the True HeArt of Meditation…An Introduction
What is Meditation?
It’s the Wisdom of Silence -
A Connection to the present moment and the Spirit Source in all Life.
An Awareness of how our thoughts distract us from the present moment and how our attachments cause us suffering.
And when you practice being in the present moment,
You get really good at it!!
Meditation views Mind as the Sky - clear and vast, joyful. Not burdened by negativity or attachmnet.
You become the Witness of how thoughts appear as clouds in the sky. And how, just as easily, they disappear…if we let them go!
5 Basic Aspects
1/Posture:
Sit comfortably. be practical. if you have to move- move.. But with awareness of what's happening.
Be gentle with yourself.
Eyes are closed, but not tightly.
Hands are comfortable in meditation... mudra (hand gesture) or not.
2/Breathing:
Our breath connects us to the present moment.
It moves the body and the mind. If we control our breath, we control both.
Breathing in I relax...breathing out I relax
Breathing in I am present ...breathing out I am present.
Breathing in I accept the Universe..breathing out I express my Compassionate intention
3/Sacred Mantra:
OM Mani Padme Hum (om-mahnee-paymay-hum) .....Tibetan mantra of Compassion
It's meaning: the Jewel in the Heart of the Lotus…because The Heart is the center of our Spiritual Soul.
Watch your thoughts enter. Gently introduce your mantra, control your breath.
Let the thoughts come and go. Have no judgement or expectation!
4/Walking:
Walking brings you into the present moment, with each step.
There is no going anywhere.
No destination......There is only walking.
Be aware of Nature, how everything is alive in its own way
There is no struggle...it just IS! We can learn this from our Earth!
5/Universal Intention:
Ultimately, your practice is about others, and your intention to create a
Sacred Space of Silence,
with gratitude and determination, grounding a sense of Compassion for the entire Universe….(Expressed in the Enlightenment Prayer)
Practice is the Path!
Make this your own practice. However that looks...in front of an alter, under a tree, in your room or car…as long as you practice, everyday!
Create Balance....we don't live in monasteries!
You compete with no one.... Only your inner world.
Like Life, this is a profoundly personal, yet a collective experience. It is both...
The Middle Way.
So, when do you reach Enlightenment??
You are already here
You have opened the door and taken the first step
You are on the Path!
As part of a daily devotional practice, this prayer will help guide your intention towards a more mindful daily life.
PRAYER FOR ENLIGHTENMENT
With mindful awareness
Of the interdependence of all sentient beings,
I pray with open Heart and deep gratitude
For this precious human life
And vow to live each day
With generosity, compassion and patience.
Created from my own past causes and conditions,
Overwhelmed by attachment and fear,
I pray for forgiveness and wisdom
To erase all forms of negative karma.
With blessing and determination
And the power of Love pervading all realms,
May the Source of unbounded positive potential
Be clear and present in all my endeavors,
In this life and the next.
And with the guidance of all those gone before
And the Earth’s enduring power to heal
May I receive the perfect power of awakening,
Returning in perfect flow this gift of Love
To each part of the whole of all of life.
May I always meet those along Earth’s sacred paths.
May we practice together beyond space and time
So that all suffering beings, throughout the Universe,
Find infinite Happiness, Peace and Freedom.
Om Mani Padme Hum
Om Mani Padme Hum
Om Mani Padme Hum
You have just taken the first step along The Path. Blessings.Namaste.