Clearing My Mind

Mornin'

This, my friends, has been a momentous task for me but one I have seen great progress with. Don't get me wrong, meditation provides rewards every time I engage in it. The results of meditation are directly proportional to the effort I put in gaining control of my mind through my thoughts.

There are a myriad of techniques for meditation; many schools of thought and names attached to them. I like to keep it simple by sitting still, closing my eyes, and letting my brain work without intervention. An important thing to note here is that, as the thoughts enter my mind, I let them "pass through" without struggling with them. Just simply acknowledge your thoughts and let them go. Over time, the flow of troubling, often confusing and bizarre thoughts will ebb more and more and that is the moment I inject thoughts that affirm my well-being and relationship to the world around me. They may be thoughts of who I am or how I should deal with certain people and situations who I will confront today. I always reserve a special place in my soul, asking for awareness regarding those individuals who will support me on my journey and the strength to support others on theirs.

I usually end my meditation by finishing my cup of coffee I have been sipping throughout my exercise. I don't believe that I have to assume a certain position or follow certain rituals that have been passed down through generations of gurus and swamis. Like recovery from any type of addiction, this experience needs to be personalized. Your relationship with the Great Spirit is yours. Call him/her whatever you'd like and commune with that Higher Power however you see fit. This is your journey and therefore needs to be custom tailored so you can maximize the benefit of engaging in this ritual. You may sit cross-legged on the floor with no music playing or on the sofa sipping a cup of coffee with relaxation music playing softly in the background. I suggest no music since I believe that any type of outside noise can make following your thoughts more challenging. Everybody's mind and soul works a little differently so have at it.

In closing, I would like to say that you can expect your mind to not only quiet during your meditative experience, but also provide you solutions to your everyday challenges. Once you try this, your life will change drastically over time. You will no longer be uptight and stressed out like you once were. Those difficult folks who used to pluck your last nerve will suddenly be innocuous. I guarantee that, if you remain quiet after processing your thoughts during this process, you will be given all the solutions you need to live a happy and fulfilled life.

Peace