International Lifestyle Magazine Issue 55 | Page 45
On a mental level, the process
of stillness is very interesting as
the mind likes to challenge at
every opportunity. It likes to
monkey around...all the time!
The moment we sit still with
the intention of letting go, our
busy minds will naturally object,
telling us that we haven’t got
time for this, that we should
be doing something ‘more
important’.
And if we try our hardest not to
think, thoughts will constantly
intervene and it’s therefore
easy to feel that we can’t do
this; that we can’t meditate,
and we give up. But an
important point to be aware of
is that you are not your mind,
and your mind is not you! It
is simply a tool that we very
often need, but also need to
learn to put down from time to
time. Understanding this fully is
seriously empowering.
So how do we get around
this? Firstly, we can give our
minds a job to do, for example,
counting the breath. So with
each in breath or each out
breath, we gently count. This
focuses the mind on the job
in hand, and allows us to relax
into the process and be in the
moment. Alternatively, we can
make a point of allowing our
thoughts to arise; to let them
come and go and to simply
label them as ‘thinking’, without
giving any power to them. A bit
like not giving attention to a
misbehaving child; eventually
it will get bored and give From
a spiritual perspective, making
time to sit in meditation helps us
to tap into our inner wisdom and
provide answers that are truly
right for us. It helps us to realise
our truth; our soul purpose,
and it helps us to remember
that we are not in fact here to
constantly strive for more, but
to notice and enjoy the beauty,
wonder and perfection that
we already have within and
around us every day.
When we allow ourselves to
sink into the stillness of being,
we not only feel at peace
with ourselves and everything
around us, but we actually
become peace. And it is in this
space that our healing can
truly begin.
Try this simple meditation at
home:
Give yourself permission to
meditate for fifteen minutes,
and find a peaceful place to sit
or lie down; somewhere warm
and comfortable where you
can relax and not be disturbed.
Please note that the purpose of
this exercise is not to fall asleep,
so set your intention to be fully
present in this moment.
When you feel settled, bring
your awareness to your breath,
noticing whether it is deep
or shallow, fast or slow. Place
your hands on your tummy
and begin to breathe slowly
and deeply into the abdomen,
feeling your hands rise and fall
with each breath.
Scan your body, drawing
attention to each individual
part, starting at your feet and
slowly working your way up to
your head. Notice if any feelings
of tension or discomfort arise
as you carry out this process,
breathing deeply all the while.
Return individually to any areas
of pain or tightness, placing a
hand on that body part if you
can reach it and drawing your
breath into that area.
Take a moment to appreciate
this
quality
time
before
continuing with your day.
Jo Barnard
www.you-time.com
07811 269693
“To celebrate the launch of Jo’s new CD, ‘Volume
Two: Healing’, featuring five gentle visualisations
accompanied by soothing music, we’d like to bring
you a special offer. Buy Volume Two for £9.99 and
receive Volume One for half price. To order, please
email [email protected], quoting the code ILM55
and a donation will be made to Pig Village. Order
both volumes for £14.98 and Pig Village will receive
a bale of hay.”
www.internationallifestylemagazine.com