#Friyay!

#ThursdayThoughts – Don’t Be a Sheep

Do you spend your days blindly following? Meditation can provide the mental space to stop doing what everyone else does and listening to what everyone else thinks. Meditation can also deliver precious time for you to hear what’s going on in your own mind.

Remember: you don’t need to commit hours to reap the benefits. Try 5-10 minute sessions. You’ll be amazed. #meditation

#WednesdayWisdom – Coping With Thoughts During Meditation (Infographic)

#TuesdayThoughts – Buddhism/Ritual/Meditation

Even if you aren’t a Buddhist, it’s worthwhile take a closer look at a Buddhist perspective as it relates to meditation to inform your own practice. Incorporate what works for you to deepen your understanding of the process; feel free to leave the rest.

“Buddhism does not advocate faith in the sense of believing something because it is written in a book, attributed to a prophet, or taught to you by some authority figure. The meaning of faith here is closer to confidence. It is knowing something is true because you have seen it work, because you have observed that very thing within yourself. In the same way, morality is not ritualistic obedience to a code of behavior imposed by an external authority. It is rather a healthy habit pattern that you have consciously and voluntarily chosen to impose upon yourself because you recognize its superiority to your present behavior.”

In this context, the “purpose of meditation is personal transformation. The ‘you’ who goes in one side of the meditation experience is not the same ‘you’ that comes out on the other side. Meditation changes your character by a process of sensitization, by making you deeply aware of your own thoughts, words, and deeds… Meditation, properly performed, prepares you to meet the ups and downs of existence.

Meditation sharpens your concentration and your thinking power. So, are these reasons enough to bother? Scarcely. These are just promises on paper. There is only one way you will ever know if meditation is worth the effort: learn to do it right, and do it. See for yourself.”

– Bhante Gunaratana

#MeditationMonday – Sound Meditation

Happy Monday! Let’s meditate. Today, let’s use sound rather than breath as our anchor.

Find a place you can sit undisturbed. Set a timer for five minutes. Plant both feet firmly on the floor, rest your hands comfortably on your legs, palms up or down.

Close your eyes.

Listen to the sounds around you: the quiet rush of air outside, the hum of appliances, your breathing, whatever you hear. Let the sounds flow to you. Don’t reach for them.

If you find you’ve begun to construct narratives related to the sounds, return your focus – without judgment – to simply listening.

If you find the sounds volume or intensity overwhelming, turn your focus to your breath.

When the timer sounds, open your eyes.

#Friyay!

Have a wonderful weekend!

#ThursdayThoughts

#WednesdayWisdom – A Meditation Success Story

Traveling on the NYC subway can bring a set of challenges. Whether it’s negotiating space or personalities, riding underground is, to borrow a Gumpism, like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get.

True to form, a recent trip began with a late train and ended with an act of bystander kindness. Because I was traveling during off-peak hours, I knew the odds were good I’d  enter a car with fewer bodies but more obstacles. Sure enough, I was immediately greeted by a parent with an open stroller rather than a folded one, child deeply tucked inside. I navigated around obstacle one – and almost stumbled over obstacle two, a second child in a stroller. This stroller, bigger than the first, took more finagling to get around. I smiled, knowing transporting children in open strollers was probably the only option for these caregivers.

I’d barely cleared the second obstacle when I looked up and saw a full-sized shopping cart, empty but also open, blocking the entire aisle between both sides of the train car. I laughed silently, looked at the seat occupant who seemed disinterested in courtesy given her seat sprawl and obvious lack of consideration, and said “Excuse me” anyway.

I received no response, so I waved my hand in front of her and indicated I was attempting to pass.

The woman bristled, but moved the cart. She then launched into a diatribe which included “Don’t put your hand in my face!” and a phrase I won’t repeat here.

I kept smiling. I spoke softly, an obvious counter to her hostility and an attempt to deescalate the situation. I looked her squarely in the eye. “I said excuse me. You didn’t hear me.”

My attempt at deescalation failed. She shouted something else. To my surprise, another passenger stepped up. “She said excuse me. You didn’t hear her.” The passenger pointed at the earbud in the seated woman’s ear.

This prompted a defensive attempt at refuting, one with a quieter, less hostile tone. “I don’t have it in this ear.” The woman indicated the ear on the opposite side of the aisle, the one facing the train window, the one I wasn’t speaking into.

A second passenger spoke up. “She said excuse me. You didn’t hear her.”

The seated woman pursed her lips, as though considering, started to speak, then stopped. She was wrong, she knew she was wrong, and she’d been confronted by witnesses. She said nothing.

I turned and thanked the passengers who now flanked me, the women who’d come to my rescue. I also looked at the seated woman and, very politely, told her I wasn’t what she’d said I was.

For those who wonder if meditation works. I’d have to say this interaction stands as a perfect indicator of its power and a near textbook example of its benefits, particularly when it comes to helping you think clearly and function effectively under stress.

 

#TuesdayThoughts

You can find inspiration anywhere! Love this quote!

#MeditationMonday – Mindfulness Exercise – The Pebble

Try this mindfulness exercise for 15-30 minutes.

Set a timer.

While sitting still and breathing slowly, think of yourself as a pebble falling through a clear stream.  As you sink, there is no intention, nothing guiding your movement.

Sink toward the spot of total rest. Imagine landing on the gentle sand of a riverbed. Continue meditating on the yourself as a pebble until your mind and body at at complete rest – you are a pebble resting on the sand.

No thought about the past or future can pull you away from your present peace and joy. The universe exists in this present moment. No desire can pull you from this present peace.

(adapted from Thich Nhat Hahn)