This is a motivational post for those having a rough go. Sound similar? I know, I posted something like this yesterday. What can I say? I'm feeling Gandi. More like Winston Churchill, or basically anyone who has ever recommended letting go of those who let you go or walk away from you, disappoint you, push you out the door.
Don't let it get you down, any of it. Keep striving for what you hope to achieve in this life.
Sometimes, especially in times like now, I start to question everything and wonder who is this person inside of me? Can I truly do it? Can I accomplish what I always hoped to accomplish? Well, yes. I believe I can, and so should you.
If you will yourself to do anything, it can and will happen. It's all a learning experience.
Sure, this is a bit jumbled since I'm not outright specifying what it is exactly has occurred to me that is causing me to invoke this pep talk. Well, let's just say things in life haven't exactly transpired as planned, or as I envisioned exactly, but I can understand why what has happened has happened. I am learning from the distant and recent past. I'm on a path of realization.
The one main point I hope to convey is if something has happened of what appears to be negative consequence, look closer and you shall find the truth.
There was a wise person who said: ignoring the facts does not change the facts. I apologize for not giving this person due credit in the form of a name and if anyone knows who said this, please tell me and I will properly credit the individual by name. There is another wise individual who said we only find the truth by searching internally.
I believe both of the above quotes to be profoundly enlightening. Such is true and I find time and time again when I go into escapist or avoidance mode, I in essence, stunt my growth and understanding. When I search externally and look to others for guidance and advice in terms of life situations and how to deal, I remain at a distance from the truth.
As I stood in the shower today, I realized that it's possible to look at only one facet of an issue and miss the full picture. So I encourage you to look within and carve out the whole, and you will thereby achieve truth, understand the facts, and experience a sense of understanding and peace. Just try it.
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
21 March 2016
31 March 2013
My thoughts on meditation
I have finally committed to meditating at least fifteen minutes
per day. This started three days ago. I have been interested in meditation for
a while, and have even made the effort to meditate on a daily basis in the
past, yet I didn’t keep it going, for one reason or another; maybe I’ll expand more
on that later. Now, I feel like I’ve reached my stride and will be
diligent about it. I plan on making it thirty days straight for starters, fifteen
minutes or more, per day. Just fifteen minutes each day is sufficient, however.
For me, it helps that it’s done in a certain position, with an alarm that
sounds softly at the end of the session, so that my focus is directed away from
the sensation of my back resting against an object and I don't have to be distracted in keeping track of time. My method of meditation is as follows:
1. Set alarm for 15 minutes
2. Sit upright with spine straight and feet flat on the floor, hand with palms facing upward on thighs, eyes closed
3. Begin meditation, focusing on your breathing as you go
4. Open eyes once the alarm sounds
b) You may feel like this is a waste of time. It’s not. Meditation will help bring insight and allow you to balance and strengthen your mind and body, if you make time for it. Have faith in this. I do, and I’m no expert on the act of meditation. I’m just a beginner who has devoted a measly fifteen minutes per day for three days thus far, but this is my belief. Furthermore, fifteen minutes is really a breeze. At first, it may seem like a struggle to quiet your mind since you may feel the need to be doing something all times. After having meditated for the past three days, I now look forward to it. Being able to disregard those seemingly pressing obligations that arise in one's mind, is quite the respite. It’s as though I’m giving myself permission to turn off that noise which clutters my mind. It solidifies the fact that I'm the one in control, not my thoughts.
c) The first sit-down may be the most challenging. Then again, it seems a new challenge will arise each time you assume your meditation posture. This is part of the process. Three nights ago, I wanted to stop mid-meditation because it felt like the end was nowhere in sight. I started to worry as to whether or not I had even set my alarm. I felt tempted to open my eyes just to take a peek at the clock. Another area of frustration was attempting to tune out my thoughts and focus primarily on my breathing. At a certain point, my breath was doing its own thing, my heart was racing, and I felt very much hot and bothered (in an annoyed sense). However, I pressed on and something unexpected occurred. At one point, I began contemplating how I react on impulse at times. I thought about how I react brashly at times. Then, the realization that I could react differently, by choice, came to me. Might I consider a different approach should such a situation arise wherein I feel offended or agitated? The alarm went off as I was analyzing my behavior. I was relieved that I had been patient enough to make it the whole way through without peeking at the clock and a bit surprised at snippet of clarity I’d achieved as a result of holding on until the alarm sounded.
d) Tranquility is a side-effect of meditation. I remember meeting a Reiki healer a while back. She had such an intensely calming presence. Before the Reiki session, I had felt a mixture of fear and anxiety. However, sitting across from her put me at ease. She inquired as to whether or not I meditated and I told her I did and the length of time I devoted to it, which was minimal. She recommended that I meditate for an hour each day. This suggestion has stuck with me and I'm now working towards the goal of allotting an hour per day to meditation. Meeting her cemented my belief that meditation really does have a calming effect on people, given the warmth and peace she emanated.
