I make time for meditation in my day. Everyday. I do it for one BIG reason. It works for me. Twenty minutes? Once in, sometimes considerably longer. It’s both spiritually meaningful and practically helpful. It primes me for whatever is next. It significantly increases my creativity. It grounds me in a palpable peace in the middle of busy, high-octane days. It prioritizes my day/week/life with astonishing efficiency and effectiveness. And the frosting? It often gives me the sense of a safe, loving “presence." Is it a gentle encounter with God, the divine, our higher power? Whatever your terminology, I think so.
Wait! Don’t freak yet.
How? Lots of methods out there, but here are some basics: I find a comfortable, reasonably calm place (Peripheral noise? Absorb it.) and sink in. Remember Mom saying, “Just sit still!” Go there.
Wait! We're getting close.
Then, I do my best to eliminate potential external interruptions. Phone muted? I tablet things I can’t forget. Next, I close my eyes and just breathe. Some people light a candle, etc. Occasionally I'll prime the pump with a bible passage, a quote or someone's writing that I've been inspired by, but usually I just breathe. Long...slow...deep...smooth breaths.
Wait! Almost there.
Next, I mentally release internal distractions like strong, unpleasant emotions, "shoulds" and scripts. Most of all, I try to unhook from me, myself and I. Then I wait. I breathe and I wait. In a still silence I...
Wait and See.
And I mean SEE! See things clearer than ever before. Connect dots I’ve never connected before. Feel a sense of deep well being like never before. It feels great. And seriously, once you’re "all in" meditation, even five minutes of this can be mesmerizing. It’s like being in flow or zoning. And it just gets better.
One or the other. For many of us, either we live such highly velocitized lives that making time for meditation seems ludicrous or we've resigned ourselves to being so bored (and boring?) that even to consider practicing it seems like a lot of work. But! If you’re already doing it then you know its value, in which case I’m preaching to the choir. If not, and you're game, get ready! You'll be surprised at how quickly you’re singing its praises.
“Be still, and know that I am God…” (Ps. 46:10)
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