Still

I meditated this morning. I'd like to bring the practice of meditation back into my life in a regular, habitual way - such as with exercise, although I even need to commit more time and effort to that right now.

Meditation is the practice of letting your mind sit "still". I guess that's not a universal definition, it's just what I've gathered from the different types of meditations I've been taught - well, it's at least as accurate as my own experiences have given me. I mean, it's much more than just that - the outcome is much, much more - but as far as I can tell, the action is simple: clear your mind for a given length of time, let it sit "still" like your body. People that have learned to do this on a regular basis, such as daily, eventually come to have something like an "enlightenment" or a "spiritual awakening" or find eternal peace and serenity. Some people even learn how to "astral travel" or have "out-of-body" experiences (OBEs). This is what I would like - I'd like to have an OBE. My understanding is that it takes years, if not decades, to reach this stage in your meditation practice. Also, I'm pretty sure it's not even everyone who does the meditation for that length of time that is able to attain that state. So...I realize my goal is almost on the unattainable level but... even just getting to the part of feeling serene and at eternal peace would be worth the effort to me - and I'm pretty sure that's almost a guarantee if you continue to practice your meditation.

There are all sorts of "tricks" to getting to that place where your mind sits "still". They work for some and not for others, hence the need for multiple ways to get there. One "trick" that I found intriguing was actually described in a children's book on meditation where the instructor took a jar of water with glitter in it and shook it up, then placed it on the floor or table. He told the children to watch the glitter as it settles and by the time the glitter settles, their minds will be clear and still, like the water. I thought this was so neat so I bought some glitter and made my jar of water and glitter. I shook it up and watched the glitter settle - it was mesmerizing. My only issue is that the glitter actually settled fairly quickly and my mind was not quite clear or still as the water by that time. However, if I put the effort in to still my mind at the same time, the glitter-water helps me keep it there, helps me to keep my mind empty and clear since I'm focused on something without any thoughts attached to it. In fact, I meditated like that this morning. It helped and I shut my eyes by the time the glitter settled at the bottom of the jar.

In the past, I've also meditated to specific "meditation music" or sounds. That has been very helpful, too, but I do worry that my mind isn't becoming completely clear in those situations because I'm still using it to listen to music/sounds. I guess the biggest issue that people tend to have with meditation is in trying to clear their minds and we are not used to doing that in the western world. I think people feel like they're failures if they cannot do it right away or even after a bit of practice. However, I think it's probably similar to any new skill that you try to learn - you need to continue to practice, and allow yourself to "mess-up" since that's the only way you get better. But again, it's about disciplining yourself to make the time and put in the effort to practice.

I will certainly keep my blog posted with my progress - especially if I have any revelations or get to have an OBE.