for it.
All in all, meditation is no less a part of my life and I am experiencing no less of the magic and so I will keep with it.
How has your meditation practice changed in the last month? Care to share with me?
Namaste
Friday, April 20, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 30
Well, I did it. I have mediated for 10 minutes every day for the last 30 days. I feel great - calm, peaceful, more loving, energized, and capable.
I have been able to see where I am impatient and where I want to it corners. I have also seen where I am honest and when I am accountable.
All-in-all, it has been a great 30 days and I look forward to the next round.
Namasté
I have been able to see where I am impatient and where I want to it corners. I have also seen where I am honest and when I am accountable.
All-in-all, it has been a great 30 days and I look forward to the next round.
Namasté
Thursday, April 19, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 29
Day 29. Today I went through my regular meditation routine: Alarm. Sit-up. Wrap up in a blanket. Sit. Listen for second alarm. Get up and do my thing for the day.
It has really started to feel natural now. That's the thing that is exciting to me. That's the thing that gives me courage to believe I can keep doing this. That's the thing that brings me peace because when things feel tough I know that all I have to do is sit. All I have to do is sit and things will be better.
That's how meditating is changing my life.
Namasté
It has really started to feel natural now. That's the thing that is exciting to me. That's the thing that gives me courage to believe I can keep doing this. That's the thing that brings me peace because when things feel tough I know that all I have to do is sit. All I have to do is sit and things will be better.
That's how meditating is changing my life.
Namasté
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 28
Today someone asked me how meditation has changed my life. The answer was quite profound when I said it out loud.
It has made me calmer. It has kept me steady. I have more energy. I am getting to work earlier and bring more productive when I am there. Traffic doesn't bother me like it used to. And here's the big one: with the people I don't like particularly much I am able to make the decision to love them.
That's pretty wild stuff. Not so bad for a 10 minute per day investment.
Namasté
It has made me calmer. It has kept me steady. I have more energy. I am getting to work earlier and bring more productive when I am there. Traffic doesn't bother me like it used to. And here's the big one: with the people I don't like particularly much I am able to make the decision to love them.
That's pretty wild stuff. Not so bad for a 10 minute per day investment.
Namasté
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 27
Well, I didn't meditate lying down today; I actually sat up and did the deal. One thing I notice as the 30 days draws to a close is that I am much more forgiving when I catch myself thinking.
It's bound to happen, you know. I just do it. I'm sitting there all blissed out and all of a sudden I realize that I have been thinking about work for the last who knows how long. The difference now is that I just go with it. Ok, I'm doing that. Back to bliss now...
And it works during the day, also. When I am at work and I catch myself thinking about not work, I just say ok, I'm doing that. Back to business now...
It's neat not to beat myself up over stuff I don't really control.
Namasté
It's bound to happen, you know. I just do it. I'm sitting there all blissed out and all of a sudden I realize that I have been thinking about work for the last who knows how long. The difference now is that I just go with it. Ok, I'm doing that. Back to bliss now...
And it works during the day, also. When I am at work and I catch myself thinking about not work, I just say ok, I'm doing that. Back to business now...
It's neat not to beat myself up over stuff I don't really control.
Namasté
Monday, April 16, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 26
This morning I kind of cheated. That's not entirely true but hear me out...
I did my 10 minute meditation supine (yes, as in lying down) this morning. To my credit, I stayed awake and present the whole time but chanting my favorite mantra (see the footnote if you'd like to know what it is) but I was still lying down...with my eyes closed...at 5am...in the dark. That's kind of close to sleeping and sort of cheating on my part. And I only say that because it is this place in setting a routine where I have historically fallen off the beam. I've been doing this for 25 days - I got this thing... I'll make it up tonight... Skipping one day won't hurt... Oh, but it does hurt because it sets the precedent to stop and that precedent is known to spread like wildfire. For me, anyway...
On the other hand, today was soooo not cheating because it is Monday and I have my meditation group and so I do another sit for 15 minutes and I was fully upright for this one - in ardha padmanasana (half lotus pose) if anyone is curious about what pose I use when I sit. That meditation was quite lovely. From a physical standpoint, my body is used to sitting for 10 minutes now and my foot starts to tingle at about 12 minutes instead of 5 like it used to which affords me more time to remove thought from my body and actually be in the meditation. From a mental standpoint, when I noticed myself "thinking" I was able to let those thoughts move along and become still again and remain connected to that divine universal consciousness.
In summary, if I'm doing it, it's meditation and the only "wrong" way to meditate is to not do it. That being said, I really should sit upright for my meditation...otherwise it gets a little too close to nap time...
Namasté
P. S. My favorite mantra:
I bow to (or call on) the primal wisdom.
