More Joys to Meditate On

I think I might have mentioned that I am happy that I have my Pink Book back, but did I mention that I am deliriously happy? Yeah, I didn’t think I did. So now you know. Yesterday and today (and for several days to come, I suspect) I’ve been playing ‘catch up’ with the reading. I was thrilled to read the “Meditation: Many Paths to the Present Moment” for the March 2nd devotion.

I have been attempting to learn how to meditate for a couple of years now, and if I am honest, I can say that I am not very good at it. Therefore, I tend to give up on it after several weeks, or even several months. I think I have given it a pretty good effort, and I rejoice because I got some insight today. Keep in mind that I have read The Pink Book all the way through several times in the last 14 years. Also keep in mind that I have realized that most every time – no, change that to ‘every time’ and leave out ‘most’ – something different resonates with me. So imagine my excitement when I read that Joan Borysenko, “the gifted and inspired psychologist, scientist, and spiritual teacher explains that meditation is intentional concentration on one thing.”

I have never done any personal meditation with another ‘live’ person. Sure, I have been in groups where a facilitator has ‘guided’ us through a relaxation or meditation session - In stress management classes that I audited when I was at the Holy Cross Wellness Center (back in the 80s) and I had to evaluate a current course facilitator or hire a new one; in my daughter-in-law’s Chakra/Energy Field classes; even in High School, we had a substitute in girls gym who had us all lying on the floor and was talking us through a relaxation session. Then afterward, she admonished us to not run home and tell our parents that we had been ‘hypnotized’; this was the late-60s and the general population was much less sophisticated, especially about such subjects. But I have never had a ‘live’ human teach me how to meditate on my own. I have read about it from books; some I can remember specifically and some are just general and vague memories. John Assaraf and James Arthur Ray are two wonderful teachers who come to mind at this moment. Now, I love these guys as teachers, but my understanding of meditating was just not sinking in very deep. I ‘got’ that I was supposed to clear my mind of my routine daily thoughts. John Assaraf said to start with maybe five minutes, and after a few weeks I could start to work up to fifteen or twenty minutes. I remember being instructed to ‘focus on your breathing’ or to focus on the flame of a candle. Well, it’s not long before my mind is elsewhere! On the focus on my breathing thing, I could get fairly good at not wandering off to some problem or fantasy after a few days. What I did see happen over and over was that as time went on, I couldn’t ever get past five minutes, and eventually even that started seeming mundane and I had real difficulty wiping my mind for more than maybe 30 seconds (on good days).

So after reading the March 2 essay, I feel like I have been given permission to focus on a thought or subject that I feel is of ‘meditation quality’ and peacefully explore it. If my mind wants to switch from exploring Heart Coherence (go to www.glcoherence.org for this one) to pondering my grandchildren’s beauty, I may even let it.

Did I tell you I love this book?
Love you all.
Victoria J Mecham