Friday, September 3, 2010

MEDITATION PRACTICE

For the past five weeks I have been taking a meditation class every Thursday night from 7-9 PM. It has been a wonderful opportunity to open my mind to the possibilities that exist and for a chance to become centered and relaxed. I have noticed that I am having less trouble falling asleep at night since practicing.

This tree shows the many types of practices that are available for everyone to choose from. Some people do more than one of these. Some of these I never considered "meditation" but since taking this class it has opened up my mind to the possibility that MANY things we do on a daily basis can be lumped into the category of meditation.

Activist Practices include working and volunteering.-- Stillness Practices include sitting in the silence. (This is the type we have been practicing on Thursdays.)-- Relational Practices include dialogue and deep listening. Did you ever consider this meditation? Do you know someone who could benefit from doing this type of meditation? I sure do. (including myself) --Another type is Contemplative Practice and art and journaling are part of this.-- Some people have started doing labyrinth walking. Here in our area there was just an article in the Auburn Journal regarding a new labyrinth that had been installed and is now being used. Walking meditation is also popular. Many people I follow daily do some sort of walking meditation. I'm sure you can think of many people who walk streams, rivers, creeks, woods, etc. picking up stones, thinking and generally clearing their minds. These are all part of Movement Practice.

Today, I spent the morning pulling weeds in the garden that has been established at the Independent Home Study Program where one of my daughters works. The garden had been neglected all summer so the weeds were thick and had taken over most of the raised beds. It was pretty darned hot out there too. But, I believe in service (Activist Practice) so I volunteered to do this and feel good that I accomplished what I did today. I, in no way, finished the entire garden. That would take either more people or more hours but I wouldn't mind going back another day to help complete the task.

Think of ways to help others and I'm sure that you will also see that it benefits you immensely. It is all part of meditating, growing, becoming a better individual in this lifetime, and generally just feeling darn good; about yourself AND others. It doesn't leave much room for hatred and jealousy. It does open your heart up. Give it a try. Most of you might already be doing meditation and never even knew it.

For more information about this you can go to the website listed above or: www.contemplativemind.org

7 comments:

  1. i enjoy those quiet spaces...sometimes filled with small tasks like weeding when i can let my mind go to that quite place...

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  2. An informative, great post, and I love the tree graphic as a way of showing the different varieties of meditation. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. So happy that you find these practices so helpful...I have gatherd most of them into my life...except for volunteering right now....burn out....need to go another way..
    within
    lovely post

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  4. Thanks for this interesting post. I'm into walking meditation even though my cat, Annibel thinks she has to be a part of this activity. Laughs aside, I believe that what you do in life can all be a form of meditation... even pulling weeds.
    I will continue to read your Blog. I find it very Wabi Sabi...as life can be.(I read your Bio.)

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  5. I just started to learn to meditate and it is proving to be quite a challenge, interestingly enough a few days after I also made a sort of creative collage, which gives me so much peace. Thanks to you, I am just starting to understand how it is all interconnected.
    Thank you, for helping me understand.

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  6. Lovely, intriguing post. I do variations of these, with nice benefits.

    (I just posted your marvelous pork chops!)

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  7. Thank you for sharing your experience an thoughts!

    I came over here from Willows, thank you for that fabulous pork chop recipe. :-)))

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