Whatever stage of life you are in now, you
probably long for a few quiet moments to relax and experience solitude. If your
life is too busy, maybe it’s time to slow down and consider meditation. It’s a
way to empty or clear your mind of thoughts so you can concentrate on just one
thing deeply and carefully. If you’re on the treadmill of life rushing onward
toward success and prestige, there’s little time to analyze where or what you
are becoming. There are many ways to mediate.
Just taking time to examine your feelings and
current situation in a diary can lower your blood pressure and stress. I find
writing in my journal helps me clear my thoughts and reflect on my priorities
and values. Quiet times need to be planned. Nature always relaxes me. Sunsets
are a perfect time to go inward and examine your life. Daily prayer can be a
healing practice that good for body and soul. Expressing your gratitude for
blessings received, prayers answered or seeking to develop faith in a higher
power is never wasted time.
Learning how to do yoga or tai chi can assist
you in deep breathing and clearing out your mind and spirit in order to live
more peacefully. It’s so important in the modern world of 24/7 newscasts that
can fill your days to take timeout.
Try listening to New Age or peaceful instrumental music instead of insipid TV
programs and blaring commercials that demand too much of your attention.
Take a walk on a labyrinth. It’s
sometimes called a walking meditation. There’s probably one in your community
nearby. It’s a pattern of rocks that forms a circle for walking, a place of
reflection and contemplation. When you begin the pattern, try to slow down your
mind, clear out the strident inner voices so you can get in touch with your
inner self. It can be a path of prayer and wisdom. As you walk, the pattern
will take you to the center of the circle then back out to where you began. If
you use this activity to center yourself, you will feel refreshed and renewed
from taking this time to meditate.
We have a lovely labyrinth in Kayenta called
Desert Rose: a place of rest and renewal.
It was a favorite place for my visiting teenage grand daughters. We
discussed how the path was similar to life. NEXT TIME: Making a Difference