Soul Collage “Blooming Smile” by Cindye Sablatura<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heart Breath<\/strong>\nRelief. Such relief!\nPermission to breathe in....for a change\nJoy in....relief out....joy in....relief out\nAgain and again and again\nFalling into rhythm\nExcavating room for my smile to bloom<\/pre>\n\n\n\nWho Is in Charge of My Attention?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
In January 2019, I made a commitment to myself to meditate daily. I just decided to do <\/em>it instead of thinking <\/em>about doing it. It was time to get off the fence. I started with short meditations and liked it so much that I worked up to an hour at a time. I have been at it for a year and half now, and I can honestly say that this has been the single most beneficial thing I have ever done for myself. The positive effects have rippled out into my life in all directions. I have become so passionate about meditation that I am currently taking a meditation teacher course so that I can share the benefits of meditation with others. At the end of this post, I have included a link to my smiling meditation for the Love You Strong community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What have I learned? Where you put your attention is where you put your energy.<\/em> The present moment is where life actually happens. Not in the past. Not in the future. Now.<\/em> Try this little exercise. Go ahead, I\u2019ll wait\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Get a blank sheet of white paper. Place it in front of you and focus on the whiteness of the paper. Keep all of your attention on this for as long as possible\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How long did it take for your mind to wander? For most people, it\u2019s pretty immediate. This begs the question, \u201cWho is in charge of my attention?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
If where you put your attention is where you put your energy, your attention is your most valuable asset. We have all had the feeling of moments slipping through our fingers like grains of sand, and we wish we could truly savor them while <\/em>they are happening. Our inability to focus has a huge impact on this. Our \u201cmonkey mind\u201d kidnaps the present. Here\u2019s the thing: your attention is your currency. <\/em>Don\u2019t squander it. Having little control over your attention limits the choices available to you. As my meditation instructor puts it, when we can\u2019t focus our attention, \u201cwe are not free to choose where to be at any given moment in our life.\u201d<\/em> That\u2019s a high price to pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is Meditation?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
In its most basic form, meditation is simply the practice of quieting your mind so that you can focus your attention on something of your choosing. At will. That\u2019s it. There are a smorgasbord of meditation techniques out there. You just need to experiment to find one that works for you. Trying one meditation and saying meditation doesn\u2019t work for you is like going on one bad date and deciding to stop dating. There is walking meditation, mantra meditation, chakra meditation, breathing meditation, loving-kindness meditation, and the list goes on and on. Meditation actually rewires your brain if you do it regularly, improving the quality of your attention so that you can have more influence over your ability to be fully present in any given moment. That my definition of personal mastery and freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of my teacher training, I recently had to practice eating mindfully. That was an interesting experience. It felt awkward, mostly because I don\u2019t eat mindfully! I am usually thinking about what I need to do next or checking my phone. What I learned is that the simple act of slowing down and giving my attention to my food, noticing its scent, texture, color, and flavor, definitely made eating more enjoyable, but I also noticed a spillover effect. I found myself appreciating the cooking process as well as my food and surroundings more. Simple practice. Ripple effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Bridge to Peace and Joy <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What else have I learned? There is an undercurrent of love, compassion, peace, and joy that flows in each of us. <\/em>This flow is unconditional and not dependent on anything outside of you. Meditation is a bridge to this river, and with practice, you can learn to cross this bridge anytime you wish and refresh yourself. As I jump into this river more often, I am learning the difference between cause and effect and causing <\/em>an effect. Cause and effect is dependent on external circumstances. Causing an effect is an internal process that I can cultivate by refining my attention. It gives me the ability to choose (cause) my inner state (effect) no matter what is going on outside of me. It’s a work in progress, but I notice that as I practice this, I am becoming calmer and more centered in circumstances that used to rattle me. I feel a greater sense of freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have noticed that Western culture tends to focus on using meditation to improve ourselves and fix problems. While the benefits of meditation on pain, anxiety, depression, blood pressure, and a host of other things are well-documented, we tend to forget that meditation can give us the opportunity to jump in the river and play. It can help us to savor our life, cultivate a sense of gratitude, and live more fully. We don\u2019t have to wait until we feel emotionally bankrupt to come to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Smiling Meditation <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n