After a few very grey and cool days it appears that the sun is making a return today! (Which is very welcome even if it is not bringing the warm weather with it!) And, this morning the blog is decidedly lacking in subject matter so I thought about just writing in hopes that some brilliance would bubble to the surface.
But, sometimes, the brilliance is silent and I am struck by this month’s theme at The Balanced Sisterhood. It is all focused around meditation, stress relief, and rejuvenation. Meditation has been part of my life for a very long time now, but after all that time being still is not always easy.
I have this month’s print out at my desk where I meditate and write as a visual reminder that being still is okay and more than that, it is necessary. In those moments of stillness there is sometimes tension inside me as the external fights just being still. I am a “doer” – as in I must always be doing something… knitting, reading, stitching, writing, cooking, cleaning, doing. However, when I push those thoughts away and just focus on being still wonderful things can happen. I realize that being still is vital to being active – my thoughts are more ordered and less chaotic and I have less tension and stress in my body. Even just 5 or 10 minutes of stillness is enough to energize and organize my day.
In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you. Deepak Chopra
As in all things, this is a work in progress but, there is progress and that encourages me to keep going! What about you? Do you have a meditation practice?
I should meditate. How does a rat running on a wheel learn to do this? I love the saying, Do you have the patience to let your muddy waters settle and watch the answer come clear?
I have to remind myself that growing up in a drama filled family made me think chaos is normal, fun and necessary when it is none of the above.
My meditation practice consists mainly of good intentions. 🙂 I know it’s something that would have benefits, but I’ve always quit when I didn’t see benefits soon enough. I just heard Robert Wright on Fresh Air yesterday, talking about his book Why Buddhism Is True. There may yet be hope for me and meditation.
Eight days into the month, I am starting to feel like “yes, I have a meditation practice”. I even adjusted my early morning routine after the first few days to make it fit better. I’m only up to ten minutes a day, but it is certainly time well spent.
I have tried to meditate so many times through the years, but it’s hard to get your mind to be still even when you succeed in getting the body to do so. I think the closest I get is when I’m spinning, because that regular rhythm of treadling is so calm and focused.
Meditation has been keeping my stress levels down for almost 2 years now. It’s a game changer.
I do yoga for 15 minutes Monday through Friday. when I was having back issues last October I had to suspend this practice for more than six months and missed it so much. I do this before sunrise in the quiet of the day. I find I feel so peaceful and worries fly away!
I understand the need for time of quiet contemplation, but also believe keeping a calm, focused mind during movement (like while making soup, say), is also a meditative practice. I enjoy movement, doing, going. It’s the part of sitting to practice I have trouble completing.
I have an every-day meditation practice. On those (rare) days when my schedule goes a little haywire and I don’t get a chance to SIT for my meditation, I can really feel the difference. Like Margene, I also incorporate mindfulness practice throughout my day. XO