Beginning a Practice.
The uptick in meditation is no accident—we’ve become more aware of personal struggles and the suffering around the world. Meditation has grown in popularity as we seek release from this stress.
Meditation offers some relief ... or does it?
Is enhanced self-awareness helpful? If we sit with how we feel, will we discover the remedy for our afflictions?
Meditation can help us better understand the correct tools and questions for navigating through challenges.
We attain solace through questions—the practice is self-inquiry and questioning how we cope with hardships and change.
Meditation is not an escape from life; it is a means to discover more ease and flow as we travel along our path.
Teacher Jack Kornfield says, the point of meditation is always to maintain a beginner’s mind. Whether we’re experienced or trying this for the first time, a beginner’s mind is the key to being in the moment.
Questions to Ignite Your Process.
What is a beginner’s mind?
To attain a beginner’s mind is to show up without assumption. Being a beginner and in the moment is to see ourselves with fresh eyes, with possibility, acceptance and curiosity. I wish I had been told these things when I began; that feeling strong emotions is ok and that they will not last; that there is goodness within us all; that perfection is not the goal; that learning never ends; that the questions are the practice.
How do I turn off my mind?
Your mind keeps you on task, and it keeps you alive; it is not something to shut off or avoid. Many of us have minds caught in spirals of stress and fear; this is incredibly overwhelming. The practice of meditation teaches us that all thoughts and emotions belong and to perceive each thought with more kindness. With practice, meditation helps us choose thoughts that support growth and presence.
How do I prepare my body?
Get comfortable! Set your body up for relaxation. Set aside the goal of enlightenment or perfection. Give your body the easeful position it is asking for. The body needs to be positioned so that pain or discomfort doesn’t overrule the meditation session.
How do I start?
Start by giving your body attention and breath. Our bodies are full of messages and wisdom, yet we grow disconnected when trying to cope with suffering. Stress produces harmful physical side effects that we can’t think our way out of - release comes with greater attention to physical sensations.
Ways to release & reconnect include:
Controlled Breathing
Yoga Nidra / Conscious Rest
Run / Stomp / Move
Relaxing Body Scan with Breath
When will I see and feel results?
This is a gradual process. In time, your brain will rewire and your nervous system will function optimally as you learn to focus and listen to your body (the best guide we could ever ask for!). The process gets easier with practice. Your body will release the stressors of life more quickly. You will gradually observe new ways of returning to the beginner’s mind, to begin again and again.
FIND PRESENCE WITH CAROLYN
WITH A RELAXING MEDITATION