1. Set alarm for 15 minutes
2. Sit upright with spine straight and feet flat on the floor, hand with palms facing upward on thighs, eyes closed
3. Begin meditation, focusing on your breathing as you go
4. Open eyes once the alarm sounds
Key points:
a) You will experience an urge to act upon some of your thoughts during meditation. For instance, the thought of that bill that’s due in a week and needs to be paid pronto or that test for which you need to study may prompt you to get off your butt and do those things which will seem to require immediate attention. At minimum, you may want to write down those items that come to mind so you will not forget to do them. Don’t. Resist those urges. Remain seated and bring your attention back to the movement of your breath.
a) You will experience an urge to act upon some of your thoughts during meditation. For instance, the thought of that bill that’s due in a week and needs to be paid pronto or that test for which you need to study may prompt you to get off your butt and do those things which will seem to require immediate attention. At minimum, you may want to write down those items that come to mind so you will not forget to do them. Don’t. Resist those urges. Remain seated and bring your attention back to the movement of your breath.
b) You may feel like this is a waste of time. It’s not. Meditation will help bring insight and allow you to balance and strengthen your mind and body, if you make time for it. Have faith in this. I do, and I’m no expert on the act of meditation. I’m just a beginner who has devoted a measly fifteen minutes per day for three days thus far, but this is my belief. Furthermore, fifteen minutes is really a breeze. At first, it may seem like a struggle to quiet your mind since you may feel the need to be doing something all times. After having meditated for the past three days, I now look forward to it. Being able to disregard those seemingly pressing obligations that arise in one's mind, is quite the respite. It’s as though I’m giving myself permission to turn off that noise which clutters my mind. It solidifies the fact that I'm the one in control, not my thoughts.
c) The first sit-down may be the most challenging. Then again, it seems a new challenge will arise each time you assume your meditation posture. This is part of the process. Three nights ago, I wanted to stop mid-meditation because it felt like the end was nowhere in sight. I started to worry as to whether or not I had even set my alarm. I felt tempted to open my eyes just to take a peek at the clock. Another area of frustration was attempting to tune out my thoughts and focus primarily on my breathing. At a certain point, my breath was doing its own thing, my heart was racing, and I felt very much hot and bothered (in an annoyed sense). However, I pressed on and something unexpected occurred. At one point, I began contemplating how I react on impulse at times. I thought about how I react brashly at times. Then, the realization that I could react differently, by choice, came to me. Might I consider a different approach should such a situation arise wherein I feel offended or agitated? The alarm went off as I was analyzing my behavior. I was relieved that I had been patient enough to make it the whole way through without peeking at the clock and a bit surprised at snippet of clarity I’d achieved as a result of holding on until the alarm sounded.
d) Tranquility is a side-effect of meditation. I remember meeting a Reiki healer a while back. She had such an intensely calming presence. Before the Reiki session, I had felt a mixture of fear and anxiety. However, sitting across from her put me at ease. She inquired as to whether or not I meditated and I told her I did and the length of time I devoted to it, which was minimal. She recommended that I meditate for an hour each day. This suggestion has stuck with me and I'm now working towards the goal of allotting an hour per day to meditation. Meeting her cemented my belief that meditation really does have a calming effect on people, given the warmth and peace she emanated.
What I have learned from my brief interlude into learning meditation thus far has
been that it’s not as difficult as you may think to carve out the time to do it. You know how quickly fifteen minutes pass when you’re
perusing the internet? Could you instead use that time, once a day, to sit in a
private space with your eyes closed, focused on your breath and achieving a state of peace? You may just walk away breathing a bit deeper and having gained some insight on your life.
18 November 2011
My tips for quieting an overactive mind and achieving a sense of calm.
This post is for all of the overthinkers out there; those whose are bombarded with a seemingly unending stream of unconnected thoughts that traverse ever so swiftly through the universe that is our mind. The big challenge when it comes to calming an overactive mind is somehow not allowing the negative or fearful thoughts to have power over you; the type of power that manifests itself in the form of anxiety and physical discomfort. If you are reading this and interested in learning of my tips to try to ease your mind and benefit your emotional well-being, you probably have exhibited some of the symptoms that characterize anxiety. Chest tightness, rapid heart rate, sweaty palms, a sense of uneasiness or looming fear, are all example symptoms of anxiety.
