Hello friend.
Today's meditation is about practicing.
By definition,
To practice is to perform a skill or an activity in a repeated manner to improve proficiency.
To change a behavior one must practice creating ample learning opportunities for themselves.
But there's a time and a place for everything.
These opportunities,
Which are under your control because you will create them,
Should occur during non-essential times as opposed to essential ones.
Similar to taking a spelling test,
One must first practice spelling the words during the week before being expected to take a spelling test at the end of the week.
The mind is really no different.
In order to change your behavior you must first practice during non-essential times when calm.
This will instill more confidence,
Competence,
And success.
When you've practiced during non-essential times you are more readily able to apply it and generalize it when you need it the most.
For example,
When upset about something you're less able to redirect your thinking if you hadn't practiced the simple act of redirecting your thoughts when you were calm.
Meditation is called a practice for a reason.
On average we have about 70 to 80,
000 thoughts a day.
The goal of meditation is not to stop thinking but increasing your ability to redirect your thinking.
You may or may not realize this but this is something that you probably already do.
How many times have you watched a movie or a television show and when a commercial came on you were able to tune it out?
Probably a great deal.
So you have the tools already and you are already ahead of the game.
In most meditative practices it is necessary to start from the outside in by drawing your awareness to the body and to your breath.
You see we're like a Chinese finger trap in that until we are physically relaxed we cannot achieve freedom and it's harder for us to be receptive.
So sit in a comfortable position in any way you like.
Palms facing up if you're in the mood to receive and facing down if you're in a mood to ground.
There is really no right or wrong way just listen to what you need today.
Now from your lower back through your back of your neck to the crown of your head lengthen to the sky into an awake and energized position and then from the crown of your head smooth your forehead.
If your eyes are not already closed close them now and soften.
Release your cheeks,
Allow the tongue to expand and to fall to the floor of the mouth.
Loosen the jaw and then arrive down into a softening belly.
Here take a few deeper than usual breaths.
Inhaling deeply,
Belly rises,
Exhale completely,
Belly falls.
Inhale entirely,
Belly rises and exhale fully,
Belly falls.
Inhale intently,
Rising,
Exhale purposefully,
Falling.
And simply allow your breath to return to a natural smooth and fluid flow and release the need to control it any further.
For the next few moments don't do anything here.
You will start to notice the thoughts arise in your mind's eye.
This is expected,
This is normal.
You will probably start to consciously become aware that you are no longer in a restful and energized state but you've gotten caught up.
This typically occurs after the thought comes to your mind and you start to engage it,
Attach something to it in the form of an image,
A sensation or a feeling.
When this occurs,
Kindly and compassionately simply ride the current of your breath back to a state of being present and soften the body again and again and again.
This is the practice of meditation.
And now I will let you practice in silence for a few minutes while I watch the time.
Slowly start to bring your awareness back.
If you were sitting inside,
Bring your awareness back to the four corners of the room that you're in.
If you're sitting outside,
Bring your awareness back to the surrounding sounds.
Start to allow some energy and movement into your toes and your fingers and allow that energy to move through the palms of your hands and the heels of your feet,
To your wrists,
Your ankles,
Elbows,
To knees,
Until it all meets at your heart center.
You've practiced a form of meditation which is something that you can create anytime you want,
Anytime when it's not essential and when you're calm.
The more you practice during these times,
The more you're more readily able to generalize it to the situations when you absolutely need it the most.
I'll see you next time.