I bow to (or call on) the wisdom through the ages.
I bow to (or call on) the true wisdom.
I bow to (or call on) the great transparent wisdom within.
I did my 10 minute meditation supine (yes, as in lying down) this morning. To my credit, I stayed awake and present the whole time but chanting my favorite mantra (see the footnote if you'd like to know what it is) but I was still lying down...with my eyes closed...at 5am...in the dark. That's kind of close to sleeping and sort of cheating on my part. And I only say that because it is this place in setting a routine where I have historically fallen off the beam. I've been doing this for 25 days - I got this thing... I'll make it up tonight... Skipping one day won't hurt... Oh, but it does hurt because it sets the precedent to stop and that precedent is known to spread like wildfire. For me, anyway...
On the other hand, today was soooo not cheating because it is Monday and I have my meditation group and so I do another sit for 15 minutes and I was fully upright for this one - in ardha padmanasana (half lotus pose) if anyone is curious about what pose I use when I sit. That meditation was quite lovely. From a physical standpoint, my body is used to sitting for 10 minutes now and my foot starts to tingle at about 12 minutes instead of 5 like it used to which affords me more time to remove thought from my body and actually be in the meditation. From a mental standpoint, when I noticed myself "thinking" I was able to let those thoughts move along and become still again and remain connected to that divine universal consciousness.
In summary, if I'm doing it, it's meditation and the only "wrong" way to meditate is to not do it. That being said, I really should sit upright for my meditation...otherwise it gets a little too close to nap time...
Namasté
P. S. My favorite mantra:
Aad Guray Nameh,
Jugaad Guray Nameh,
Sat Guray Nameh,
Siri Guru dayvay Nameh
Translation:Jugaad Guray Nameh,
Sat Guray Nameh,
Siri Guru dayvay Nameh
I bow to (or call on) the primal wisdom.
I bow to (or call on) the wisdom through the ages.
I bow to (or call on) the true wisdom.
I bow to (or call on) the great transparent wisdom within.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 25
This morning I sat with the breeze blowing lightly into my room and my cat walking back and forth in front of my lap. He nudged my hands with his head and, in a manner more mindful than possibly ever before, I pet him while I meditated. I pet him as my meditation.
The neat thing about meditation - to me, anyway - is that it can be anything. It can be chanting or sitting or breathing or petting a cat who loves the vibe of a mommy who is taking some time to connect.
It was really neat for me...and I think he dug it too.
Namasté
The neat thing about meditation - to me, anyway - is that it can be anything. It can be chanting or sitting or breathing or petting a cat who loves the vibe of a mommy who is taking some time to connect.
It was really neat for me...and I think he dug it too.
Namasté
Saturday, April 14, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 24
Today was a busy day with lots of errands and cooking and some laundry. I also slept in hours past my usual wake-up time. The other thing done differently was that I did my meditation in the evening instead of first thing in the morning.
One isn't particularly better than the other but I do find that when I meditate in the morning my day feels different from when I do it at night. I like the way the day flows when I sit before heading out into the world. When I don't do it before leaving the house, sometimes things tend to run together a little bit more.
That's all. I just noticed that's how I feel. It's just a little more information about myself. Maybe tomorrow I'll sit before I leave the house. We'll see.
Have a nice evening.
Namasté
One isn't particularly better than the other but I do find that when I meditate in the morning my day feels different from when I do it at night. I like the way the day flows when I sit before heading out into the world. When I don't do it before leaving the house, sometimes things tend to run together a little bit more.
That's all. I just noticed that's how I feel. It's just a little more information about myself. Maybe tomorrow I'll sit before I leave the house. We'll see.
Have a nice evening.
Namasté
Friday, April 13, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 23
Today I set the intention to relish the transitions in life. So often I find that I clomp from one thing to the next without really noticing how I get there.
Each thing I do, each action, is its own. Even when I think I am multi-tasking I am really doing one thing and then another and then maybe some of the first thing again.
If I can be mindful of each action as I come into it, perform it, and move to the next, I find myself on a much more soft and loving place.
When I teach a yoga class, I like to focus in the transitions. I feel it enriches the practice as a whole and gives me a stronger relationship with each pose. The same goes for my daily life. As I consciously do one thing and then move into the next, each action I take is part of a divine and mindful experience.
It takes some attention but I thoroughly enjoy the results. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow.
Namasté
Each thing I do, each action, is its own. Even when I think I am multi-tasking I am really doing one thing and then another and then maybe some of the first thing again.
If I can be mindful of each action as I come into it, perform it, and move to the next, I find myself on a much more soft and loving place.
