Meaningful Meditating

Do you ever go deeply into a silence? For religious or spiritual reasons? Have you ever used chants, sounds, or walking during meditation? Is your meditation dancing or cleaning? What is meditation for you?

Quick Story

My husband tells me that many years ago, at the beginning of his meditation journey he would fall asleep. Well, that's me. Even if it's guided meditation, I will drift off into a sleep. But then I found meditation to be a noticing of the eternal 'now' and keeping the mind still and present. And I know what fits into that category for me - art, gardening, swimming, organizing anything, and even painting. I need the stillness in order to receive guidance in the form of an answer to my question. Florence Scovel Shinn, a philosopher in the 1800s, said that ships come in over a calm sea. To me, meditating means calming the sea. For my purposes, I seek clarity and next steps. So, if I can calm my mental rousing and allow an answer to float to me, I'm all inn!

What we know so far....

The practice of meditation has been found to stimulate several changes in the brain, a process known as neuroplasticity. This involves alterations in the brain’s structure and function in response to experience and learning.

Unleashing the Mind: The Neuroscience of Meditation and its Impact on Memory - Neuroscience News

Joseph Stromberg writes about some of the scientific studies on meditation. The practice has been linked with improved focus and emotional control and there is even indication that it changes a person’s biology. "Mindfulness meditation has been shown to cause distinct changes in brain structure and brain function," Yi-Yuan Tang, a neuroscience at Texas Tech, told Stromberg. Tang recently reviewed much of the neuroscience research on mindfulness meditation — a version of meditation and focuses thought on the present moment — in Nature. 

What Does Neuroscience Know About Meditation? | Smithsonian (smithsonianmag.com)

Cortex and Calves

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Quotes and Interpretations...

Settle down to silence.

Meditation is a process.

In meditation we are aware of our thought but not judging our thoughts as right or wrong.

Sitting in nature and paying attention to nature is meditation. Your thoughts can be focused on the color of a leaf or flower or the texture of the tree bark. When we can pay attention to nature’s details for long periods of time, we can then invoke feelings of gratitude. It is calming and free from our mental judgment.

The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large. Confucius

You inner self has the answers you seek. Meditation helps you get home to yourself. Silence allows the insight to flow.

Hello Trees

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Activities I have used...

Journal entry: When is the best time for me to take time for meditation? How can I make meditation part of my routine?

Activity: Listen to a few guided meditation tracks. Listen in the morning before the day begins or in the evening as you are on your way to bed. (Or wherever you can take a few personal moments to be still). Also try being still, breathing deeply and slowly, and recording your own self talk audio to listen to for your meditation session.

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