2015 Goals Series: Develop a Consistent Meditation Practice

This post is part of the 2015 Goals Series, where I'll share my goals for the year, why they are important to me, and how I plan to accomplish them. You can follow along here.

emanuelemaria

Hello there.  I hope you are having a good day, and are happy and healthy.  Me?  I'm feeling a little bit scattered and restless, so I thought now would be a good time to talk about my goal to develop a consistent meditation practice.

This goal has been on my radar for several years.  I've managed to meditate once or twice a week for a while now, but because I'm so inconsistent, I don't feel like I'm reaping the full benefit.  Meditation is important to me for several reasons, but mostly because it helps to reduce my stress, helps me to settle my mind, and helps me make time with my God.  I've learned that if I don't make time to quiet myself and my mind, things get out of control.

I'd like to practice on a daily basis, and that's what I'll be working towards this year.  Right now I prefer a guided meditation, because I think that helps me to focus and sit still.  I've been using a free app from Deepak Chopra and Chopra Center Meditation called Living in Love.  The app comes with one or two free guided meditations and music tracks, but there's the option to buy others for a nominal fee.  I like it because I can easily program how long I want the meditation to be.  That comes in handy for those times when I only have a few minutes.  It will also work well as I attempt to increase my meditation time over the coming months.

So here's my plan:  

• January - Meditate for 5 minutes daily
• February - Meditate for 10 minutes daily
• March - Meditate for 15 minutes daily
• April - Meditate for 20 minutes daily
• May - Meditate for 25 minutes daily
• June - Meditate for 30 minutes daily
• July - Meditate for 35 minutes daily
• August - Meditate for 40 minutes daily
• September - Meditate for 45 minutes daily
• October - Meditate for 50 minutes daily
• November - Meditate for 55 minutes daily
• December - Meditate for 60 minutes daily

I'm allowing this plan to be pretty fluid.  For instance, this month I've been meditating for ten minutes each day instead of five.  Five minutes just doesn't seem long enough, and ten minutes is pretty easy for me to do since I've been in the practice of sitting for that period of time for a while now.

I also am not that concerned about working up to an hour a day.  Would it be nice?  Absolutely!  But I recognize that sitting on a daily basis is more important than how long I sit.

I think this will be a bit hard for me to accomplish, because I'm not in the habit of making time for myself.  I have to learn that if I give myself permission to sit quietly for a few minutes, I will ultimately have the energy to devote to other things.  It's a win-win situation!

Do you have a meditation practice?  How do you manage to sit still and quiet?

See?  Even just writing about meditation has made me feel better!

Take care out there!

On the Meaning of Lent and Giving Up Facebook

Tonight at midnight marks the first day of Lent.  For those who do not know about Lent, it is the spiritual time for Christians that spans the 40 days before Easter.  It is a time of reflection and repentance, moderation and sacrifice.  It is a time to reflect on the life of Jesus Christ and the mark he left on the world.

I was born and raised a Catholic, but fell away from the church in my adult life.  Some would say I am a "non-practicing Catholic."  Mind you, I in no way fell away from God, and in fact I feel a stronger spiritual connection now more than ever.  I just fell away from the Church.  But that's another story for another day, and is not really important in this context.

What is important is that the Easter season is my favorite "spiritual" season.  Next to Christmas, of course.  :) 

During Christmas, I am always excited and rejuvenated.  I enjoy thinking about and celebrating the birth of Jesus.  I feel like a kid again during the Christmas season, because I am reminded of all of the traditions my Mother started for us while we were young, and the new traditions that were started as we grew older.  It's a time filled with family and friends and traditions, and is generally a very happy time for me.

Easter, on the other hand, is more of a reflective time.  I tend to go inward, and think more about my spiritual life and my relationship with God.  It is a somber time as I remember the horrible punishment Jesus endured, and how poorly he was treated, and how he was ridiculed and discriminated against.  I get very sad when I think about how alone he must have felt.  Yes, he was the Son of God, but he was also a human being.  And the pain he endured, both mentally and physically, must have been unbearable.  And then I am reminded that there are many in our own neighborhoods who are experiencing the same kind of emotional and physical pain today.  It is all very sad, really, and makes me extremely grateful for the life I have.

So, getting back to Lent, it is a tradition for me, as for many Christians, to "give something up" during Lent.  It is supposed to be something that is very hard to do, and will be very uncomfortable.  Usually I try giving up chocolate, or swearing, or some other superfluous thing.  And usually I can't make it to Easter.  Forty days is like an eternity for me to try to do something consistently.  Heck, I can't even succeed with seven-day whitening strips!

This year, though, I want things to be different.  I need things to be different.  I'm not a young chick anymore.  I'm getting older, and each year goes by faster and faster and faster.  I'm spending too much time on unimportant things, and not enough time on the things that mean the most to me.  I am busy with work and family, and I'm not spending the extra time I have on the things that are most important to me.  I'm so, so afraid that I am going to reach the end of my life and be filled with regret.

So this year I am going to do something different.  I am going to give something up for Lent, but at the same time I am going to honor myself by doing something for me.  For forty whole days.  Some may say that this is not the "proper way to honor God," but I would disagree.  How best to honor God then by honoring myself, who was made in His own image?

So here's my plan for Lent:  I'm giving up Facebook.  For forty whole days.  I'm not going to visit Facebook to see what my friends and family are up to, I'm not going to visit Facebook to play the time suck that is Candy Crush, and I'm not going to post status updates.

