Day 7: 30 Day Meditation

Today was a tough one for me. I did not want to go to the cushion. I felt tired and grumpy. I know these are the times we most need to meditate and besides, I am committed to the 30 days. But if I wasn't, I don't know if I would've sat today.

It's good I did though, I was able to see through my melancholy and grumpiness and realize that my ego was reveling in the sensations. It made me just about laugh out loud which lifted my spirits and lightened my heart.

Day 6: 30 Day Meditation

Yesterday I listened to The Science of Mindfulness - a free download from Sounds True about how our brains work on meditation. The easiest way for me to remember the whole hour of teaching is summed up in this sentence: Neurons that fire together, wire together.

What this means is that the more we practice awareness of the present moment, otherwise known as mindfulness, the more our brains become wired to do this. The more we practice non-judgement, compassion, forgiveness, and gratitude, the more our brains become adept at this skill.

Awareness of the present moment can be practiced through deep listening, breath awareness, walking meditation, using a mantra, cultivating gratitude, or really anything you do where you are purposely building awareness of the present moment with compassion and without judgement.

With all this in mind, today's meditation went well. I brought myself back to the breath time after time and practiced enjoying the present moment - even when my knees were screaming.

Click here to read more on the FB event page.

Day 5: 30 Day Meditation

OK - already into day 5. I was particularly achy and squirmy today. I could hardly sit still. I felt like I was finally settling in when my timer went off after 15 minutes. So, I turned it off and sat for a few more minutes.

I made a hard choice yesterday. I told my Tang Soo Do teacher of 6 years that I was going to stop attending class. While Dave and I traveled last winter I came to the realization that I was was overdone. While we traveled I dropped all of my regular practices and it took me more than a month to miss yoga, and aside from my teacher and classmates, I didn't miss Tang Soo Do at all.

When we returned, I requested a lighter teaching load and now, an ending of 6 years of martial arts practice. I am both saddened and relieved by this ending. I am pleased to have this meditation practice while I adjust to this new idea that I do not have to "do" something all the time. I do not have to be constantly busy.

Day 4: 30 Day Meditation

Yea! Back to Monday. Even though I work from home, I always find it easier to maintain a schedule from Monday-Friday.

Today I sat for 15 minutes. In the beginning I felt a bit tippy and I needed to use my wedge under my left side bum. I must have slept for a long time on one side last night or something. After about 10 minutes I was able to sit evenly.

I also experience a lovely warming sensation in my heart which spread through my whole body. My sister mentioned to me in the past that she gets very warm when she meditates but I have never experienced this before. Usually I am cold whether I am meditating or not.

This warmth created an interesting visual as a sort of thought sensation:
warm = expansive, open, flowering, light, summer
cold = quiet, still, latent power, peace, winter

As my mind thought these things I maintained an even breath and tried to be the observer of my thoughts, not the participant in my thoughts.

Note: To read other accounts on the meditation experience visit the FB event page: 30 Days of Meditation.

Day 3: 30 Day Meditation

I cheated myself out of 5 minutes of meditation this morning. I set my timer for 10 minutes so I could hurry up and get outside to enjoy the nice weather. It's interesting to see this in myself. I know I am desperate to be out outside when it is nice out. After being cold and dark for so long in Minnesota, now it is balmy, sunny, and beautiful. Still, when my timer went off after 10 minutes I did not want to stop meditating. But I did stop, and I did enjoy sitting outside with Dave, drinking our tea and coffee and watching the birds, bees, flowers and squirrels do their thing.

On a side note, yesterday we saw a bald eagle pounce on a fish about 30 feet off the dock we were sitting on. Two crows had been harassing the eagle, flying after it and trying to peck it in the air. We thought the crows were pushing the eagle down toward the water. The eagle began a free fall but at the last minute it spread its wings, dropped its "landing gear" (huge talons) and snared a fish which was close to the surface. It seemed to barely touch down. As soon as it got the fish, it flapped its wings and took off. The crows gave chase half-heartedly but the eagle ignored them and flew away. Apparently the eagle never cared about the crows in the first place. It was a magnificent scene and not one I would ever imagine seeing live, especially not 30 feet in front of me. I feel lucky.

Note: To read other accounts on the meditation experience visit the FB event page: 30 Days of Meditation.

Day 2: 30 Day Meditation

I sat for 15 minutes again today. I knew I needed to do something other than focus on my breath because yesterday was so mind-wild. So this time I did a body-awareness practice which I learned from Yoga Nidra (although I did this seated instead of laying down like I would normally do). I brought my breath and awareness to each part of my body from head to toe, front to back, left to right. This is a very centering practice. My mind was fairly focused and I only slumped into my body a few times. By the time my timer went off I was feeling very calm and I didn't really want to quit my practice. However, it is Saturday, the sun is shining, the coffee was ready, and my garden was calling.

Here's a link to a free on-line guided meditation practice by the Guru of Yoga Nidra: Yoga Nidra with Richard Miller.

Enjoy your day!

Day 1: 30 Day Meditation

I chose to sit for 15 minutes today. I set my iPhone's timer to "Harp" so I could be signaled gently back to "regular" awareness. The second I came to sitting my mind and body said, "Ahhhhhh, this is good." And about two seconds later my ego wanted in on the action, letting me know that my hip hurt, my back hurt, and shouldn't I have gone to the bathroom before sitting? (as if 15 minutes would really make a difference). At least I did a couple things "right" - I didn't eat before I sat and I tried to maintain an upright posture. Although I felt squirmy and my mind felt like it was wildly ping-ponging around, my 15 minutes went quickly and I enjoyed my sit. 

For folks who are newer to meditation here are a few more tips to help you along:

• Find a comfortable place to sit on the floor or on a chair. 
• Make sure you won’t be disturbed: close the door to where you are sitting and turn off your phone's ringer.
• Set a timer so you do not have to constantly open your eyes to see if you are done.
• Use props under your bum as needed to help you sit up tall. It’s important that you are not lying down or slouching as you might fall sleep.
• Let your hands rest naturally and comfortably in your lap, on your knees, or on top of each other. 
• Close your eyes and focus on your breath, letting your breath rhythm become smooth, steady and natural.
• When a thought comes, acknowledge the thought, let it pass, and go back to focusing on your breath.

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