When I teach a yoga class, I like to focus in the transitions. I feel it enriches the practice as a whole and gives me a stronger relationship with each pose. The same goes for my daily life. As I consciously do one thing and then move into the next, each action I take is part of a divine and mindful experience.
It takes some attention but I thoroughly enjoy the results. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow.
Namasté
Thursday, April 12, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 22
As I was reflecting on my day to write tonight's entry and I realized that I feel the same right now as I did when I was meditating. I started writing at a coffee shop and then I forgot to save it before I closed the app on my phone and so now I have another opportunity to check-in with myself. What I noticed then and what I am experiencing right now is that I feel the same.
I feel like I am in a meditation right now...and when I think about it, I felt like that all day. What a gift, to feel like I am - to be - in meditation all day. And it wasn't a silent retreat on a mountain kind of day. To the contrary, it was a rich and full day out there in the world. There were people who needed things from me, deadlines that had to be met, critical thinking that had to be critically thought and all the while, my flame burned steady.
It was a ground-breaking realization to find that I could keep in that state of bliss all day. That I could remain connected and mindful and full of grace. That no matter what, I was given the chance to float easily on the water of my day and ride the current no matter what it brought me.
What a gift. I'm so grateful it's still happening.
Namasté
I feel like I am in a meditation right now...and when I think about it, I felt like that all day. What a gift, to feel like I am - to be - in meditation all day. And it wasn't a silent retreat on a mountain kind of day. To the contrary, it was a rich and full day out there in the world. There were people who needed things from me, deadlines that had to be met, critical thinking that had to be critically thought and all the while, my flame burned steady.
It was a ground-breaking realization to find that I could keep in that state of bliss all day. That I could remain connected and mindful and full of grace. That no matter what, I was given the chance to float easily on the water of my day and ride the current no matter what it brought me.
What a gift. I'm so grateful it's still happening.
Namasté
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 21
Sometimes I forget how much I like routines. It's great to get out of town or to try something new but, for me at least, it feels really nice to fall into my regularly scheduled activities.
As I was just getting ready for bed, I noticed that I haven't been taking my vitamins for the last few nights. Sitting on the edge of my bed, getting them all lined up, and then taking them with that nice big glug of water felt so comfortable I wonder how I got out of the habit in the first place.
My morning sit has become a routine. They say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit and, look at that, today is day 21. As I settle in for the night, I notice that I am setting myself up for the morning. It'll probably be chilly and so I have a sweater or robe nearby and my slippers right by the bed. When I wake up, I'll be ready to go.
The routine has been set...and I welcome it with delight. How is your routine treating you?
Namasté
As I was just getting ready for bed, I noticed that I haven't been taking my vitamins for the last few nights. Sitting on the edge of my bed, getting them all lined up, and then taking them with that nice big glug of water felt so comfortable I wonder how I got out of the habit in the first place.
My morning sit has become a routine. They say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit and, look at that, today is day 21. As I settle in for the night, I notice that I am setting myself up for the morning. It'll probably be chilly and so I have a sweater or robe nearby and my slippers right by the bed. When I wake up, I'll be ready to go.
The routine has been set...and I welcome it with delight. How is your routine treating you?
Namasté
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 20
I did snooze this morning - I must admit. And I did my sit right after.
Nothing groundbreaking happened during my meditation but as I reflect on my day, I realize that something happened to me during the day: I remained calm. I have been having very full days at my job recently and days like I have been having lately used to freak me out. I'd panic or cry...or worse.
But these days (since a very palpable spiritual shift has come over me) I am fine. I remain calm and effective in the office and I come home and have a life. Tonight I went to the market and did the dishes and cooked. A hundred and eighty degrees difference. I attribute this change to my practice of meditation.
It really has been an amazing process and I so look forward to watching it as it grows.
Namasté
Nothing groundbreaking happened during my meditation but as I reflect on my day, I realize that something happened to me during the day: I remained calm. I have been having very full days at my job recently and days like I have been having lately used to freak me out. I'd panic or cry...or worse.
But these days (since a very palpable spiritual shift has come over me) I am fine. I remain calm and effective in the office and I come home and have a life. Tonight I went to the market and did the dishes and cooked. A hundred and eighty degrees difference. I attribute this change to my practice of meditation.
It really has been an amazing process and I so look forward to watching it as it grows.
Namasté
Monday, April 9, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 19
Today is my birthday. My first thought - at 4:55 am - was that I should skip my meditation and my meditation group. That I should sleep in and be late to work. That was the first idea of my birthday present to myself.
Then I shook it off and sat. Then I got up, showered, dressed, and headed to my meditation group for another sit. A stop at the chiropractor on my way to work and I was ready for business.
My day at work was busy but productive. I helped people and got some work done. Traffic was a breeze coming home and my salmon and zucchini dinner with a movie date was sublime. That was my birthday present to myself.
