Most of us are so busy with life that sometimes it’s hard to quiet our mind. When we finally have a chance to sit still, our mind tends to race with all the things we still need to do, questioning if we dealt with that work/family/child situation right; thinking of the past or the future – does the mind ever relax from the acrobatics of life?
We often use TV or surfing the internet to numb our minds. I’ve been recently looking for new ways to help calm the mind and find a peace within. Imagine if we could allow our stress to release and find a place of serenity within ourselves instead of looking for outside ways to do this.
The mind is often times like a monkey, jumping from one thing to the next. Imagine (and it is possible) that we could practice training this monkey! Meditation is a great way to learn how to do this. It sounds scary – sitting – with our minds – trying to shut them off – nothing to entertain them! How do we do that? I started practicing meditation about five years ago – I’ve been ‘practicing’ and let me tell you, it does take practice. It’s harder or easier pending what is going on in your life at the time. It has been worth it to me – it’s helped me focus and find a sense of calm in times of stress – something I think we can all benefit from.
How to Begin Meditation
Try sitting in a quiet room. Follow your breath – in and out. When a thought starts to entertain your mind, recognize the thought and then gently bring your mind back to your breath. If this happens again (and it will!) recognize the thought and then go back to the breath. If you do this a hundred times, that is great because every time you go back to your breath you are in the present moment – with yourself and just ‘being.’ Think of your thoughts like clouds – they come and go – but you are like the blue sky underneath the clouds. That blue sky is peaceful – that blue sky is within each of us, waiting to be discovered, waiting to allow us a piece of serenity whenever we allow ourselves that serenity!
So try it – what do you have to lose? If you would like more help or descriptions of meditation, I find a great CD to try is Jon Kabat-Zinn’s CD called “Mindfulness for Beginners”. It is a great intro to meditation with “mini” meditations to work into regularly practicing meditation. It was through his teachings that I learned about the blue sky!
The more you practice- the more aware you become and this will instil a sense of calmness even in the busyness of your daily life!