Mindfulness and Meditation – Cultivating Connection to Our Inner Peace

World events and the actions of others can be distressing. No matter what is going on around us, we have a peaceful center that we can come home to at any time. But, we sometimes mistake fear and worry for care and concern, thinking that if we let go of worry it means we don’t care or we don’t understand. But we do care, and to paraphrase Emerson: we understand that we will only find peace in the world if we carry it within ourself.
Winding up is easy, winding down takes practice. Meditative practices help us to step away from the outside world and the surface chatter in our mind and step toward the deeper messages of our body, feelings, and emotions. We are able to see our thought processes more clearly. When we notice thought patterns that are not helpful, we can change them. We open to inspiration, intuition, self-understanding, and are better able to self-soothe. As we build connection to the place of peace within us, we also build connection to our inner resource (the Spirit, Source, Mystery, Universal Intelligence … however we choose to think of it.)
I read about a theory in The Way of The Rose that resonates with me. The idea is that seated meditation is the more masculine style because it evolved from hunting behaviors. Bead practices, like the rosary, seem to have evolved from the gathering behaviors of women – moving about, communing with others as the children and elders were tended, and the hand work of cooking and crafting was done. I prefer to think of it in yin/yang terms because natural inclinations are not gender specific.
The point is, one style of meditative practice is just as important and holy as another. The body is just as important and holy as the mind. As with anything else, one size does not fit all. We don’t get extra points for the pain we cause ourselves by going against our natural inclinations. We get to choose what feels right for us, and we can always change our mind. Anything done deeply with awareness can be meditative. It is our intention and attention that makes the difference.
Sitting quietly in seated meditation is one technique. The focal point could be the breath, the clouds, the wind in the trees, a candle flame, or even food. Jon Kabat-Zinn likes to do “Rasin’ Consciousness meditation. I prefer to meditate on Dove silky smooth promises dark chocolate. In this moment there is only chocolate. We are contemplating all the factors that came together to bring it to us, savoring it as if it is the first, the last, or only piece of chocolate we will ever have, and letting tension melt away as the chocolate slowly melts …
Movement practices that include the body, like the right (for you) yoga class, also help us to center. How does it feel to be in this body in this moment? Linking our movements with our breath keeps our mind and body together so they can both let go of tension and ease into guided meditation at the end.
Repeating a specific word/mantra mentally or out loud (with or without rosary or mala beads) helps us to let go of repetitive thought loops. It is especially effective for those of us whose minds tend to race or ruminate. We may like to create our own affirmations. When we hum, sing, chant, or speak aloud, we are also regulating our breath patterns.
Creativity can be another meditative technique. Collage, coloring, journaling, art journaling, drawing, painting, sewing, crafting, knitting, crocheting, writing poetry, or playing an instrument can be ways to clear a path to our peaceful center.
The endless round of repetitive tasks provide ample opportunities for mindfulness in daily life – cooking, cleaning, washing the dishes, waxing the car, ironing, petting the cat/dog, or holding the baby… When we focus on one specific activity at a time (mono-tasking) we keep our mind and body in the same place.
Social media can help us to connect to real people who inspire us as long as we are mindful about it. Our electronic devices are designed to capture our attention for as long as possible. They numb our minds and in my experience are like sugar – a little is sweet, too much makes us sick, and everyone has different tolerance levels. This is one of the many instances of more not being better. It us up to us to recognize when we have had too much, and media fast as necessary.
Just as we can notice how too much time spent on our addictive electronic devices can fragment and drain us, we can sense the restorative effects of time spent in nature. If we are feeling lethargic and find any movement difficult, walking outside is a very effective way to lift our mood. Enlisting the aid of a friendly companion encourages us to stick with it. (I prefer canine).
Life is what it is. We cannot control events or the actions of others, we can only control our responses. As we build connection to our inner resource through meditative practices, we are better able to pause and respond wisely. In that way, new solutions are able to arise. This in turn helps us to be more effective at whatever is ours to do in this world. We can experiment with the many techniques available and choose the ones that feel right for us in any given moment. With practice we will discover that we can find peace in the world because we do carry it within ourselves.
Image by Hannah Williams from Pixabay