I have been at this long enough to in my body that a day with meditation feels better than a day without. Now I am starting to remember in my head. That is a gift to myself. And that gift is proving to be priceless.
Give yourself a gift today.
Namasté
Then I shook it off and sat. Then I got up, showered, dressed, and headed to my meditation group for another sit. A stop at the chiropractor on my way to work and I was ready for business.
My day at work was busy but productive. I helped people and got some work done. Traffic was a breeze coming home and my salmon and zucchini dinner with a movie date was sublime. That was my birthday present to myself.
I have been at this long enough to in my body that a day with meditation feels better than a day without. Now I am starting to remember in my head. That is a gift to myself. And that gift is proving to be priceless.
Give yourself a gift today.
Namasté
Sunday, April 8, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 18
Today's meditation was a simple one. Just a quiet sit in the sauna. One thing I love about meditation is that I can do it anywhere. If I have a guided meditation and a bolster and a wrap, that's great or if it's just me and 10 minutes of stillness, that works also.
That's all for today.
Namasté
That's all for today.
Namasté
Saturday, April 7, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 17
I tried a guided mediation today. It was 13 minutes for stress relief (I don't feel particularly stressed but I think it's OK to do it anyhow) and it was quite lovely.
As a yoga instructor, I sometimes find it difficult to relax when I practice or meditate on my own and so being able to it a treat. When I practice yoga, I often catch myself teaching along with the instructor in my head - remembering things I like and re-wording things I'm not too fond of - and when I meditate, sometime I end up narrating the process as though I were teaching it as a guided meditation for others.
But today I was able to follow along and not be a teacher. I was able to enjoy the voice on the recording and relax into the meditation. I was able to hear the sounds around me, to feel the feelings in my body, and to watch my thoughts slip by unjudged.
It was a treat and I'm grateful to have been given the respite from my own self-narration - from my own ego - for those 13 minutes and beyond.
Namasté
As a yoga instructor, I sometimes find it difficult to relax when I practice or meditate on my own and so being able to it a treat. When I practice yoga, I often catch myself teaching along with the instructor in my head - remembering things I like and re-wording things I'm not too fond of - and when I meditate, sometime I end up narrating the process as though I were teaching it as a guided meditation for others.
But today I was able to follow along and not be a teacher. I was able to enjoy the voice on the recording and relax into the meditation. I was able to hear the sounds around me, to feel the feelings in my body, and to watch my thoughts slip by unjudged.
It was a treat and I'm grateful to have been given the respite from my own self-narration - from my own ego - for those 13 minutes and beyond.
Namasté
Friday, April 6, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 16
If you have never had the opportunity to meditate in the desert as the sun goes down, I highly recommend it. Also, there is nothing wrong with multitasking while we meditate. Pre-heating a grill, for example, is a great time to sit for 10 minutes and listen to the sounds of the setting sun.
I could hear a fountain, wind, cars, Spanish guitar, and the occasional bird. I could feel the warmth of the grill next to me and the kiss of the wind all around me. I wasn't too hot, nor was I too cold. For those 10 minutes, I felt perfect contentment...and it's still happening.
The salmon is cooking, the broccolini are ready to toss and grill, and I have never felt more surrounded by my meditation. It is a warm blanket that keeps me safe and quite and peaceful.
The desert is a magical place and I am loving the magic.
Namasté
I could hear a fountain, wind, cars, Spanish guitar, and the occasional bird. I could feel the warmth of the grill next to me and the kiss of the wind all around me. I wasn't too hot, nor was I too cold. For those 10 minutes, I felt perfect contentment...and it's still happening.
The salmon is cooking, the broccolini are ready to toss and grill, and I have never felt more surrounded by my meditation. It is a warm blanket that keeps me safe and quite and peaceful.
The desert is a magical place and I am loving the magic.
Namasté
Thursday, April 5, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 15
Something interesting happened this morning: I did two rounds. I realized as my chime rang that I wanted to stay in my meditation a little while longer so I set t for another 10 - thinking that I'd do a few more minutes and that would be that.
But a few turned into 10 and I did 20. It's cool how that kind of thing can sneak up on me.
Right now I feel a little sleepy still but mentally ready to get the day going the way I am planning it, emotionally grounded for all that the day will actually hold, and spiritually fit to accept whatever comes in between.
Namasté
But a few turned into 10 and I did 20. It's cool how that kind of thing can sneak up on me.
Right now I feel a little sleepy still but mentally ready to get the day going the way I am planning it, emotionally grounded for all that the day will actually hold, and spiritually fit to accept whatever comes in between.
Namasté
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 14
"I meditate for an hour each morning. when I have an exceptionally busy day, I meditate for 2 hours."
