Meditation: What are we doing
What is It we are doing, while we sit with our eyes closed, our rhythmic breathing coming and going quietly?
Our mind is running amuck, all of the thoughts are coming forward, begging for attention. Look at me, I am significant, I can make you look smart, beautiful. I am lonely, you are failing, not worthy, hide beneath the dark blanket of shame and all will be well. Your shopping list for today includes………. Don’t forget to drop the kids off. What a jerk, who does he think he is, treating me like a minion, I am not worthy. I just want to disappear, let’s go shopping…. Never ending conversations with yourself, running your mind ragged with their interference. Too much to focus on not enough mind.
Our backs straight, shoulders relaxed, hands gently resting on our laps, right over left. We are ignore the aches, pains and itches our bodies are giving us in retaliation to the unfamiliar stillness. It wants to run, jump and play. Move as it pleases. We are keeping these impulses in check, they are there, we do not pay them any attention. We remain still, they will disappear we will become oblivious to the wants of the body.
Take a slow deep breath, hold it for just a moment, let it go slowly, pay attention to the quiet it brings, breathe in, – slowly, hold for just a moment, breath out slowly. Drop your shoulders, they are starting to tense, hold you back straight, breathe in —-hold —- out. Relax, maintain the position. Where did I leave my keys, did I finish that memo? Your mind breaks in on the silence, driving your concentration away.
Your thoughts create your reality, but what of your emotions. They bring you joy, pain, and fear. Sadness overwhelms your happiness, Joy launches you to the sky and beyond. Up and down, High and low, how the drama of your life comes and goes.
To retain your equilibrium repeat a single word over and over until it disappears and your emotions are filtered through it. Buddho, Jesus, Allah, a word of prayer, or any word you wish. A word which does not carry an emotion. Table would work well, unless you stubbed your toe earlier in the day, then, the word table would be fraught with pain and anger. Emotional words will only make it impossible for your mind to calm and relax. Unable to slip into the stillness that is a natural part of your makeup.
Your mind, the naughty two year old has gotten loose trying to run your thoughts again. Like a toddler your mind needs a focus to keep it occupied, to overcome its’ wanton desire to be in charge, looking, touching everything and anything all the time forever.
As any good parent would, gently take your mind, focus all of its’ energy on one thing. The spot on your forehead between your eyebrows, the tip of your nose, your throat, your heart or your navel. Select one, touch it with your finger if you need to feel the sensation of where this is. Keep your attention focused on this point. It is called the focal point. This is where the work begins.
Any irrepressible child will resist training, any discipline, wanting only to do as it wishes, when it wishes and how it wishes. When you catch your mind wandering back to the thoughts looping through each other, refocus its’ attention, gently, back onto this point, in the middle of your forehead, between your eyebrows. Every time it wanders, bring your mind back, lovingly, gently, to this point without recrimination that you are failing. You are not, you are learning, slowly, improving your willpower over the itinerant wanderings of the wild child, your mind.
You are learning to be in charge of your thoughts, increase the strength of your willpower.
By Cheryle L. Baker February 3 2015
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