The practice of meditation has been around for centuries, and has been used by lots and lots of people. These people are from backgrounds that are extremely varied, and meditation is quite mainstream, yet it can still come across as “woo.” That’s unfortunate.This practice has been widely beneficial for finding focus, lifting depression and more.
So, the thing is, I don’t actually know how to meditate. Ha! Not that I’ve really tried either. The closest I’ve come is during Savasana at the end of Yoga practice. This is the time to lay quiet on your back, arms at your sides, palms facing up – like the image here.
Mostly I’m like the Ellen DeGeneres commercial, thinking about her socks instead of clearing her mind. (And actually, Ellen is very much into meditation, and takes it seriously.)
But sometimes, I have found some startling significant moments that I was really deep “into it.” One time more recently I was just trying to focus on my breath, not sure if my mind was all that clear, when suddenly a classmate coughed. Oh, I recognize that kind of cough. It’s what I had struggled with in November, that kind of cough that begins an internal dialogue, “No, not now, not during this time of prayer in church, when the whole sanctuary is totally silent.” Or, “Noo noo noo….this is my my kid’s big scene in the school play!”
What was so surprising at this point, is that that cough scared the crap out of me! Where the hell was I that I was a bit frightened by a simple cough?
I’m sure my classmate couldn’t help it, so I wasn’t mad or anything like that.
Actually….actually…this was amazing! Being, me, I had to analyze that scared and startled feeling, and I realized I was SO deep into some other state, that a simple cough took me back up through some layers of whatever, quickly. Too quickly.
But I was excited! I might have actually been meditating! Imagine!
Later I went over to the classmate and shared my experience. Luckily she got my intent and knew I wasn’t up
set with her. We both agreed that her little cough was very helpful!
There was another time, also during Savasana, that I felt an odd but pleasant sensation of having my body and legs floating, nearly sinking down into something akin to a hot tub. I felt like my arms were holding up my chest and head, but the rest of me was sinking, it was great!
I recently read an article called, ” Corpse Pose, Breaking Down the Magic of Savasana“, and what I just mentioned above was somewhat described in the article. Take a look.
My closing thoughts for now: I have a “Dummies” book on meditation. Yeah, stop laughing. But here IS a funny thing. Sometimes, when I would glance at the book spine real quickly, I would mis-read and think “The Dummies Guide to Mediation.” Yes, like mediating between two disagreeing sides. (And then I wonder, do I have a learning disability, that I mis-read words like that?)
But anyway, I’m amused by this mistake, because the two words seem to have a relationship. When you meditate, aren’t you really reconciling your conscious busy “monkey mind” with your quiet higher self? Aren’t you calling for peace?
Of course you are!
Om.