Raging Winter storms, Rioting Spring Beauty, Lazy Summer Days, Gentle Winds of Autumn......Just as our calendar year has seasons so do we. But notice too that, depending on the region of the planet, some seasons are fairly mild and others are harsh and tumultuous.
Many of us realize that we need more balance in our lives and decide to begin practicing meditation. Mindfulness meditation can do so much for us! We can learn to create a balanced and more fulfilling life. We can find more positives to focus on, less stress to carry around with us, .... we can actually change the way we think and therefore how we deal with life and the challenging situations that come up on a regular basis. But how do we meditate when our world has been turned upside down and everything we felt we could rely on has been shattered? When we are in a state of shock and trauma? Sometimes something happens in life that overloads our ability to sit in meditation. It's simply too much! When we are in this state of overload even the thought of sitting with it can be traumatic. This is when I suggest getting outside. Literally outside. Walking in meditation is a means of easing into meditation. Focusing on listening to birds and feeling the breeze on our face keeps us on the perimeter of trauma. We already feel it so deeply in our bodies that sitting in meditation can be torturous. It can make us feel like we're sitting in the middle of a fire pit when we've already suffered being burned. Ideally I prefer to walk up a hillside or mountain. Being on top of a mountain and looking down onto the world helps us "rise above" our problems to a certain degree. It gives us the feeling that we are less the focus and helps put our feelings into perspective. We seem a bit smaller and therefore our trauma is not so all encompassing. We also gain the perspective of the size of the world, the number of people in it and the tremendous amount of suffering that others are collectively going through, allowing compassion into our hearts for ourselves and all who suffer. Being on top of a hillside can minimize our issues enough to help us see that even though our pain is huge it is still something we can work through a piece at a time. We can also see the beauty of our planet. We can feel the solid earth under our feet as we walk the trail feeling supported, grounded, and nurtured. *Joanie Lane is director and teacher at "A Positive Light" meditation center. For more information on Joanie and the center visit www.apositivelight.com or her blog Joanielane.com **These are original writings by Joanie. Any quotes by others have been identified.
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When we practice our meditation each day we begin to become aware. Awareness can mean many things; we may become aware of our bodies and how we physically feel from day to day, or moment to moment. We may become more aware of our reflection in the mirror; rather than glancing to see that our face is clean, to really viewing how we shine. Or more aware of the weather; is the sky blue, cloudy or a mix? And so on.
And when we keep our practice in routine each day we begin to become aware of things we may not have even know existed; How we listen to others and respond in turn - How we see others with or without judgement. And when we become aware of our judgements we become more aware of our self judgements. How we treat others is a direct result of how we feel about ourselves. When we take the time to step back and observe our behavior and our interactions with life we can take the time to let go of incriminations and choose to see the beauty in all that exists. When we become aware of our own views of life and all that is in it, this awareness becomes our conscious. It will inform us of when we are judging and we can then choose to allow and accept others as we also learn to accept, allow or consciously change our behavior. Living in a happy world is nothing more than learning to live consciously; Conscious of our thoughts, actions and responses to life. In moving through life this way we take the filter of judgement from our eyes to expose the beauty that has been there all along. The Guest House ~ Rumi This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they are a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice. meet them at the door laughing and invite them in. Be grateful for whatever comes. Because each has been sent as a guide from beyond. *Joanie Lane is Director of and Teacher at "A Positive Light" meditation center. For more information on Joanie and the center visit www.apositivelight.com **These are original writings by Joanie. Any quotes by others have been identified. Often we think that communicating means to speak to someone -passing on an idea, insight or other specific information. Though it's true in order to be understood, we need to speak mindfully and with compassion to voice our thoughts clearly, speaking is not the only form of communicating.
