Blog Titles:

Blog Topics:

< prev   12 of 29   next >

< back to list

Posted June 20, 2011 1:45 PMBookmark and Share

Easy Meditation

My favorite times to meditate are right before falling asleep and in the wee hours of the morning. I am not a “traditional” meditator. While I have studied a variety of meditation techniques formally and have spent years doing a consistent, “sit at this time for this long” kind of practice, right now this is not for me.

The time right before I fall asleep each night is sacred. In fact, it is probably the time of day in which I am most able to intimately connect to my Self.

I slowly begin to call all of myself back home to the refuge of my body by feeling. I start with my breath and feel how my body is being breathed. By way of the breath I am able to more easily discern where I am tense, holding on, stressed, out of alignment, or imbalanced. I focus on these areas. I hold them in my attention and breathe consciously to help them release back into a state of well-being.

As I grow more and more quiet and aligned through sensing, feeling, and relaxing my physical body, any unresolved emotions arise to be acknowledged and felt as well. Additionally, through my deepened state of presence I am able to more clearly hear the stories that are running through my mind that I am “hooked” into. These “charged” stories keep me from totally relaxing. So, just like I gave my body attention, I now give these stories some attention as well. I am not the story. I am just an innocent, attentive listener. I don’t censor anything I hear. I don’t judge it. I don’t redirect my attention back to my breath or body. I just allow the story to run.

Sometimes I will catch myself beginning to react to what I am listening to or I start adding commentary. But, most of the time I am truly interested in what my mind has to say. I know I am not my story, my thoughts, my mind, or ego. This allows me to listen without judgment. What I discover through listening isn’t unique, special, or different from what anyone else will discover if they get quiet and attentive with themselves. This process has allowed me to relax into a world where I previously felt as if I didn’t belong. Now I know that this too is one of those stories that I share with humanity.

I let the story run itself out.

Sometimes I fall asleep before that happens. Sometimes I arrive at the end of the story and it releases me from its grip. As this occurs, I release back into myself more fully. I come home and remember why being here is ecstasy.

May you all find your way back home!

In love and light,
Amy