A friend of mine quotes that often and today it applies. I stayed up late and over slept and really wanted to do my meditation before bed. I mean I really wanted to.
But I didn't. I set my timer and I sat up and I did it. I breathed in "sat" and a exhaled "nam" and I felt myself settle and prepare for the day as I connected to the Universal source.
I'm glad I did.
Namasté
A friend of mine quotes that often and today it applies. I stayed up late and over slept and really wanted to do my meditation before bed. I mean I really wanted to.
But I didn't. I set my timer and I sat up and I did it. I breathed in "sat" and a exhaled "nam" and I felt myself settle and prepare for the day as I connected to the Universal source.
I'm glad I did.
Namasté
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 13
I'm realizing that meditation can be more than what I thought. Today as I was sitting, one of my cats came and sat next to me (he's very spiritual).
Petting a cat, when done in a present and mindful manner, is a fully acceptable meditation practice. In my humble opinion, anyway.
I took a meditation class years ago at the Newport Beach Zen Center and we drank tea. We took the mindfulness of an alien who had never before seen tea and we felt the mug; we felt its warmth and weight. We looked at the liquid inside, noting color and consistency. And we tasted the tea, noting temperature, favor, and our reaction to it.
Anything done in a present and mindful manner can be meditation. What are some of your favorite "non-traditional" meditations?
Namasté
Petting a cat, when done in a present and mindful manner, is a fully acceptable meditation practice. In my humble opinion, anyway.
I took a meditation class years ago at the Newport Beach Zen Center and we drank tea. We took the mindfulness of an alien who had never before seen tea and we felt the mug; we felt its warmth and weight. We looked at the liquid inside, noting color and consistency. And we tasted the tea, noting temperature, favor, and our reaction to it.
Anything done in a present and mindful manner can be meditation. What are some of your favorite "non-traditional" meditations?
Namasté
Monday, April 2, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 12
Snooze schmooze. Mondays are hard to get up; 4:50 is early. Today I really wanted to snooze once and then do my meditation. Ultimately got myself up and sat right off the bat. I'd like to report that I feel better than I do when I was a snooze-er.
Meditating really does give me more energy. It's neat.
Namasté
Meditating really does give me more energy. It's neat.
Namasté
Sunday, April 1, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 11
Today it was a challenge. I was running late in the morning and stopped 2 minutes short. Eight minutes is still something and it set me up well for the day but my commitment is 10 and so ten before bed I shall do.
I just can't lie to myself that 8 is 10 today. More proof that something is happening, I suppose.
Off I go...
Namasté
I just can't lie to myself that 8 is 10 today. More proof that something is happening, I suppose.
Off I go...
Namasté
Saturday, March 31, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 10
Here's something neat that happened: I'm very excited for today (friends' wedding). In fact, I'm kind of buzzing. I woke up at my normal wake up time of 6am. I had, however, only fallen asleep at 130am. There's no way I'd be of maximum service on that amount of sleep but I was too excited and couldn't fall back asleep.
630...7...730... I finally did my meditation, busy mind and all. My thoughts chattered around my brain but I forced myself to stay in "mental time-out" and I waited for the chime. Then it rang and I kept sitting for a little while.
I thanked the Universe with my hand, heart, and head for the gifts already realized in my life and you know what happened next? I fell back asleep.
Now it's 930-ish and I can get a move on to be here to support my friend. I can be of service and I can be present and I will have fun today.
Here's to the bride and groom!
630...7...730... I finally did my meditation, busy mind and all. My thoughts chattered around my brain but I forced myself to stay in "mental time-out" and I waited for the chime. Then it rang and I kept sitting for a little while.
I thanked the Universe with my hand, heart, and head for the gifts already realized in my life and you know what happened next? I fell back asleep.
Now it's 930-ish and I can get a move on to be here to support my friend. I can be of service and I can be present and I will have fun today.
Here's to the bride and groom!
Friday, March 30, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 9
Sat nam. This morning I did a color-intention breath meditation. I use a website called Do As One which is really quite awesome. As I was guided through my breath, I focused on each chakra and its color. I set the intention of "Joy" today because one of my very best friends is getting married tomorrow and this is a weekend full of joy.
As I breathed up and down my chakras, I made space for love and joy and as I breathed to the white color of the ether, I sent it out to the rest of the world. When my chime rang after 10 minutes, I found I had been crying. Not sadness, of course, but with love. I shared yesterday that I was beginning to feel love for people I have resented in the past and this is just another sign that it is working. I am changing.
These 10 minutes a day with myself are becoming a way for me to grow and love and connect to myself, to others, to the world.
There is nothing else to say.