Listening is also a huge part of communicating to understand the world and the people in it. When we open our ears and close our mouth we are giving the respect, time, and consideration that encourages the speaker to voice their thoughts. Opening our hearts to truly hear, feel and empathize with the speaker is also giving ourselves the gift of deeply understanding our partner, family member, friend, or even a stranger. We all want to be heard; truly heard and understood. Making time to listen is a good practice to help our relationships. Say your partner or friend comes to you with an issue they are I having. They say they are angry, hurt, upset,... agreeing to sit quietly for 5 to 10 minutes while they mindfully explain what they are feeling and what their thoughts are around these feelings, while you mindfully listen by opening your heart and deeply hearing them, can be a powerful tool in unlocking answers to ongoing problems that seem to plague your relationship. Conversely, when you are the speaker it is your responsibility to present your thoughts in a non-confrontational manner using "I" statements and only voicing your feelings around an issue that has come up. When the speaker has spoken for no longer than 10 minutes, you can both sit quietly and mindfully allow your feelings to settle around the conversation. Then, the listener can respond in a compassionate, mindful way repeating what their partner has said to show understanding, then if the conversation warrants it, reply to them keeping in mind the understanding that this practice is meant to clear the air and work through a problem to an end of understanding each other more clearly. These types of mindful speaking and mindful listening practices, if done with an open heart, can bring us closer to each other. Showing compassion in any form to anyone always has a positive effect and creates an atmosphere of trust and free flowing communication that can often save a relationship by bringing clarity and by opening us to loving each other more deeply. A genuinely happy relationship begins with mindful speaking and active-mindful listening. “You listen not for the purpose of judging, criticizing or analyzing. You listen only to help the other person to express himself and find some relief from his suffering." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh *Joanie Lane is the director and a teacher at "A Positive Light" meditation center. For more information on Joanie and the center visit www.apositivelight.com **These are original writings by Joanie. Any quotes by others have been identified. I've heard many terms on 'being grounded' throughout my life, even as a child. I remember such phrases as "come back down to earth", "get your feet on the ground", "get your head out of the sky" and so on. So 'being grounded' is not a new age term. It has been understood that there are times when we are out of our bodies or thinking in terms more related to fantasy than reality.
Although fantasy can lead us to using our imagination or artist center, and can be creative and healthy, it is easy to get caught up in this stage to the point of escapism. When we remain in a state of outward thinking we may become so lost in these pleasant thoughts that 'coming back to earth' doesn't sound so appealing when something difficult or challenging is going on in our lives. Summer is the perfect time to practice shoelessness. The primordial act of walking barefoot on the earth is the ultimate practice of grounding. Taking off your shoes and feeling moist sand, smooth dirt or grass on the soles of your feet and between your toes feels wonderful and it's healthy! There is good science behind this practice: the therapeutic touch of Mother Earth has amazing health benefits such as boosting antioxidants in our body, reducing inflammation, and promoting blood flow aiding in the relief of cardiovascular disease. It releases endorphins in our brain bringing on happier and more peaceful feelings, helping to balance the brain's chemistry that can cause depression and anxiety, and it even improves sleep. Walking barefoot helps remind us that no matter how old we get, we deserve the freedom to experience life to the fullest. And part of that experience is to actively participate in our physical form and all of our senses. Feeling the sun on our face, the ground beneath our feet, hearing the song of birds, tasting the fresh fruit of summer, seeing the baby animals experiencing their awkward and growing bodies, smelling the blooms of summer flowers,..... these are the gifts of our physical form. If we truly are spiritual beings having a physical experience then let's experience those gifts to our fullest! *Joanie Lane is the director of and a teacher at "A Positive Light" meditation center. For more information on Joanie and the center visit www.apositivelight.com or her blog Joanielane.com **These are original writings by Joanie. Any quotes by others have been identified. Monday Morning Insights-Wake up!:~Joanie Lane
What if one day you woke up and found yourself living in a paradise? An actual paradise with blue skies, green grass, flowers fragrant and birds singing; where you could do or be anything you wanted without fear or judgement! Where you could see other people doing and being whatever they wanted without it affecting you in a negative way. Instead, they would be adding more color and beauty to the world simply by their existence. Wouldn't that be wonderful? To wake up and see with fresh eyes the beauty in all that is around us. Wake up!! You are there now! The eyes that witness the truth of beauty or the lies of fear are yours! Only you can choose the filter in which to see and experience the world! "You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -- over and over announcing your place in the family of things. ~ Mary Oliver *Joanie Lane is the director of and a teacher at "A Positive Light" meditation center. For more information on Joanie and the center visit www.apositivelight.com or her blog Joanielane.com **These are original writings by Joanie. Any quotes by others have been identified. |