Everyone Can Meditate

There is no need to complicate meditation with tradition or structure. There is no set period of time people need to sit and meditate for a meditation practice to be a successful one. When we focus the mind of anything for a time, the mind is pre-disposed to become still. The beauty of this revelation is that we can find ourselves in a state of meditation when we are actually in motion. Running or creating art can cultivate a tranquil mind where we can find peace and refuge.

Inspiration and creativity are results of a tranquil mind. I have noticed this for myself when I teach yoga classes. There have been many times when I prepare for a class but won't be able to teach this lesson because students will come that have never practiced yoga before. I must shift the lesson to incorporate these new students. However, I like to start classes with silence and then breathing exercises. This helps people focus on the present moment and what is happening with them while letting go of all previous activities that occurred to them throughout their day. I find that as I move into a space of surrender, the class flows right through me as if I am not teaching it at all. The lessons come from a deeper source within me.

Taking just a few moments to clear the mind can set the foundation for meditation. I like to use myself as an environment for experimentation and I find that when I do this, I become clear and can step out of my own stream of consciousness to allow Grace to flow through me. I become the vehicle or conduit for creation to manifest. When I snowboard, I become very focused on the path I am going to take that everything else begins to drop away into the background. Of course, I still have to be aware of my surroundings but I am highly attuned to my own movements. My mind becomes so aligned with I am doing that a unique silence is created.

Just as when one formally meditates, the mind is focused but still aware of all that is happening around. When I lived in India, I saw people who were sitting on a sidewalk in the middle of the hustle and bustle of life completely still in meditation. I watched them for a long while. It was only when they began to stir from their stillness that I approached them. I asked them how they could meditate with all this commotion going on around them. Their answer was all very similar to the other. They would focus on their breath and God and over time, their mind would follow suit. So even though they were aware of what was happening, they were able to detach themselves from their surroundings.

As we realize we are ultimately not the doer, we begin to create this detachment from any end result ourselves. This is a progression on the path of the evolution of our consciousness. Engaging in any activity with this notion and devotion becomes freeing and revolutionary in terms of creating freedom in the body and mind. We all have the ability to become awakened!

----------------------------------------------------
Receive spiritual insights, guidance and wisdom from awakened teachers of all the world's traditions. Sign up for our Spiritual Awakening e-course -- each issue is packed with tips, advice and techniques to realize your own awakening, brought to us by traditions from Advaita to Zen: http://spiritualwoodstock.com/e-course.html

EasyPublish this article: http://submityourarticle.com/articles/easypublish.php?art_id=250882