.... the day before anything ultimately elicits excitement, anticipation, restlessness, sleeplessness, and preparedness too. All depends on what the day before is anticipating - a trip to somewhere, a exam or test, seeing someone you've missed dearly.
Today for me there is no one word that is intense enough for me to compare to so I will say that I have a nice blend of all these emotions for I am taking this mediation challenge with the greatest of intentions.
Meditation has been a beckoning and a necessity for me over the past few months. My naturopath pretty much insisted I start practicing Mindful Mediations this year to help calm my irregular beating heart after an unexpected life transition. He also reminded me that it was "grace not effort that heals one over time." I have done guided, visualization, and affirmation type mediations yet the practice of mindful mediation is just to follow the breath and quiet the mind... and well is a little more mindful. It's been a new experience and was complimented by my readings of a book sent to m by Pema Chodron, a buddhist monk, in her book When Things Fall Apart, Heart Advice for Difficult Times.
One thing I've yet to practice as part of my mediation is the art of discipline. A key ingredient to a workable mediation recipe. Discipline in life symbolizes a sense of "growing up" with self and with patterns that are no longer serving you. In a way to be disciplined turns into being principled.
In When Things Fall Apart, Pema Chodron understands sila/discipline to be a "process that supports us in going against the grain of our painful habitual patterns."
She notes that:
Discipline provides the support to slow down enough and be present enough so that we can live our lives without making a big mess. It provides the encouragement to step further into groundlessness.
I've been on groundlessness for months, first initially without my own will and now completely with intent. Because it's our desire to move away from the feeling of groundlessness that ultimately has us move away from that which is to become our greatest teacher. And she has taught me, oh has she taught me. She has taught how to love again, fully! In the face of anything. And isn't that what true love is ... not love on solid ground, love on groundlessness. Or maybe a combination of both.
My intention for my 21 day practice is discipline. And with this discipline to take the practice to a new level... to not just to DO meditation to shift it to a way of BEING - being in the present.
Come join me and thousands of others on the challenge.
Love to hear what you're intentions are...
21 Day Mediation Challenge begin Monday, July 16th 2012
http://www.chopracentermeditation.com/
Pema Chodron
http://www.shambhala.org/teachers/pema/bookstore1.php
@CoachCassy
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