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What You See Is What You Get. This is a journal blog, an explore-blog, a bit of this and that blog. Sharing where the mood takes me. Perhaps it will take you too.

MenoSundays; Life Lived Lovingly

Without any planning, May turned into Meditation Month on these posts! I've enjoyed writing them, and comments suggest you have all appreciated reading them, if from differing angles. Which is as it ought to be. To complete this miniseries, let us ponder whether meditation is something to be considered 'easy' or 'difficult' and where it fits into life.

With last week's post, it is hoped that all now understand that every one of us at some point 'meditates' even if that is not the word we apply to the condition of sitting/walking in a state of suspended thought, gaining enhanced relaxation of mind and body. The simplest and most common example is to have been present in a place of solitude, communing with Mother Nature and just letting 'her' caress you. Be that with the lapping of waves, the whispering of trees, or the brush of a breeze. If you can recall such moments and the freedom of spirit it engendered, the salve of self, the simple, clean relaxation that resulted - then know that you can and could again meditate. It is easy.

If, though, you are one of those folk who cannot permit yourself to sit in the now for fear of the past catching up with you, then meditation will indeed be difficult. It is a sort of crime for some to take time out for themselves - and they can be very judgemental of others who do. Let it be. Everyone must find their own way, and if some cannot bear the idea of time out, that is their right of choice. I have known several like this. For them, the equivalent thinking time that might be applied to meditation is actually a fret session. 

Neither is taking that time and allowing the mind to wander all over the place, creating air castles and cloud scenes anticipating a future, any kind of meditation. That is daydreaming. 

Daydreaming has its place in mental restoration, so do not be too self-critical for such moments. As humans, having been granted the privilege of a complex mental structure, we have also been provided tools to keep that structure healthy. What is important is to ensure that none of the tools become crutches. If we are looking all the time to 'escape' daily life, we may have to look for practical and solid solutions that have nothing to do with taking time out and much more to do with making life changes.

However, assuming that for most of the time, life is ticking along as it needs to and we are, on balance, content with it, then attending to a regular habit of self-care is an essential adjunct to maintaining the contentment. Thus, those walks in nature with minimal mental activity, the dedicated moments of focused thought, and the minutes of pure meditation add to a favourable position for our whole state of being.

The part that tends to confound so many is the bit about the flow of thoughts - the monkey mind that will not sit still! It is the part where many say 'meditation is difficult!' One way to begin taming all the raging torrents that arise from life is to make them the initial focus. Instead of letting the thoughts happen randomly, invite them to a gathering and then sort them into priorities - if it helps, even use an actual pen and paper to create a list. Ask yourself questions. Did this, that or the other thought have any real purpose for you, now or with potential for the near future? If not, it goes to the discard pile. Does this, that or the other thought actually belong to you, or are you taking on thoughts which actually belong to others? (Parents with grown children's situations often face this one!) At least for now, place those thoughts on the discard pile. Next, assess this, that or the other thought for any immediacy pertaining to yourself. Rate them in importance - and again, you will find some that can be discarded, for now, one or two that rank at number four, one or two at three, maybe a couple at two... then there will be The One Thought that underpins them all. It might not have even been noticed until now, but that is the thought that needs to be focused upon for this meditation session. Grab it, do not let any other thoughts interfere with your conversation with that one thought that has risen to the top and requires your attention. [It is important to add here, perhaps, that in fact what you will be looking at is groups of thoughts that adhere to a particular concept - going to individual thoughts is a few steps more along this path...]

Doing this not only calms down a mind that is running out of control and thus being relatively unproductive for life solutions, but it can bring forth parts of ourselves that require proper care and can provide the very solutions we've been scrabbling for. More importantly, we have made significant steps into a proper act of meditation. There are a million more steps to come, but with this single session of sorting, we have begun that journey.


Hari OM
Thank you all for taking the time to read and ponder upon the nature and purpose of meditation. Whether you only think of it as relaxation time, simply a respite, or have a deeper attachment to the practice, I trust you have found something of use and interest to take away from this month's posts. If you wish to follow more along these lines, you might find reading my posts on the teaching blogs of some worth. 
Aatmaavrajanam (Chapter One) is where most of the teaching and guided meditations are. 
Aatmaavrajanam (Chapter Two) tends more to affirmations for use in focused meditation.



8 comments:

  1. I recall in grade school, I would day dream and that up set the teacher.
    Coffee is on and stay safe

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  2. F is enjoying your meditation blogs. Even if we aren't commenting or contributing discussion we are following your every word. F has probably always been a meditator in a native untrained sense. She identifed with several of the 'types' of meditation you described last week but never thought of her process as meditation. She often sifts stuff while cycling or knitting, or simply lets some subconscious part of the brain do so, and is still always surprised when an answer to something not apparently under consideration just suddenly surfaces. She bemoans the fact the modern working world demands instant actions or advice and robs us of thinking time to enable considered responses. She is also of the healthy body healthy mind school of existence - that no part can be attended in isolation, eating, exercise, washing, head time, social time, loving - all should be addressed with attention and a kind of gratitude and respect, enjoyed not simply performed as part of a check list. Life's balance.

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    1. Hari OM
      That's the way! So much is out of balance in the world - all we have total control over is ourselves and ensuring balance within ourselves at least - and even that is a challenge at times (see tomorrow's post). Yxx

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    2. Gail too is in favour of balance!

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  3. Hello there, I have to admit I’ve just been skim reading many blogs recently - however I’ve bookmarked all these Sunday posts and will settle down sometime to read them in more detail.
    Take care
    Cathy

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  4. I now think I should have named my blog Monkey Mind, not MadSnapper. I do have a monkey mind and it never quits and it is very hard to shut it down. even when making a purchase, making any decision at all, the MM whirls and whirls and looks at every thing that could/should/proably would happen.. the act of shutting the MM down is instant if i pick up a book. in fact I shut it down at night with 10 to 20 minutes of reading in bed, unless it is a huge decision or some thing is lurking that is about to happen. then its longer. what you have described as mediation is very difficult for me.. I will keep trying and IF it happens you will be the first to know..can you mediate in a noisy enviroment?

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    1. Hari OM
      It is possible to meditate anywhere once the ability to internalise has been developed - but it does take practice! Yxx

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  5. I am hopeful that with practice, my meditation practice will get easier. Right now it really depends on the day, the moment etc. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about it.

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