Friday 9 February 2018

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE A CLEAR MIND?

(re-edited)


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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