Namasté
As I breathed up and down my chakras, I made space for love and joy and as I breathed to the white color of the ether, I sent it out to the rest of the world. When my chime rang after 10 minutes, I found I had been crying. Not sadness, of course, but with love. I shared yesterday that I was beginning to feel love for people I have resented in the past and this is just another sign that it is working. I am changing.
These 10 minutes a day with myself are becoming a way for me to grow and love and connect to myself, to others, to the world.
There is nothing else to say.
Namasté
Thursday, March 29, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 8
I slept in today (until 7:15!)...and it was glorious. Meditation this morning was lovely.
I find that I am breaking through the "oh, I am doing this again" ho-hum of it all. I look forward to my sit each morning and am sitting past the chime most days. Today I was filled love and gratitude for a woman I have had a hard time forgiving. Meditated on her being surrounded with light and love...and I actually meant it.
The absolute tangible side-effect of daily meditation has been that my heart has opened up in ways I never imagined. I hear this happens to people - and its happening to me. It is a beautiful experience.
Namasté
I find that I am breaking through the "oh, I am doing this again" ho-hum of it all. I look forward to my sit each morning and am sitting past the chime most days. Today I was filled love and gratitude for a woman I have had a hard time forgiving. Meditated on her being surrounded with light and love...and I actually meant it.
The absolute tangible side-effect of daily meditation has been that my heart has opened up in ways I never imagined. I hear this happens to people - and its happening to me. It is a beautiful experience.
Namasté
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 7
One week. I have actually been meditating daily for several months but this week has had a new intention to it and I can feel a difference. It's almost as if I am training for something. And I suppose I kind of am. I am training myself to remain calm when I am excited, agitated, or worried. I am training myself to follow through something I have committed to. I am training myself to remain conscious throughout my life.
I have felt stressed at work - or maybe just busy - and my first instinct is to get excited and worried and run and hide. But throughout the day I find myself more and more able to stop, take a breath, and ask the divinity in the universe for a little help. And remarkably, I get it. Either calmness an strength from within or relief and assistance from without. I have been more able to remember that I am there to do a job and I will finish it. I am more able to stay focused on my one task before moving to the next (after a brief pause in typing this to send an email, of course...).
Whatever is happening; however this is working, I like it. It seems to suit me. I look forward to my next sit.
Namasté
I have felt stressed at work - or maybe just busy - and my first instinct is to get excited and worried and run and hide. But throughout the day I find myself more and more able to stop, take a breath, and ask the divinity in the universe for a little help. And remarkably, I get it. Either calmness an strength from within or relief and assistance from without. I have been more able to remember that I am there to do a job and I will finish it. I am more able to stay focused on my one task before moving to the next (after a brief pause in typing this to send an email, of course...).
Whatever is happening; however this is working, I like it. It seems to suit me. I look forward to my next sit.
Namasté
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 6
I'm starting to sit past the 10 minutes. Not much past...but still a little. I also noticed this morning that I have been waiting for something really "deep" to happen each day (maybe in hopes of an interesting blog?) and I realized that is not why I meditate. I listen to a talk on meditation and the speaker says that we "don't meditate to become good meditaters."
It occurred to me that sometimes I sit because. Perhaps I can just sit.
Something will happen. Something always does. It might be exciting or interesting or mundane...sometime it seems like it is just a sore ankle and a kitty that is upset he is not getting breakfast. But as I become more and more able to let go of the need for something to happen, more seems to happen. One of those funny spiritual paradoxes, I suppose.
That's all for today...
Namasté
It occurred to me that sometimes I sit because. Perhaps I can just sit.
Something will happen. Something always does. It might be exciting or interesting or mundane...sometime it seems like it is just a sore ankle and a kitty that is upset he is not getting breakfast. But as I become more and more able to let go of the need for something to happen, more seems to happen. One of those funny spiritual paradoxes, I suppose.
That's all for today...
Namasté
Monday, March 26, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 5
Mondays are my early day. Out of the house by 6:15 and so up at 5...and today, meditation at 4:50. But, honestly, waking up right away and doing my 10 minute sit is easier than hitting snooze and trying to wake up slowly. I thought it would be harder to do it an hour earlier but it isn't. In one of my yoga books without pictures (maybe Autobiography of a Yogi?) I read that getting up early for my spiritual practice is worth losing that 15 mins or hour in bed. I find (finally) that I agree.
I wake up early Monday because I go to a meditation group where we sit for 15 minutes. Before bed last night I tried to convince myself that that sit would count but my commitment was to do it before I left the house and so today is a double-header.
My first sit was not remarkable except in how every time I meditate it is remarkable. The practice of keeping this muscle working is where the magic is and the result is the bonus. I am realizing that fact more and more since I have been doing this "project."
