By Rev. Courtney N. Barry

Meditation is the peace, serenity, knowledge, wisdom, inner strength, insert virtue here, that you seek. What you want to know, what you want to seek in this life is waiting for you in meditation.

Meditation takes on many different forms depending on what speaks to your inner truth. For some, meditation means clearing the mind of everything or focusing on the breath. For others, meditation is journeying or trance. Meditation is also movement and is found in dancing, Yoga, martial arts, walking, and other kinds of sports.

No matter what path you are on, meditation will enhance your spiritual knowledge, will help your relationships with others, and bring sanctuary to your world.

Whatever it is you want from life, love, your health, your career, you will find the specific answers in a disciplined meditative practice.

The mere mention of the words discipline and practice can turn some people off, but let me explain. Discipline can mean many different things. If you are new to meditation, discipline could be carving out 5 to 10 minutes a day to begin a practice. Yes, practice means this is something you might try to do everyday. Discipline could also mean sitting in contemplation for 30 minutes to an hour a day. You may be called to begin a martial arts program or a sacred dance group. Discipline will mean that you show up to these classes as you have promised yourself you would.

Practice, like anything else, is how we measure our growth. Those striving for enlightenment cannot give up the spiritual fight to do better and be better than the day before. However, we are human and many of us cannot run away from our duties of family and career to join a monastery (even though it sounds appealing sometimes). How do we find inner peace, strength, and even the time to mediate in our 21st century lives?

First, a commitment must be made to extract ourselves from the “me plan” for just 10 minutes a day. This commitment means discipline.

Second, in those 10 minutes we must be able to be undisturbed, have a place to relax, and a safe place to breathe.

Third, we must use the brief moments wisely. This is not the time to analyze what we said to our boss yesterday, what we said in the heat of an argument to a loved one, or think about what we will be doing for the rest of the day.

This is your time, use it wisely.

In these moments of relaxation and breathing you might imagine one or more of the following:

• Sitting on the shore of your favorite beach.
• Sitting in a monastery.
• Sitting on top of the highest peak (my personal favorite).
• Sitting in the room you are in and just being with your breath.

The mind, our lofty ally most days, will fight the mere idea of just sitting for 10 minutes. It will remind you that you have things to do. It will fight the standstill with all it’s got. Persevering through the initial few days of meditation will yield quick results. I take a moment and acknowledge this inner fight then say to myself, “I am taking 10 minutes to sit and contemplate, you get to have the rest of my day.”

The days that I breeze through without my spiritual practice and meditation, I have noticed, are the hardest days I have. My New Year’s wish for you is that you just begin whatever practice brings you peace.

For a short guide to meditation, please go to www.courtneyscc.com/meta.html

Many who are just beginning a meditation practice would benefit from taking some classes or listening to CDs on guided meditation. Guided meditations will give you a general sense of what you will be doing on your own in meditation. The classes I offer give you a chance to meditate as well as ideas for meditations that you can do on your own.

“Our capacity to self-reflect gives us the power to take control of our mind.” ~Ruling Your World, Sakyong Mipham

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 23rd, 2007 at 12:41 am and is filed under New Year's Resolutions, Stress Reduction. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.