It is day of twirling snow out there and I am very grateful to have a warm home for my writing. It is very quiet out there in the white wonderland. This is a real contrast to my busy mind that is now in full gear firing away ideas as my fingers dance out the words. There is a list of ideas I want to write about today but none of them has me captivated. So instead, I will let the muse inside inspire me. In the moment of letting go I had an inkling of what I wanted to write about but then it quickly dissolved into emptiness. Now I have returned to watching and waiting to see what will send my fingers scurrying about the keyboard. I am following this inner guidance today because I am confident there is a depth of wisdom just below the surface waiting to bust out into a bright light of inspiration.
How do you invite the light of inner wisdom to shine in your life? When you aren’t clear where to go, how do you find your guidance? Did you know within your consciousness is the collective wisdom and knowing of all human kind? That is a lot of knowing, a vast expansive stream of insight and understanding, which extends throughout all of human history. This stream flows richly through you if you choose to open your mind/heart/spirit to its quiet vastness.
This vast knowing is waiting for your inquiry and the best method to open the door is sitting quietly. Most call this sitting quietly, meditation; you can call it that or listening inward, contemplation, intuition, guidance from the higher self or as in Zen, just sitting. If there is a single practice you are willing to add to your busy lives this year, I suggest meditation. My goal is to meditate all 365 days of 2008 even if it is only briefly on some days. I prefer walking meditation but on a day this stormy, sitting quietly will work just fine.
There are many approaches to the rich tradition of meditation. The easiest ones are simple and you can begin immediately. As you explore a contemplative practice, you can find a teacher, or group and even read about methods. If you have no preferences, I suggest you try these methods.
The first method is one I find easy and doable. This method involves simply following the inhale and exhale of your breath. You don’t try to change the breath, you simply watch/feel it as you expand with your breath in and you relax with your breath out. As thoughts and feeling come into awareness, let them go, and return to the rising and falling of the breath. If you do this practice or another meditative approach daily you will permanently alter you life in a number of amazing ways.
The second method is walking in meditation. I find the breath is a great focal point as I begin. Then I simply walk at a relaxed pace and let all that is around me be part of my meditative awareness. I often see or hear horses, a burro, fox, coyote, a hawk, rabbits, cows, skunks, peacocks and last night I heard an owl. I live near many acres of green space and I prefer to walk late at night under the stars and moon and feel the quiet aliveness of the universe.
There are a number of other meditations including ones that involve watching a candle, using a mantra (repetition of a word or phrase), or other techniques for mindfulness. In your community, there most likely are meditation teachers or groups you can check out if you want some guidance. TM is a well-known method of meditation worth exploring.
Take 15-30 minutes once or twice a day as time to tune in and wander about in the wisdom of inner stillness. This time spent in quiet contemplation will enrich your life and make you feel so much better about yourself and where you are going.
Enjoy the light and peacefulness of meditation and let me know what you discover along the way.