Self-Care: Meditation

Have you ever meditated? Has it been as a group or individually? Have you ever fallen asleep while meditating it? Has your mind wandered down paths that are difficult to follow?

I've done a little of both (group and individual meditation), although I still lack the mindfulness that comes with it. It's difficult to sit with your own thoughts for several minutes at a time and try to let them go. Letting them go is probably the hardest part. Even now I'm always thinking about the future and what I should be doing. Then, I spend too much time ruminating on the past when there is nothing I can do to change it. The present moment is difficult to stay in because it is change. The present moment is gone in an instant and if we are truly in it, then we should be flexible and understanding across any situation (at least, that's how I imagine it to be when you achieve complete awareness of your present self).

When I think about meditation and mindfulness, I always seem to think of something like this:

A peaceful, isolated spot which is out in nature, where you can hear the birds and the bees and every creature that swims, crawls, or flies. A spot like this is wonderful and calming, but it also makes me feel sleepy. When I'm out in nature, I try to be mindful and present with the moment. I want to enjoy it, but sometimes my attention drifts and I slip away...




Sometimes I seem to slip away when I'm with others too. I should be present in the moment and listening to them, but I get caught up in what I'm going to say next or what I anticipate they are going to say next. Instead, I really should just be actively engaged and listening to their words and responding to their words without overthinking it. I'm working on it. Effective communication is a work in progress and practice will make it come easier.

I've been trying to meditate more lately. Ten minutes each day, a little breathing and setting aside any worries or plans for the future. Do you ever feel that letting go is like holding something fragile and trusting that when you drop it, it won't break?

I feel guilty when my attention drifts. It seems silly that I can't just breathe and not think, but I'm wired for thinking and planning and evaluating...etc...you get the point. And it is not just me. Every generation seems to be trained to think all the time; every day, ever hour, every minute, every second. Not a moment to be wasted, we're so focused on keeping ourselves busy. I wonder if that's why time seems to fly and we talk about our lives like they're moving pictures without a stop or pause button. We forget that we have those buttons and that we control how we experience life.

I know this isn't writing related, but take a moment and breathe.

Breathe in...

Breathe out...

We spend so much thinking and doing that we forget about the simplest of actions, the most natural experiences like breathing. We all do it and take it for granted, so give yourself another moment to just breathe. Close your eyes...and just...breathe...in and out.

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Wishing you all good health and full hearts! May you find peace and joy in experiencing your days mindfully, one breath at a time.