It’s becoming one of the biggest trends of the 21st century to seek out enlightenment and inner peace. People everywhere are learning from teachers or tutors to try and find the inner peace they so desperately want. So, who really has inner peace and how did we find it? You can get to feeling a little bit lost when it comes to uncovering the truth.
One way for determining if you are on the right path is to simply ask yourself “Am I more at peace than I was a year ago or six months ago?” If you feel that you are finding more peacefulness as you progress on your path, then you know it must be working. If you aren’t sure or you think that maybe it isn’t working, then maybe you need to sit still a little more each day and listen to your true self within. Sitting still each day and taking quiet time for yourself by closing your eyes as you sit still can be a great way to calm your mind and emotions so that peacefulness eventually becomes more and more natural for you. Inner peace only comes from one place and that’s the inner part of you! If you find that you aren’t feeling peaceful or at one with yourself, it’s time to look deeper within yourself.
Most of the time, when people decide to start a daily meditation, they discover that their thoughts and emotions are running riot inside and they feel almost instantly discouraged when peace cannot be found immediately. Common statements from beginners are “Am I doing it right?”, “How should I sit?” and “Should I concentrate on my breathing?” Your goal is to simply sit still with your eyes closed and relax, listen to the breath and when your mind strays, come back to the breath. Don’t fall asleep as you quieten yourself by following the sound of the breath and don’t worry too much about whether it is “right” or “wrong” when beginning. If you are sitting there with your eyes closed and focusing on your breathing, then it is correct. That’s all there is to it as you begin meditation.
Preventing yourself from judging everything and analysing every thought as you meditate can prevent you from getting all frustrated with what we are trying to do. What are you trying to do? Nothing! You are endeavouring to stay quiet and silence the mind. The problem beginners may have is that they think there is a special “formula” for meditation and a way of doing it. There is no right or wrong way of doing it and there is no formula. Everything you do will be correct. Just sit there quietly and, by doing it each day for a short period of time will eventually result in more calmness of your mental processes and an equilibrium of your emotions. The beginning, however, can sometimes be the hardest part of starting meditation.
Did you ever try to teach your pet dog to sit still? You can usually teach him or her to sit but getting your pet dog to “stay” is a bit tougher. This is the same challenge for people. People know how to sit, but they don't learn how to stay. If you can teach yourself to both sit and stay you will be among the very few people in the world who have learned a very valuable trick. For dogs, it takes some extra “Dog Treats” to get them to do it. For human beings it sometimes requires a calendar and a weekly schedule as you complete your task of “staying” for 20 minutes or more. Some people get to be experts at this trick and can sit still for over an hour and for several times a day. These people are sort of like the dogs you have seen on television who can perform in front of a panel of judges and can sit and stay for long periods of time. Their masters always love them a lot and they always win the contests they enter. As funny as this comparison may seem, it actually is quite true. If you learn to sit for longer periods of time without having to move around in your chair and without your mind wandering every moment, you will eventually start to win. The “Master” behind your thoughts and emotions will eventually come forward and reward you with a lot of great “Dog Treats”. So, get out there and give meditation a go for a few days and see if you can master your thoughts as you sit down to quieten your mind.
There's also a chapter "Meditation, Mindfulness and Sleep" in the book Keys to Freedom. How to Unlock Your Ability to Thrive in Changing Times. robynandkarla.com/products
Peace filled days to you
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