A Life of Meditation

Hey, there -- how are you? Is it me or did the summer fly by?!? I know fall isn't official for another five days, but as soon as school starts it feels like summer is over. Here in the northeast, in New England, there are several signs that autumn is coming including cooler temps and it's getting dark earlier and earlier. What are you noticing and how do you feel about it?

I'm noticing people around me having a couple of reactions: some are sad that summer is over. They're complaining about not doing everything they wanted and focusing on what they're losing. Others keep telling me how much they love fall and how it's their favorite season and they're glad it's coming, however I know I might hear a similar statement of dissatisfaction when winter lands and they feel like they didn't get the season they hoped for. I get all of these responses and whichever one you might have, you've got lots of company. What if there was another way to "be" with all this and what if it offered the chance to be calmer and happier all around? There is and it's called meditation!

This week's Seed was all about it:

"Meditation can take place on a cushion or anywhere, anytime.

All of life can be a meditation if we simply stay open

and aware."

Meditation isn't about "going blank" and not having any thoughts or feelings. It's more about noticing them and losing judgement around them. It's about being with what is and it's about appreciating the NOW.

When we're feeling sad that summer isn't here anymore, we're trying to be in the past which is impossible. Likewise, when we're hoping for a wonderful fall, we are striving to be in the future -- also not going to happen. In addition, we can get caught up in an "expectation" of a "wonderful" fall and even if it's great, if it doesn't exactly meet all our projections, we'll be disappointed. While all that is going on, we'll also miss out on whatever joy or goodness is actually happening in real time.

Learning how to meditate or being introduced to meditation might start on a cushion or in a chair. That's where it began for me, in a series of classes. At first, I thought that was the only place to "do" it. Over time, with help from my teachers, I learned to take it from my zafu (cushion) and zabuton (mat) into the world for this is where we are most called upon to use it. It's relatively easy to get calm and centered in a sweet-smelling room that is either silent or has soft, gentle music in the background, is dimly lit, at just the right temperature, and with bells that tell us when to sit and begin and when to end and stand up. This is a good place to start and it's here that we lay our foundation. Learning anything in a safe, supported space is ideal. We get tested when we are asked to use new skills in a harsher environment.

Meditation is beautiful in a quiet room. It can be even more astounding in the midst of noise and chaos. All of life has a place for meditation … it's when we come into the present and accept the experience while dropping the drama. It's a learned skill full of benefits like better focus and less stress and this is what I wish for you.

If you want to learn more about meditation and how it can impact your life, send me a message cummingsbarbara@gmail.com and we'll set up a time to chat.

Sparkles and Love,