I am interested to see what comes in Act II...
Namasté
I wake up early Monday because I go to a meditation group where we sit for 15 minutes. Before bed last night I tried to convince myself that that sit would count but my commitment was to do it before I left the house and so today is a double-header.
My first sit was not remarkable except in how every time I meditate it is remarkable. The practice of keeping this muscle working is where the magic is and the result is the bonus. I am realizing that fact more and more since I have been doing this "project."
I am interested to see what comes in Act II...
Namasté
Sunday, March 25, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 4
Good morning. Today I caught myself thinking that sleeping in was better than meditating. I was wrong. I got up with my alarm anyway and sat through my snooze time.
Doing this right when I wake up seems to be working well for me. When I first started to meditate I caught myself "running out of time" in the morning - and that was when I was only sitting for 2 and 3 minutes at a time! One day, it occurred to me that the meditation is going to happen and so if I want to leave the house earlier, I either need to get up earlier or spend less time messing around syncing my iPhone in the morning. Now that I am doing this right off the bat - and for 10 minutes - I am leaving the house earlier than I did before. Strange how these things work out.
So today it was a mindfulness meditation. Just as clouds pass overhead, I let my thoughts pass through me and I pay them no mind. When I catch myself winding up the brain machine, I repeat "I am a woman who is not present in meditation. I am now present in meditation." It seems to get me right back into the zone, as it were.
I find that overall, after only a few days of this longer and more intentioned sitting I feel much more calm and part of the grander picture. And that is worth 10 minutes of snooze time any day.
Namasté
Doing this right when I wake up seems to be working well for me. When I first started to meditate I caught myself "running out of time" in the morning - and that was when I was only sitting for 2 and 3 minutes at a time! One day, it occurred to me that the meditation is going to happen and so if I want to leave the house earlier, I either need to get up earlier or spend less time messing around syncing my iPhone in the morning. Now that I am doing this right off the bat - and for 10 minutes - I am leaving the house earlier than I did before. Strange how these things work out.
So today it was a mindfulness meditation. Just as clouds pass overhead, I let my thoughts pass through me and I pay them no mind. When I catch myself winding up the brain machine, I repeat "I am a woman who is not present in meditation. I am now present in meditation." It seems to get me right back into the zone, as it were.
I find that overall, after only a few days of this longer and more intentioned sitting I feel much more calm and part of the grander picture. And that is worth 10 minutes of snooze time any day.
Namasté
Saturday, March 24, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 3
Day 3. Yesterday I found myself short-tempered at work. I caught myself indulging in feelings of overwhelm at one point, there. But compared to what that kind of feeling was like before I started meditation - especially the longer sits I have been doing recently - I was able to move through it and remember that my job is to show up and do what I can. When I got home I laid down with my partner and a kitty for a little while to rest and all was well in the world.
This morning I found myself in a guided (perhaps "visualized" is a more accurate word) meditation that I do sometimes. I'll describe it for you in case you are ever in the mood for that sort of thing...
Picture yourself walking in nature. Maybe it is on the beach. Maybe in the woods. Today, it was a grassy meadow. You can see and hear and feel and smell the scene around you. With every breath, you feel yourself letting go of more and more of the world behind you. The scene becomes more vivid.
Eventually, you find yourself at a stone staircase. Walk down it. Step by step watch and feel as you descend into a grotto full of water. It leads out into the ocean and the water level rises and falls with your breath. Noises and movements occurring in the world around you reflect in the water.
In the middle of the water floats a lotus flower with a flame. The water is the world, the flower is you, and the flame is your spirit. As the water reacts to the world the flower rises and falls like a buoy and the flame flickers or burns steady. As you breathe, feel the water carry your flower-body gently up and softly down. As distractions occur, notice the water reacting but find that the flame does not have to. Even if the water is choppy, your flame can still burn bright and steady.
Breathe and observe here for awhile...
When the chime rings, take a deeper breath. Feel yourself slowly being pulled backwards back into the room. When you are ready, gently open your eyes. I like to bow at this point but if that isn't comfortable for you, simply sitting for a moment is perfectly fine.
I began to use this meditation a few months ago and since, I have found that during the day I am more able to keep my flame burning steady - even when the water upon which I sit is turbulent. Today, I feel calm and ready to go into the world no matter what it holds for me. I hope you feel the same.
Please comment below or go to the Yoga with Rachel Facebook page to share your experiences with guided meditation - this one or of others you have tried.
Namasté
This morning I found myself in a guided (perhaps "visualized" is a more accurate word) meditation that I do sometimes. I'll describe it for you in case you are ever in the mood for that sort of thing...