I will, however, use that time to write and reflect.  And some of that writing will include daily updates here on this blog.  Trust me, I spend a LOT of time on Facebook, so there will be much time to spare.

In some eyes, this might seem inconsequential and not really a sacrifice at all.  But you have no idea.  As I said, I spend a lot of time on Facebook, and zero time writing.  Which is my passion, and what I feel my Soul wants most to do.  Giving up Facebook will be very hard.  Making myself sit down to write will be very hard.  I don't hold much self-discipline, so this will be a true test for me.  But I really want to do it, because I feel that it holds some real value for my life.

So, as of midnight tonight, I'll be away from Facebook.  (That's just a little over three hours!  Eek!)  And I'll plan to go back on Easter Sunday.  Maybe.  I may find out at the end of this exercise that my priorities have shifted, and that growth will have occurred.  That is my prayer.

I invite you to follow along on this journey of mine.  You can subscribe to this blog over there in the side bar -- you can subscribe for email updates, or RSS feed updates.  Or you can just add journalkeeper.com to your favorites and check in every day.  It's up to you!  But I hope you'll join me either way.  I have a feeling I will need LOTS of encouragement.

Thanks for reading.  Be well.

Observe Physical Sensations. Day Two of My Meditation Journey

hape_gera

This post is part of a series chronicling my meditation journey. You can find a list of the whole series here.

My meditation tonight began a little bit differently than last time.  I sat on the bed with my back against the wall instead of on the floor, and I didn't burn a candle.  The room was still dimly lit, and I still listened to my Meditation music.

In this exercise I was to focus on the physical sensations of my body.  What was I feeling in my body, and where?  Was I experiencing pain or numbness?  What did my mind do to try to distract me?

I think that sitting on the bed was more comfortable than sitting on the floor, because I had very little discomfort this time.  I had a hard time finding any physical sensations to focus on.  Instead, I tried to focus on my breathing, and watched my thoughts as I did last time.

I still found that my thoughts were quick and random, like an old home movie that was sped up slightly and had no sound.  Again, I didn't try to push any of the thoughts aside, and I didn't try to turn any of them off.  I just sat and watched them, like they were cars whizzing by at a busy intersection and I was standing on the corner waiting to cross.

I was able to sit for 20 minutes without any problem, and didn't find myself getting sleepy at all.  Overall I was quite pleased with this session, and am looking forward to the next one!

Sit. Observe. Day One of My Meditation Journey

magnuscanis

This post is part of a series chronicling my meditation journey.  You can find a list of the whole series here.

I've been planning to start this journey for a week now, but could never find the time to get started.  That's always the way it is for me -- I can't seem to find the time.  Well, today I decided to MAKE the time.

It's important to me to create a ritual for my meditation practice.  Something that tells my body and my mind that it's time to get quiet.

I began by sitting on a pillow on the floor of my bedroom, legs crossed, and back against my cedar chest to help with my posture.  The room was dimly lit, and I placed a small unscented candle on a small plate on the floor in front of me.  I started my "Meditation" music on my iPhone, set a timer for 20 minutes, and closed my eyes.

I was afraid to try to sit for a whole 20 minutes.  That's a really long time in my world.  But that's what the book suggested, and I really want to try to follow along as closely as I can.

At first I was very distracted.  My mind was racing, and I could hear John and Kayla talking in the living room and car doors slamming outside the bedroom window.  But I stuck with it.  I just "watched" the distractions, which is what this first lesson is about.  I didn't try to quiet my mind, and I did not have any expectations.

It wasn't long before my legs started to ache and my right foot went numb.  It became a little bit painful at first, but I just took note of it.  I kept telling myself that I could continue to sit for one more minute.  And then another minute.  And then another.  Soon after, the discomfort didn't subside, but diminished enough to allow me to remain seated in that position.

I did check the clock once during the session, and had nine minutes remaining.  At that point, I knew I could finish the 20 minutes.

Overall, the time went by quickly.  At the end, I felt relaxed, but mostly proud of myself for completing this first day.

Meditation -- Starting Over

sharon korkes

I have been struggling to quiet my mind, calm health issues, become more focused, and just generally get back to being myself.  I've toyed with meditation off and on for several years -- Holosync, guided meditation, Yoga Nidra -- but I could never seem to get them to work.

"Get" being the operative word, here.

You see, I've recently learned that all along I've been trying to make my meditation practice into what I wanted it to be.  There's nothing wrong with that, except that meditation doesn't work that way.  As my husband would say, "You are not the boss of meditation."  For once he's right.  :)

So I've decided to get back to the basics.  No more of the tinkling sounds traveling from one side of my brain to the other, no more people "guiding" me into what I "should" be thinking about.  Maybe I can get back to them later, but right now I need to focus on one thing:

Being Still.

That goes for my body as well as my mind.

I've started reading a book to help guide me through this.  (Don't worry, he doesn't fall into the "person guiding me into what I should be thinking...")  Meditation for Beginners 22-Day Course is a simple read and is just bringing me back to the basics.  I think it may be just what I need.

I'm going to chronicle my new journey here.  I'll be posting my thoughts as I complete each day of the course.  You can find a complete list of those posts here or over there on the sidebar.  I hope you will follow along.  I'm excited about it.

Do you have a meditation practice?  Do you have any tips for me?