Bring about an emotionally calm, clear, and stable state with meditation. While some people think it is a part of a religion or spiritual activity (and it can be), meditation is simply a practice of focusing your attention on one thing at a time. You are likely meditating quite often and don’t even realize it. Even worry is a meditation, it is just an extremely unproductive one. It is impossible to worry, fear, or hate when your mind is thinking about something other than the object of these emotions. We weren’t given a spirit of the aforementioned, but of power, love and a sound mind. The contents of your thoughts can fit into a few simple categories. Grudging thoughts, fearful thoughts, angry thoughts, wanting thoughts, planning thoughts, memories, loving thoughts, acts of kindness that have been done towards you, and thoughts of your blessings. We act in certain ways because we have certain thoughts that over our lifetime have become habitual. Habitual patterns of thought and perception that do not serve us well will begin to lose their influence over our life once we become aware of them. With regular meditation, mindful meditating on positive, good things, you will feel more clarity and calmer in your life, more capable of making new choices in the moment, and less prone to engage in struggle and reactive responses, not to mention reducing stress and improving concentration. You have the ability to choose which thoughts you will think about. You can actually halt obsessive thinking, anxiety, depression and hostility by choosing to meditate on what is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good and praise worthy.
My meditation posture pictured above is one of many. Assuming a meditation posture is helpful in getting your mind and spirit prepared and focused. But honestly, you can do it anywhere, and just simply sitting in a chair. Centering yourself is important. This means deliberately keeping an area of calmness within yourself by conscious thought no matter how intensely your emotions might be churning. Check in and notice the quality of your breath. Is it fast or slow? Deep or shallow? Notice where your breath rests in your body. Is it high in your chest or down low in your belly? Try to drop your breath deep and low to bring about a more relaxed state.
Maintaining a positive or even just passive attitude is key. Likely you will have many thoughts coming in, which is natural and expected. These aren’t really interruptions, without them, you wouldn’t be able to develop the ability to let them go. Here is where you mindfully choose to let go of pain, annoyances, disappointments, fear and sadness. When those thoughts come in, practice replacing them with comfort, blessings, contentedness, security, and joy. Practice makes progress. Let go of the temptation to make sense of your feelings. This actually furthers the obsessiveness of your thoughts.
Besides reducing negative emotions, additional benefits include: Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations, increasing patience and tolerance, increasing self awareness, increasing imagination and creativity, attentiveness and memory, and focusing on the present.
Engaging in practices that target the interactions among the mind, body and spirit improve psychological balance and enhance overall wellbeing. This is powerful because it nurtures a tired soul, so peace can be transferred throughout the body and the potential for healing on many levels can open up and make way for peace of mind and happiness. Meditation can bring focus, insight, and a sense of renewal and rejuvenation to your life. My Hope is that you will give yourself this gift and all of it’s benefits.
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? -Luke 12:25
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