I had the worst meditation practice going – ever. It was token. It was short. It needed work. Other aspects of my spiritual practice were blooming. I wanted and needed to upgrade my meditation practice.
Find your best time to meditate
I finally figured out that the time of day I chose to meditate was very important. When I learned Transcendental Meditation 50 years ago, I meditated when I first got up and when I returned from work. Twenty minutes twice a day. My life got better. And although I have meditated for a large portion of my life, for some reason my current meditation practice leaves a lot to be desires. Now I shower, dress and feed my cat before I do my Qi Gong. Since it is a moving meditation, it made sense to follow it with a seated meditation. However, I found that when I sat in my chair my mind filled with ideas and insights that, more than anything did, I wanted to go to my computer and write down. I kept cutting short my meditation in order to capture my thoughts. By accident, I found that if I waited until after my spiritual reading, which followed my Qi Gong, and after I jot down any burning ideas, it is a great time for me to meditate. My concepts are captured and “safe” and I can go back to my spiritual practice. That shift in timing made a huge difference in my receptivity to meditation.
Form the habit
I got back on track with a Deepak Chopra 21-day meditation challenge He uses a mantra and I worked with that as well as my own TM mantra. His meditations are 20 minutes long. I began to enjoy the depth to which I could go in that time limit. Find the right time for your meditation and make it a habit. Length is not as important as finding and regularly using the same time every day in order to form the habit. After the habit is established, you can work on lengthening your time.
Live in your core consciousness
“Meditation is a way to get in the space between your thoughts.” says Deepak “According to wisdom traditions, this space between the thought is the window, is the corridor, is the vortex to the infinite mind” I want to go there. I want to live in my core consciousness. I want to use my intuition, and understand the guidance of my inner wisdom. I want to dwell in that space of infinite possibilities. I want to feel my connection with all that is. I want to dwell in the space between my thoughts.
Personal cultivation is whatever you do to deepen your inner awareness.
Your spiritual practice is uniquely yours. It is up to you to design a program that nourishes, educates, motivates and inspires you to live your best life. Meditation should be an integral part of that practice. The quality of my meditation changed when I found a new mudra he length and depth of my meditation increased when I found a better time for my morning practice. My meditation habit anchored itself with the help of an online program. Now I need to find the best time for my afternoon meditation but I have a feeling I’m going to feel so great after increasing my morning meditation that I will eagerly sit down later in the day.
Use your meditation to gain insights
If you have a problem to solve, take it into the silence of your meditation and let it go. Use your meditation to increase your feelings of well-being that in turn attract more feelings of well-being. If you are angry or sad or lonely, take those emotions into the silence of your meditation and allow them to be soothed and washed away. Move into your meditation ready to let go, to still your thoughts, and to bask in the realm of infinite possibilities.
The effects of meditation are cumulative
Each time we meditate, we deepen our feelings of peace. We retain those feelings for longer periods during our day. That inner peace stays with us as we move to solve a problem, or interact with a friend, or begin to initiate something new at work. The effects of meditation are noticeable. First to you, who will feel calmer and more centered, and then to others who will begin to respond to your differently and not know why. You will develop an inner sensitivity to the natural rhythm of things and move forward with ease and gentleness. Meditation is the place where you come to understand that everything is connected to everything else.
Meditation opens you to the Law of Attraction
In the silence of the space between your thoughts is a place of infinite creativity and infinite imagination. It is the place where the power of your inner creator acts as a magnet to draw to you the qualities and circumstances you desire. Take your visions into your meditation. Allow yourself the unlimited possibilities that are present in the Universe and draw them to you simply by moving more deeply into meditation.
What is holding back your meditation practice?
If timing is holding you up, perhaps get up 10 minutes early, cuddle in your meditation chair and get your day off to a balanced start. If stilling your mind holds you back, follow your breath. Choose a new mantra. Find a new mudra. Notice what is pulling you out of meditation and what is keeping you from setting aside time for your practice. Add journaling to lead you into meditation. Write some introspective poetry when you emerge. Read something meaningful and move into meditation to more fully absorb it. What do you need to add or subtract from your meditation practice to make it a stronger and more powerful daily experience?
Carry your meditation practice with you throughout out day.
As you deepen your meditation practice, you will begin to feel your connection with the entire universe throughout your day. You will speak and work mindfully. You will allow life to unfold. You will feel compassion toward everyone you meet. If your mind gets too active, focus on your breath. If you start to feel stressed, use your hand mudra. Find small ways throughout your day to keep the serenity of your meditation with you throughout your day.
What will you do to upgrade your meditation practice?