Meditation ~ to heal...
MEDITATION IS BEING AWARE OF YOUR CONSCIOSUNESS
IT IS AS NATURAL AS BREATHING…
IT IS SIMPLY WHO YOU ARE.
The word 'meditation' is derived from the Latin meditari - to think, dwell on, exercise the mind and mederi - to heal.
Its Sanskrit derivation, medha, means wisdom. The practice of meditation requires no special tools or purchases. Guided meditations are available but in its simplest form meditation involves sitting quietly for a minimum of a few minutes with the mind focused on a single thing in an attempt to "quell thoughts and idle mind chatter"; however, the purpose is not to stop thinking, but rather to become the witness as an unattached observer to the thoughts as they pass by...allowing them to pass without judgement or following them. In this way we become more self-aware and our consciousness naturally expands.
You can focus on your breath, a constant noise in the background, such as a river or the air conditioning, or even the tip of your nose. It does not matter what you focus on, what matters is that you do.
By practising the art of meditation you create a stillness within the mind and the body and you gradually open a space for spirit to enter. It is said that it is prayer that we ask for guidance and in meditation that we receive it. Following that it is in the practice of mindfulness that we notice how all of these things come together in a very serendipitous flow..
In meditation we do not have to rebel or fight against thought. Our work is merely to observe the thoughts as they come and gently let them go and redirect our minds gently back to our chosen point of focus. Watch, observe and see what happens. If nothing else, you will reduce your stress levels, reducing cortisol in the body and anxiety in the mind. But chances are you will begin to notice how such a simple practise has the power to affect some very dramatic changes in your day to day life.
Everyone has five-ten minutes to spare and no matter what the reasons we are carrying around for not doing it, if we are willing to let that go and give it a try, we might find that they were the very reasons for why we needed to find space to meditate the most. Everything we are worried about in life will all be right where we left it ten minutes ago... and maybe, just maybe... we will have a new perspective about it.
SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR SOUL.
"The powers of the mind are like rays of the sun, when they are concentrated, they illumine."
- Swami Vivekananda