Thursday, March 20, 2025

Thursday, March 20, 2025

By now you’ve discovered that meditation is simple but not easy. It is rather difficult to do. You ask yourself; then why do I practice it? 

You practice it because a spirit of adventure dwells within us—a wondering and wandering spirit. But this spirit, the Authentic Self, that eventually awakens and communicates with us with an inner voice as gentle as air and as strong as a swan’s feather, does not reveal itself easily. We use meditation and journaling to dig deeper, excavate and connect with this fragile bond.

On rare occasions you feel an unease coursing through your body. You think, I’m capable of so much more than what I am right now. Is there something I can do to get rid of this feeling? 

You certainly can! 

Such feelings emerge when your body, heart, and mind are fragmented, when you are disconnected from your Authentic Self, the voice of truth and wisdom within. Perhaps at the beginning of this year you had no clue how to do so. But now you have embarked on a practice that makes the integration of body, heart and mind possible, that makes you whole, and holy. Your dormant Authentic Self is waiting patiently for you to awaken it and in some of you is awakening.

Meditation and Journaling Practice gives you a special ability to let the ego self stand aside and Authentic Self surface. You summon the ego only when it is needed. You are learning to pay heed to your gut feelings and listen to the inner whispers.

This practice is like learning to write. You begin with the alphabet, then words, sentences, grammar, and so on. And then one day it clicks… I can write! I can meditate! I feel connected with my inner mentor! Be patient! Just give yourself time and consistency.

Each time you face a minor new challenge or confront a major issue. It may generate fear or sadness. Don’t push your feelings away. Don’t go around them. Go through them. Make your best effort to solve the problem. It will test you but it will teach you. Your practice helps solve most of the challenges you face. They soften your heart and sharpen your mind toward yourself and others.

In addition, by practicing with a group with the same purpose and goal, you are generating strong fellowship. You may become closer to one or more members of the group. You may share and discuss a challenge or a problem with them if you are unable to solve it on your own. 

With your practice gelling slowly, always keep this thought at the back of your mind: If I’m patient I will eventually acquire the skill of mindfulness. And once I experience it, something wonderful is going to happen! Your telephone may ring, an email may arrive, the front doorbell may chime and surprise you. Pay attention to even little surprises and small things that occur; find meaning in them. By the end of the year, you will have “ten thousand things” that made you happy. They will categorize themselves into four areas: health, relationships, creative work, and Authentic Self. Which area do you need to pay attention to?