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The Myth
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These days the word Meditation comes charged with preconceived notions.
It's not so much most don't know what this is. But most times people think they know what it is. Or that their definition of Meditation is what it's all about.
Over two decades of engaging in various spiritual practices, starting with Zen, my experience has been that there are no set definitions.
It is what works for me.
I could make it very complicated or very simple. But in our complicated over-thinking left-brained dominant lives, Simple does not necessarily translate to Easy.
How do you skin this cat?
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Tossing out everyone's definition of what Meditation is, you are left with your own.
It is whatever you do with full Awareness.
Awareness of, both yourself and what you are doing.
That could be Cooking, walking in nature, a day by the Ocean reading a book, listening to music or just sitting quiet in a dim lit room sipping your glass of red wine while you space out.
I have come to define it for myself as "doing something with full Awareness, so focused and uninterrupted with my body-and-soul that I lose passage of time".
Or what some would call "being in the zone".
But you have to like what you're doing. There is no reason to "Should all over" yourself to force yourself to be what you are supposed to do.
Doing the deed
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All that said there are many many Spiritual Tools (fancy words, yes) you could acquaint yourself with. I'll share something simple that I practice. It is part what I teach in workshops.
However you define Meditation, it is both a physical and spiritual act. Reading about it or thinking about it will not reap the benefits . Let's get started.
Find a quiet place where you can sit uninterrupted.
Notice the room. Notice the weight of your body in the chair.
Notice your body from toe to top of the head.
Tense somewhere? Or just nothing really?
No problem. The exercise is to just notice.
As you observe your body, notice how you are breathing.
Shallow? Deep? Normal?
Adjust your breathing accordingly to feel comfortable. Breathe in and out gently few times or as needed.
Many time thoughts buried by the flurry of your day may start to surface.
If so, just notice.
Then refocus your Awareness on your body and breathing.
This is quiet-sitting-noticing what some may call "Meditation".
Simple really. But some-days not easy.
Some days its hard to just sit down and spend 10minutes of uninterrupted time.
To take time to clear our head and reset from the day.
Reset, so we are not experiencing every hour as a hangover from the previous.
You could do this quiet-sitting-noticing for 10-15 minutes at first.
Then make it longer if you are benefiting. Usually the first 5-10 minutes or so is getting past the sudden antsiness you start to feel as soon as you decide to sit quietly.
"5-10 minutes" is a random number. It could be longer or shorter depending on you or your day.
The first time it took me about 30min before my antsiness could start to subside.
A common urge is this sudden need to do something else. Anything but sitting quietly doing nothing.
Do you need to "Meditate" everyday?
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Well, that depends on you.
I have gone without Meditating for years. Sometimes Months. Sometimes weeks.
I just didn't feel the need.
But then there are times I have meditated every day for a month because I felt like I needed to "shake something off me".
In Closing
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Any act you define and practice as "Meditation" and promotes your Awareness, affects your dual aspects. Your Body and your corresponding Spiritual/Energetic aspect.
As you go through the day and engage with others and your environment both these aspects absorb "stuff".
Meditation as an act helps shake off what's not in alignment with you and drains you.
It replenishes you emotionally, intellectually and creatively.
It is a tool to become aware of yourself and your immediate environment. To become aware of what is happening Now vs sucked into the hangover of the Past or anxiety for the Future. Everything is created from Here and Now.
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