Meditation is thought of as a prime technique to quiet the mind and to enable one to engage in the present and in effect, create peace and ease within one's mind and body. I have tried meditating in the past and although I only experimented with it for about a month, I grew frustrated as it wasn't having the impact that I thought it would. I was still experiencing anxiety. While I am far from having all of the answers to alleviating anxiety, having reflected on what I was doing during my meditation sessions and having done some unscientific research, I have uncovered some useful tips to ease the mind:
1) Be present: Think, hear, smell, feel, be. When your thoughts are racing and you feel your anxiety level rising, take a moment to listen to what is happening around you.
2) Turn off the radio/tv: This can be helpful when external stimuli is merely adding to to your anxiety. By turning off the radio/tv, you free up mental space and are more apt to conjure up solutions to problems that may plague you on either a subconscious or conscious level. Furthermore, not having superficial noise blaring in the background can help ground you in the present. When you are surrounded by quiet, you have no choice but to confront it, and I mean that in a good way.
3) Don't judge your thoughts: Don't pay attention to your thoughts, but don't actively ignore them either. It's a balancing act. The idea is to let your thoughts flow without "doing" anything. This point is absolutely crucial for me. When I first learned about meditation, I was specifically told something to the effect of 'acknowledge the thought, and let it pass.' Taking this advice literally, impeded my ability to relax because I was trying so hard to notice and accept my thoughts. I made an effort not to suppress any particular thought. Unfortunately, the very act of trying not to suppress my thoughts contributed to more anxiety. I was doing too much rather than just letting my thoughts flow freely without unnecessary consideration. Exerting energy in terms of thinking is useful in certain situations. However, thinking in and of itself shouldn't be a task. It's not work. It's a natural, organic process. Thoughts don't require thoughts. Just something to think about, no pun intended.
4) Lower your expectations, or better yet, don't have expectations at all as far as your anxiety goes: Try not to criticize yourself if you are not progressing at the pace you would expect or prefer. Don't make comparisons between the past and the present, with regard to your progress or lack thereof. This correlates with tip #1.
Meditation is thought of as a prime technique to quiet the mind and to enable one to engage in the present and in effect, create peace and ease within one's mind and body. I have tried meditating in the past and although I only experimented with it for about a month, I grew frustrated as it wasn't having the impact that I thought it would. I was still experiencing anxiety. While I am far from having all of the answers to alleviating anxiety, having reflected on what I was doing during my meditation sessions and having done some unscientific research, I have uncovered some useful tips to ease the mind:
1) Be present: Think, hear, smell, feel, be. When your thoughts are racing and you feel your anxiety level rising, take a moment to listen to what is happening around you.
2) Turn off the radio/tv: This can be helpful when external stimuli is merely adding to to your anxiety. By turning off the radio/tv, you free up mental space and are more apt to conjure up solutions to problems that may plague you on either a subconscious or conscious level. Furthermore, not having superficial noise blaring in the background can help ground you in the present. When you are surrounded by quiet, you have no choice but to confront it, and I mean that in a good way.
3) Don't judge your thoughts: Don't pay attention to your thoughts, but don't actively ignore them either. It's a balancing act. The idea is to let your thoughts flow without "doing" anything. This point is absolutely crucial for me. When I first learned about meditation, I was specifically told something to the effect of 'acknowledge the thought, and let it pass.' Taking this advice literally, impeded my ability to relax because I was trying so hard to notice and accept my thoughts. I made an effort not to suppress any particular thought. Unfortunately, the very act of trying not to suppress my thoughts contributed to more anxiety. I was doing too much rather than just letting my thoughts flow freely without unnecessary consideration. Exerting energy in terms of thinking is useful in certain situations. However, thinking in and of itself shouldn't be a task. It's not work. It's a natural, organic process. Thoughts don't require thoughts. Just something to think about, no pun intended.
4) Lower your expectations, or better yet, don't have expectations at all as far as your anxiety goes: Try not to criticize yourself if you are not progressing at the pace you would expect or prefer. Don't make comparisons between the past and the present, with regard to your progress or lack thereof. This correlates with tip #1.
19 October 2011
How to meditate without actively trying
I have found that striving to achieve a sense of calm during standard meditation actually defeats the purpose. Putting too much thought and effort into releasing your worries and frustration is actually counterproductive. I know when I sit down with the intent to meditate by myself and without interruption, I often come away from the situation feeling more stressed out than had I not sat down to meditate at all. The act of trying to induce happiness has an opposite, unintended effect.
When I reflect on those moments that I have felt most at peace with myself, on a spiritual and emotional level, it becomes clear that it is because in those moments, I was allowing my thoughts to flow naturally without judgment or resistence. I was playing with my cats or sitting outside reveling at the beauty surrounding me. I was engaged in a thought-provoking conversation. I was dancing and letting the rhythm of the music inspire me. I was present, in the moment before me, soaking it in and allowing any particular thought to interfere. I was just being me and letting the present unfold itself.
