Most people think that meditation only means sitting still and chanting. Some people cannot sit still, while others find sitting to be distracting. Sitting is one way, but there are many other ways that suit people’s needs, and that can be incorporated into their daily lives. For example, I meditate on my daily commute by bus to work. What is necessary is to successfully meditate is to be completely mindful of what you are doing.
What I have discovered in my meditation practices is that a repetitive activity or an engrossing one is as good as sitting and chanting. Doing needlepoint is a reflective activity. A person is lulled by the rhythm of the push and pull of the needle through the cloth. When they are finished, they have created something of beauty. Another venue to the Divine is cooking in a mindful way. As person chooses the food for themselves and their families and prepares it, they connect to a Higher Spirit. Cooking, needlework, wood-carving, and other similar activities focus the person to the task at hand and takes them out of themselves. When people are engaged in these activities, they become attached to something deeper. Their insights and messages from the Divine come bubbling to the surface. The mind and body become joined in a meaningful way.
For example, I take walks. Walking the same route daily, I set my mind free to where it wants to go. The rhythm of walking stills the chatter of my mind and helps me to focus inward. As I walk, I notice the trees, squirrels, buildings, and focus on one at a time. By doing this, I commune directly with nature. The walk transports me away from the here and now, and propels me into the world beyond. I am now walking with the Divine. When I return home, I feel uplifted.
Also, I keep a daily journal. Writing down everything that occurs to me is a way of clearing my mind. With free association, I write down all sorts of things that are on my mind. Afterwards, I sort through and discover what is going on inside. Messages from the Divine come through my free-writing to me.
When I keep a drawing diary, I move deeper into the world of color, shape, and form. I focus on my subjects and see things that I have never known. I learned that ferrets have purple highlights in their fur, and that rainbow trout really do reflect the rainbow. Every moment is a polished jewel in my mind.
Meditation comes in many forms. On my bus commute, the rhythm of the bus wheels lulls me into a trance. I stare out the window and wool-gather. At my stop, I ‘wake-up’ and go on to work. Afterwards, I write down what came up in my thoughts. Not everyone can sit still and chant, but everyone can meditate. It takes imagination and work. However, people can find something that will take them out of themselves and put them into a state of union with the Divine.
Purchase books and DVDs on Reiki and other energy practices
Pictures of "Diamond Beads" and "Walking on Apple Path" copyrighted by Mary Ann Sterling
Va. Carper
March 16, 2008