Good Morning My Confidants
I hope this finds you happy and well.
I did my five minutes of meditation this morning! Yes!
Of course, I did it after playing Wordscapes and drinking some coffee and doing my morning ablutions and several other things. But I suddenly remembered, and I did it.
It was not easy....
And I used to be able to do that for 45 minutes?
And stay almost totally in meditation and not think about my doctor's appointment today (and how I should set an alarm, so I don't forget about it) and the lyrics to Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" and opossum's faces (and that they really aren't scary are they?) and if we are going to be able to get both dogs in today for their shots and not just one of them and if I am going to be home from my doctor's appointment in time to go with RBear to the vet's and "how did I ever meditate so easily before?" and "Oh! I could say, 'Om'" and "That's not quite working...OH! Try the 'om mani padme hum!'" and....
Well.... How I did it was I practiced....
They say that's why it's called a practice....
I remember now that room at Unity I used to go to when I was just forty and had gotten out of my toxic relationship with my first husband and how five minutes was impossible at first and then one day...why it wasn't.
And I went on two different three-day silent retreats and we meditated different ways all day and I didn't talk except for two or three Dharma talks throughout the day.
I did sitting meditations and walking meditations and eating meditations and chanting meditations and it was incredible! I remember once floating to my car—or it certainly felt that way. Ever roller skate? And how your feet feel once you get them off? Like you are floating several inches above the ground? That was sort of how I felt.
Why did I ever stop doing meditation?
Well, I am back. I forgot two days and I am back. Hey! I could set an alarm to remind me at 6:25 every morning!
Five minutes! And when I can do that, then six, then seven.
And it was just a few days ago that I talked about all the benefits of meditation. To empty my brain of the chatter chatter chatter for just a short tiny while. The "Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more...."
Five minutes.
It's amazing when I was doing it.
I can't imagine how much this will help with the anxiety I get.
Maybe I should talk about this with my doctor today?
Yes, I think so....
Do any of you meditate?
If so, what method do you use to get to that silent state and stay there? Hints welcome!
Now.... Did I set my alarm so I don't forget to go to my doctor's appointment?
Namaste my friends!
BG "Gentle Ben" Thomas
One trick that I did in the beginning was to visualize myself meditating. I know it sounds weird, but imagining myself breathing and being calm-minded led to actually being focused on breathing and actually being calm-minded.
I also never got to a silent mind, but my mindfulness teacher said that some people can't and it's okay to go to one calming sentence. Or pretend you are a great mountain and the thoughts that go in and out of your mind are just clouds that come and go on the lower slopes and have no impact on you at all. That one can work for me.
I’ve never been able to clear my mind enough to meditate. Too much chatter going on that I’ve never been able to silence.