My spirit had lifted to a higher, more secure place instantly, when I channeled my energy into the present moment. My heartbeat slowed and my breath followed suit. I was experiencing the wonderful effects of meditation, not by trying to achieve a sense of peace, but rather by meditating naturally; unconventionally. It is through participating in the present moment and living outside of your head that you will achieve an authentic sense of calm. It is by taking part in the here, the now, and the reality; it is by not focusing on the past and letting go of expectations you may have about the future, that you truly meditate without even trying.
When I reflect on those moments that I have felt most at peace with myself, on a spiritual and emotional level, it becomes clear that it is because in those moments, I was allowing my thoughts to flow naturally without judgment or resistence. I was playing with my cats or sitting outside reveling at the beauty surrounding me. I was engaged in a thought-provoking conversation. I was dancing and letting the rhythm of the music inspire me. I was present, in the moment before me, soaking it in and allowing any particular thought to interfere. I was just being me and letting the present unfold itself.
My spirit had lifted to a higher, more secure place instantly, when I channeled my energy into the present moment. My heartbeat slowed and my breath followed suit. I was experiencing the wonderful effects of meditation, not by trying to achieve a sense of peace, but rather by meditating naturally; unconventionally. It is through participating in the present moment and living outside of your head that you will achieve an authentic sense of calm. It is by taking part in the here, the now, and the reality; it is by not focusing on the past and letting go of expectations you may have about the future, that you truly meditate without even trying.
10 September 2011
My meditation practice
I have been meditating relatively consistently for about two months. When I first started, I was excited. I found that it did help calm my mind to some extent. However, the effects were not drastic and rather disappointing after the first week. I still felt anxiety and fear looming before, during, and after my meditation. This led me to question the benefits of meditation. I thought to myself, 'Is this doing more harm than good?' 'This might actually be making me feel worse.'
While meditation has not freed me from my anxiety which was my initial hope, the process of meditation has been rather enlightening. My anxiety has not lifted as much as I would like, but I am a work in progress. It has become apparent that meditation is not a cure-all; it's not a magical elixir that can relieve me of all of life's worries. Expecting meditation to instantly provide relief from sadness, pain, or any other negative thought or feeling is unrealistic. When practicing meditation, I need to do away with my expectations. I need not strive for peace and a sense of calm because when I try to achieve serenity, my mind rebels against me, and anxiety takes hold. Likewise, when I try to fight off feelings of pain, hurt, anxiety, sadness, and frustration, these emotions and thoughts intensify. I have realized that trying to get rid of or produce an emotion, has an opposite and undesirable effect.
If you analyze my above-referenced thoughts, you might ask, 'Why can't I strive for anxiety and in turn effectuate happiness and tranquility.' I would conjecture the answer to be: it is difficult to trick yourself into thinking or feeling a certain way. It seems akin to striving for happiness, because isn't that essentially what you're trying to do?
I think the best approach is to just allow your thoughts to flow freely without trying to force anything really. To be honest, I am feeling a bit doubtful and fearful about my next meditation session, because it might lead to the discomfort and anxiety I experienced during tonight's session. However, rather than struggling to ward myself of these negative thoughts, I am going to accept them. After all, I realize that these thoughts will eventually surrender and pass as all thoughts do.
While meditation has not freed me from my anxiety which was my initial hope, the process of meditation has been rather enlightening. My anxiety has not lifted as much as I would like, but I am a work in progress. It has become apparent that meditation is not a cure-all; it's not a magical elixir that can relieve me of all of life's worries. Expecting meditation to instantly provide relief from sadness, pain, or any other negative thought or feeling is unrealistic. When practicing meditation, I need to do away with my expectations. I need not strive for peace and a sense of calm because when I try to achieve serenity, my mind rebels against me, and anxiety takes hold. Likewise, when I try to fight off feelings of pain, hurt, anxiety, sadness, and frustration, these emotions and thoughts intensify. I have realized that trying to get rid of or produce an emotion, has an opposite and undesirable effect.
If you analyze my above-referenced thoughts, you might ask, 'Why can't I strive for anxiety and in turn effectuate happiness and tranquility.' I would conjecture the answer to be: it is difficult to trick yourself into thinking or feeling a certain way. It seems akin to striving for happiness, because isn't that essentially what you're trying to do?
I think the best approach is to just allow your thoughts to flow freely without trying to force anything really. To be honest, I am feeling a bit doubtful and fearful about my next meditation session, because it might lead to the discomfort and anxiety I experienced during tonight's session. However, rather than struggling to ward myself of these negative thoughts, I am going to accept them. After all, I realize that these thoughts will eventually surrender and pass as all thoughts do.
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