Picture yourself walking in nature. Maybe it is on the beach. Maybe in the woods. Today, it was a grassy meadow. You can see and hear and feel and smell the scene around you. With every breath, you feel yourself letting go of more and more of the world behind you. The scene becomes more vivid.
Eventually, you find yourself at a stone staircase. Walk down it. Step by step watch and feel as you descend into a grotto full of water. It leads out into the ocean and the water level rises and falls with your breath. Noises and movements occurring in the world around you reflect in the water.
In the middle of the water floats a lotus flower with a flame. The water is the world, the flower is you, and the flame is your spirit. As the water reacts to the world the flower rises and falls like a buoy and the flame flickers or burns steady. As you breathe, feel the water carry your flower-body gently up and softly down. As distractions occur, notice the water reacting but find that the flame does not have to. Even if the water is choppy, your flame can still burn bright and steady.
Breathe and observe here for awhile...
When the chime rings, take a deeper breath. Feel yourself slowly being pulled backwards back into the room. When you are ready, gently open your eyes. I like to bow at this point but if that isn't comfortable for you, simply sitting for a moment is perfectly fine.
I began to use this meditation a few months ago and since, I have found that during the day I am more able to keep my flame burning steady - even when the water upon which I sit is turbulent. Today, I feel calm and ready to go into the world no matter what it holds for me. I hope you feel the same.
Please comment below or go to the Yoga with Rachel Facebook page to share your experiences with guided meditation - this one or of others you have tried.
Namasté
Friday, March 23, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 2
Day 2. I had no idea what my alarm was when it went off. I was dreaming about taking a picture and as I went to turn on my camera my alarm went off. But wake up, I did, and sit, I did.
There was a lot more chatter this morning at first. Nothing in particular - just run of the mill "fluctuations of the mind-stuff" as Patanjali put it.
But then something neat happened: around what I will guess was the 5 minute mark (because I did not check the clock, thank you very much), things settled down. There was an ease to it. I sat up straighter and my breath came softer and I found myself really starting to dial in.
There was still some of that internal freak-out around 8 minutes (alas, I did open my eyes and see the clock on the wall). But even that went away quickly and by the time the chime rang and 6:00 things were soft and quiet and easy once again.
Maybe you've had that also. It's the panic in a meditation i get sometimes that it'll never end. That I forgot to set the alarm and I'll be sitting here forever and LET ME OUT!
It did end, however. And right on schedule. And all is well. And so into my day I go, centered, grounded, and peaceful. I hope you feel the same.
More tomorrow.
Namasté
There was a lot more chatter this morning at first. Nothing in particular - just run of the mill "fluctuations of the mind-stuff" as Patanjali put it.
But then something neat happened: around what I will guess was the 5 minute mark (because I did not check the clock, thank you very much), things settled down. There was an ease to it. I sat up straighter and my breath came softer and I found myself really starting to dial in.
There was still some of that internal freak-out around 8 minutes (alas, I did open my eyes and see the clock on the wall). But even that went away quickly and by the time the chime rang and 6:00 things were soft and quiet and easy once again.
Maybe you've had that also. It's the panic in a meditation i get sometimes that it'll never end. That I forgot to set the alarm and I'll be sitting here forever and LET ME OUT!
It did end, however. And right on schedule. And all is well. And so into my day I go, centered, grounded, and peaceful. I hope you feel the same.
More tomorrow.
Namasté
Thursday, March 22, 2012
30 Day Meditation Challenge - Day 1
Last night a friend and I committed to each other we'd do a 30-day meditation challenge. 10 minutes each day before we leave the house. I stole the idea from anther friend of mine who is now finished with hers and loved it.
So today is day one. My alarm went off at 5:50, I sat up, crossed my legs into half lotus, and used my 10 minute snooze for my first day.
The time went quickly this morning. I have been doing 5 mins twice per day for awhile now and longer sits have started to get easier but I'm excited to see how this goes to do 10 each sit.
I do know this: since I have been meditating regularly, I am calm, I seem to be more funny and likeable than before and in general, I have never felt better.
Check back in over the next 30 days to see how it goes and comment here or on the Yoga with Rachel Facebook page to tell me about your experiences with consistent meditation.
Namasté
So today is day one. My alarm went off at 5:50, I sat up, crossed my legs into half lotus, and used my 10 minute snooze for my first day.
The time went quickly this morning. I have been doing 5 mins twice per day for awhile now and longer sits have started to get easier but I'm excited to see how this goes to do 10 each sit.
I do know this: since I have been meditating regularly, I am calm, I seem to be more funny and likeable than before and in general, I have never felt better.
Check back in over the next 30 days to see how it goes and comment here or on the Yoga with Rachel Facebook page to tell me about your experiences with consistent meditation.
Namasté
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