“Buddha was asked what have you gained from meditation. He replied, “ Nothing however let me tell you what Buddha have lost: Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Insecurity, Fear of old age and death.””
It’s a myth…..
…….that all yoga teachers meditate and practice yoga daily.
For sure, it’s a lifetime goal for me and to be honest, I don’t aim for enlightenment - all I want is a life of bliss, courage, love AND……. balance.
Allie Nunzi, a certified Baptiste Yoga Teacher from Grace & Glory studio in South Jersey, said this of Meditation -it is not something that you do, but is a condition that arises from sitting still, getting empty and observing. It takes time and is a consistent commitment.
So I committed myself to a 30days challenge n Sept 2019 because I want to try to be better at meditating and living a balanced life.
It's Day 48 today and I’m pretty stoked that I’m still remembering to meditate more than I did 2 months ago. And when I don’t meditate, there is zero guilt, because I know I can't fail at meditation, not when there’s an opportunity to start again the next day.
For now, I’m taking it moment to moment, day by day. I’ve stopped worrying about the end goal, instead I focus on the present, focus on what I can do rather than what I cannot do.
For Right now - THAT’S ENOUGH!
“Meditation is not something that you do, but is a condition that arises from sitting still, getting empty and observing. ”
Here’s What 30 Days of Meditation Taught Me…..
You cannot fail at meditation (or at anything you do) as long as you're willing to begin newly everyday.
Meditation doesn't have to look a certain way. For example, meditation can happen anywhere - at your desk, in the taxi; whilst walking, lying down or seated, eyes close or open.
Meditation can be as simple as taking a pause (and a deep breathe in…. and deep breathe out)
How powerful sitting quietly in the morning can be.
If you want your life to change, you better be good at sitting. (It’s proven that meditation rewires the brain and the "fight or flee" response, to get to what’s true.)
I can be comfortable with being uncomfortable because after all, the discomfort will not last forever.
And if you give yourself permission to drop the striving and trying to do it the right way, the practice can be easeful.
That being with whatever comes up without trying to figure things out is easier than I thought it would be.
There is a lot of judgement going on during meditation. It made me realise that I’m too hard on myself. (We all are, if we just stop to observe what we say to ourselves.)
Knowing that someone is meditating at the same time as I am is a great motivator. (If you want to create a consistent practice, invite others to join you on your journey, either on the sidelines cheering you on, or be with you and they do the practice too.)
“Meditation is more than the practice of presence, patience, compassion ... It’s the practice of acknowledging the mental chatter (the todolist, the not-got-enoughs, the negative narratives) and observing what comes up without judgement and the need to fix.”