This
thought brings an interesting concept? I always thought I had a clear mind
until…. Meditation became so important to my health.
The focus of my meditation wasn’t just about relaxation or taking time out.
I learnt to focus my intent and meditate
with a precision and discipline. Because I was fully aware, my life depended on
everything I did, ate, thought and behavior's. It wasn’t about taking time out with the thought of feeling
good or enjoying myself. I was in crisis mode!
Learning to meditate, when my life had
such a short fuse of survival (like a fuse on a stick of dynamite!). My life
hanging in the balance meant, there was no time for complacency, and no half
intentions. Absolute and full commitment was the price I was to pay.
No distractions, no sharing with others.
The only thought was survival and minimizing the intense pain, both physical
and emotional.
I am
only trying to express the level of commitment and intensity in which I was to
focus on learning meditation.
It was a common thread which binds
anyone who had survived terminal cancer, in all my readings.
The answers would be found here, and
they were.
Meditation
showed me how much my mind and life had been in a muddle. Very apt for the
western way of life. Which is the way of family, career and busy life style.
The ladder to success. All the smoke and mirrors which entrap you into thinking
you are leading a good life. An honourable life with the expectation if I
followed all the man made rules and worked hard. Good fortune would be mine.
I knew no other way of life.
THEN
I learnt meditation, and I learnt how
still the mind can become. How clear and focused with intent, the mind could be
trained to possess. My life has never been the same. My perspective on life,
and how I choose to live my life will never be the same.
Whether it be a technique learnt, for
lowering blood pressure, healing from cancer, cholesterol levels, or many other
health issues. Meditation costs nothing by way of money, only time out each
day, with focus and discipline.
Why don’t
more people do it?
Is it something to be frightened of?
Is it lack of being able to discipline
the untrained and wayward mind?
Is it a religion?
Is it apathy?
Everyone forms their own belief system
and the value on how they view meditation.
I view meditation as a refuge.
It was a safe place to go with my pain
and sorrows. A place which no one else, even came close to experiencing or
understanding twelve years ago.
It became my safe place from
the rest of the world.
Once my physical pain was under control.
It opened my world to the current perceptions and changed how I viewed the no
hope situation I was in.
My mind before learning to meditate, was
like a pond stirred up after the rain. When it is muddy and murky. To learn how
to still the mind and use it to settle ones agitated thoughts from being pulled
in many directions, takes time and dedication.
To the mind that is still the whole universe surrenders.
- Lao Tzu
It is similar to viewing the crystal clear
water on a pond, once all the mud and murkiness has settled. Where you can see the rocks
and pebbles in the bottom of the pond, or the fish found swimming there.
Every image and perception is clear,
there are no more cloudy thoughts or brain fog.
Exercise Time for your pondering.
Pencil and paper and your clarity of
thought is all that is needed.
Take the time to reflect over the past
week.
Drawing a line down the middle of the
page with the header on the Left being INNER, and the heading on the Right hand
being OUTER.
List all the situations or times you
consciously felt LOVE or being LOVED.
Your inner world would reflect such
things as. How you felt love, at the sight of a flower, a puppy, a butterfly.
In other words, how you perceived images and situations in your life without
relying on other people. You are experiencing love though your perception of
the world. It may be you have crafted a crooked pottery mug or vase, but you
love it because it was how you expressed your inner love.
In the OUTER column, you would reflect
or remember the last time your loved one or child gave you a hug this week and
told you they loved you. Or a person expressed a love for something you have
done for someone else. The outer world and human connection bringing love into
your life.
Is your inner and outer world balanced?
Do you put more emphasis on your worth
and feeling loved from the outer world? And not experiencing or are not
consciously aware of the love coming from within yourself?
Do you experience peace and serenity? Or
a sense of longing for something you want or haven’t experienced this week.
I know my inner peace and serenity
relies largely on the love I have experienced from my inner world.
The love of a flower, the love of the
blue skies, the love of hearing a favourite song, my list is endless.
I encourage you to take the time to
explore where your love has come from this week.
Bringing
peace and serenity this week.
Karen
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