Conscious Meditation
by Derby Stewart-Amsden
"Stress contributes more to ill health,
lost work hours and long term misery than any other factor"
You really cannot afford to put off doing
something about it any longer
Of course you know that meditation is one of the simplest and most
effective ways of handling your stress. And most of you will no doubt
have considered trying it sometime, But, the problem is that you put it off, or
there is no course at a convenient time near you, or there seem to be so many
types of meditation and you do not know which one is best, so you end up doing
nothing.
Honestly, it does not matter which type of meditation you use,
they all have at their heart the simple fact is that we need to learn be BE here
and now. That is the true secret of meditation, and of relaxation - and the end
of so much pain and misery that we all suffer because we are so stressed,
-
To live consciously in the here and now is fundamental to many Eastern
cultures and philosophies. And, I have come to realize that it is an
essential part of each of our lives if we wish to attain optimum health.
-
The reason for this is simple. In order to be able to balance all the
aspects of a full and fruitful life, we need to be able to appreciate
exactly where we are right this very moment.
-
The essence of this is acceptance. Acceptance of ourselves as we are at
this present point, acceptance of the world that we have been born on,
acceptance of our place in this world. Acceptance is more like a absolute
force of physics than a fundamental truth, although I have found that
acceptance and truth are so entwined that they are inseparable.
I have found that I, personally, can make no real forward progress
without truly accepting all the circumstances where I find myself and
also accepting the person I am right now - with all my foibles, prejudices,
fear, skills, experience and potential. It is only when I have a clear sense of
this moment in my life, that I am able to truly transform. I believe this is
because when we let go of our expectations, our worries and our fears, we
naturally enter the movement of life that is the flow of nature and the universe
around us. You do not have to think big, you simply have to turn down the mental
processes and still yourself enough to be in touch with your intuitive or
essential self.
Okay, I hear you say, that sounds like just what I want to do, but where will
I get the time, how can I release the responsibilities of everything else I must
do. And, if I stop worrying all the time, I will stop being me, because everyone
in my family worries and I am a worrier. Right?
Perhaps not. Consider the possibility that several of the most potent and I
believe long term destructive things we do are simply bad habits. Habits that we
do not recognize as habits only because so many people fall into the patterns
that they seem an inevitable part of life.
-
I KNOW that it is possible to reduce the time and energy we waste on
worrying. And I know that by doing so we can instantly find ourselves in a
less negative mind set.
-
I KNOW that we can care deeply and passionately about many things, and
still release the habits of worry and anger.
-
I KNOW that fear need not stop us in our tracks, but that it can be both
a useful tool in growth and it can be drastically reduced.
Best of all, I KNOW a simple way to prove this to you. All you need to do is
to be aware that this is possible, and that you wish to progress beyond the
place where you seem to be trapped by old mind patterns and negative attitudes,
and the obsession to get everything done as quickly as possible.
Here we go:-
Whenever you have a moment to yourself - perhaps on the
train into work, whilst you are waiting for something to happen, during a tea or
coffee break (simply any time when you are alone or when you are in a place
where you are not expected to interact with those around you e.g. in front of a
boring television programme will work for some people) - try this:-
Focus your complete concentration on your breathing. Allow
your breathing to slow down and to become easy and calm.
Once you are in tune with the rhythm of your own breath, then very slowly
expand your awareness to the rest of your body. Be aware of any tension,
and let go it - sometimes you will find it useful to tense a muscle or give it a
we shake or stretch to help you release the tension - great, do it.
Once you are feeling very clearly aware of your body,
slowing reach out your senses to the place you find yourself. Allow your sense
of judgment to be still. Just look out, listen, smell, feel what is around you,
as if you had found yourself waking up in a book or movie. Simply be aware of
what your senses take in.
Then step back into the moment.
This wee exercise takes only a few minutes of time. It need never prevent you
from doing anything pressing in your life. But I can guarantee that if
you repeat it when you have a few moments, when you think of it, preferably a
couple of times a day, but whenever - then you will be accepting this moment
more fully, you will be living in the here and now.
Because of that, you will be able to engage with your own
potential self. Try it. You have nothing to lose!
Some early reflections of the process
- It is an art to learn to let time pass, to feel the
flow of it, quick and rippling, gentle eddying.
- To push acceptance of self outward to the physical
here. To this place of comfort and rest and out - to the dear planet on
which we rest.
- To unfold and to become part of the universe at this
instant.
- And the next many moments. Allowing thoughts and
feelings to flash across the inner canvas of self, or lurk in the waters of
the lower conscious. To feel . To know. To be.
- Still. Like a conscious meditation, a spiritual
recharging.
- And later sharing with a dear friend some aspect of
the inner picture, or capturing it gently in words, movement or colour. Or
not.
- I am. And later, when I am ready, I will do.
What next?
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Derby Stewart-Amsden runs Ashwhin, where she offers holistic retreats,
complementary therapies, Ashwhin Flower Remedies, and workshops for individuals
and groups. Derby also
works with her partner, Peter Amsden, to bring this holistic and people centered
approach into small business support. ASAT Productions- www.asat.biz
ASHWHIN CENTRE FOR BALANCED LIVING Flexible answers in a rigid world http://www.ashwhin.com
Holistic Retreats, Ashwhin Flower Remedies, and a wealth of therapies and self
discovery sessions, courses and retreats.
This article added 5/17/07
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