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by Joel Pitney | June 1, 2009 at 11:36pm |
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This past Sunday I, along with the other editors of EnlightenNext magazine, spent most of the day in silent meditation. Setting aside a full day for meditation practice is something we do weekly here at the EnlightenNext headquarters (which doubles as a spiritual community) and it’s a ritual that I’ve found to be an absolute necessity in all of the creative work that we do producing the magazine during the week. There’s something endlessly fascinating about the fact that spending so much time doing absolutely nothing mysteriously leads to a greater freedom, ability to handle complex situations, and spontaneous creative capacity when I get up from the cushion. The quote below is from EnlightenNext founder and spiritual teacher Andrew Cohen about why the serious practice of meditation is so vital to the spiritual life:
Practicing meditation for long periods makes it possible, at least temporarily, to know what it means to have no relationship to the passing of time and the movement of mind and memory. And not only that, it provides us with access to our own primordial depths, which inevitably gives rise to a profound and abiding sense of happiness. And that is because, slowly but surely, we awaken to that dimension of ourselves that has never been born and has never entered into the stream of time. Repeatedly experiencing such an enormous shift of perspective makes clear the liberating truth that the source of real contentment has nothing to do with satisfying any particular desire. And it reveals to us, over and over again, that who we are always has been perfectly free from who we have been as a personality.
If that’s not a serious incentive to get down and meditate, I don’t know what is!
Filed Under: Consciousness • EnlightenNext Editors’ Blog • Spirituality • meditation
Tags: Andrew Cohen, Consciousness, creativity, emptiness, freedom, happiness, meditation, practice, spiritual practice, Spirituality
Yes! Being in touch with the truth of our Being, in meditation, creates profound joy to face challenges of life and to live more consciously.
What I love about meditation is the feeling of bliss I experience – a feeling of freedom – and then I realize I have a mysterious little smile on my face …. and go back inside, overflowing with love.
In this world of over-stimulation, demands of all kinds on our attention and unending distractions, meditation offers a respite and refuge, a space you can go to seek the peace and quiet.
For those interested to begin meditating:
Those who have started out exercising at the gym know that when you begin it’s really hard to do even the first few reps but if you keep at it, it gets easier and easier. Those who start out with meditation may experience the same thing. What’s important is to keep the positive in mind, that the benefits will be your reward:
1) Growing peace of mind. 2) Growing ability to focus and concentrate instead of letting your mind jump around. A mind is a wonderful servant but terrible master. 3) It’s a sanctuary, a refuge where you can count on for the duration of your meditation for peace and quiet. 4)
I consider it a daily essential, like eliminating waste–sitting quietly and purging all the poisonous thoughts and mental baggage daily. If you do it properly, you will rise up from your sitting, refreshed.
Doing it properly:
1) Designate a spot that will be quiet. You may want to set up a kind of altar with some things that will be a center for your meditating.
2) Schedule a regular window of time where you can get into it w/o being disturbed. Turn off the phone and other distractions
3) Be comfortable, relaxed but alert.
4) Try to clear your mind of thoughts. Visualize a blue sky or a clear TV screen, calming. If thoughts appear, let them pass by like clouds in the sky.
5) To maintain your concentration to keep your attention from wandering you may want to count from 1-10, continuing to count till you decide to stop. Or say with your breathing “In”, “Out”, in, out, in, out. Breathe from your diaphragm, like when swimming, filling your lungs still your diaphragm then exhale from your lungs till you push out your diaphragm. Try to maintain this deep breathing throughout your session in a place where the air is clean.
6) You may want to set an amount of time with an alarm clock; start with maybe 10 min. then gradually longer till maybe 20 min, 30 min. more?
7) Some find it useful to find others to meditate with, perhaps at a temple or in somebody’s place.
As time goes by with your meditating, you should be able to realize the benefits mentioned (second paragraph above). You should not expect spectacular things, visions or blissfulness to result from meditating, though they are’nt precluded. Beware, fly as far as you like but keep your feet on the ground!
Come back and talk about your success/difficulties after you’ve tried it say in a week or so.
Best regards for your meditating progress. Namaste ( Hindu) and Aloha mean: I honor your spirit
In conflating meditation with doing absolutely nothing is not exactly accurate, IMO. I’d say that meditating is an active not a passive technique of enabling the access of our more holistic being, accessed through this technique so brilliantly discovered so many centuries ago. It is useful in maintaining mental health, as modern medical opinion is more and more corroborating. Though seemingly “just sitting”, there are biological and mental processes activated, the spiritual system of our selves being attended. Some may get along with apparent health without needing meditation but there are many who would benefit from meditating. so many claim they don’t need, can’t meditate who patently are just those who would benefit most, to quiet their raging lives and minds.
But realizing the benefits of this valuable technique is perhaps a part of becoming, being more conscious spiritually.