Today, I decided to try doing what he suggested, getting to meditation earlier in my day, before I did most of my "getting ready" kinds of things. Now, he suggested getting up, going to the bathroom, and meditating.
I did a bit more than that. After the first two steps, I raised the blinds to let in sunlight, made myself chamomile tea and made up my bed while it was getting ready, drank a little water, took a supplement or two, turned on this computer and sat down, ready to meditate.
Experiences with Meditation
In the pep talk part of this meditation intro, he asks what our meditation experiences have been like. Have we fallen asleep? Loved it? Disliked it? Had difficulty? Etc.
He reminded us that only three things can happen when you meditate: thoughts wander in and out, you get sleepy and doze off a bit or you experience the wonder between thoughts while still awake. And often, you will experience all three.
...These three experiences – having thoughts, falling asleep, and slipping into the gap – happen innocently and they are all signs of a verified meditation...As long as you commit to the practice, and show up for your meditation . . . you are doing it right.~~Chopra Center
Don't Stop
He also mentioned that a lot of people would stop meditating at this point, and he encouraged us to keep going. He said that sometimes people get disappointed when they don't have an amazing meditation experience (like seeing the Buddha or something else magical) so they give up. If we release those expectations and decide not to have any and instead, come with an openness to whatever we experience, we won't be disappointed.
The benefits of meditation happen when you are awake and out of meditation and now there is a hint of stillness in you that wasn’t there yesterday . . . and now there is a sprinkling of silence that flows through each word and thought. Yes, now in this waking state you feel the full effects of reconnecting to your unconditioned self. You flow through the day with greater grace and ease, all of your deadlines get met, your conversations are more conscious, and your heart is more open to receive.~~Chopra Center
He suggests journaling about your meditation experiences, now, so I am way ahead of the game on that one.
But he also encourages us to pay attention to how this practice affects us during the day after we meditate and I am looking forward to noticing those changes, too.
My Chamomile Tea Meditation
I drank a fair amount of tea while listening to the intro so was very relaxed before we even started. I loved the way it felt to add that to my experience. It was wonderful! I think this contemplative tea ritual thing I'm trying to start is going to work out.
Where to Find It
If you haven't done the day's meditation yet, that link is here. Once you have done it, tell us how it went for you. You can add your blog link here, or leave a comment on this blog. I'd love to know how it's going for you!
See you tomorrow!
Jeanine
To read each day's blog post and find a link for that day's meditation, go to my Squidoo page at http://www.squidoo.com/21-day-meditation-challenge.
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