Tag-Archive for » contentment «

Mar
12

Spend Some Time in The Gap… Meditate!

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The Gap.  It’s not just at the mall… no, it’s also the place that is the silence between your thoughts… a place few, if any, of us even know exists, let alone visit.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Meditation can be the path that allows us a way in which to access this space.  It is a space of compassion, surrender and peace.  Consider your thoughts.  They are of the past and of the future.  Active, energetic, and largely unaware.  It is in the space between those thoughts where the present- awareness- lies and as long as we remain disconnected from that space, we exist disconnected from the present… and ultimately, true contentment.

Learning to meditate, and making it a regular part of one’s day, allows you to practice presence- awareness.  However, it’s not merely a function of sitting in quiet.  It’s more than that… more work, to be honest!  To simply sit in quiet often invites the monkeys to come to play… say, the Wickersham brothers on ‘roids, where you are sure to wish each of them a pleasant, ‘good day’, perhaps take an occasional do-si-do, as they pass through (some days, seemingly on loop)… ummm… OK, maybe that’s just me!

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Category: Meditation, Spirit  Leave a Comment
Feb
23

Yoga: If Not For the Economy… Then, For You!

from the darknessIt’s a swirl of bad news pretty much every where you look.  Whether it’s fear mongering on the part of cable news to grab viewers or actually accurately portrayed, there are a couple of ways in which we can deal with the onslaught.

1.  Bury your head in the sand.  Ignore or deny it while developing an increasingly unhealthy dependence on your call display.

2.  Buy into the endless flow of negative and allow fear to determine your decisions and the direction of your life.

3. Take steps toward taking back, or maintaining, your sense of control and empowerment over your own circumstances… your self-determination.

In choosing number three, there are a number of steps you can take to promote and propagate a sense of control and empowerment, and you can find the list just about anywhere and everywhere right now, such as: manage and prioritize your spending, don’t spend more than you earn; pay down your debt as soon as possible; scale back, live simply and more frugally; make sure you’re saving; and then maintain that status quo… no sliding back into bad habits with signs of a little money in the bank.

These are the practical ways of covering your butt and without a doubt, they’re essential.  But along with these important, conventional steps you also need to consider the more esoteric, mental and spiritual requirements of feeling in control, empowered and proactive.  This is where developing a regular practice of mindful meditation and yoga comes in.  In times of stress such as these, one’s mental and physical health are paramount to dealing effectively.

The beauty of yoga is that it addresses the spiritual and physical at once, focusing and freeing the mind while strengthening the body.  A regular practice during times of immense stress can offer a refuge from the storm of negativity and fear.  It can make space for clarity in decision making; offer support in relaxation; and open up the creative mind and heart to the multitude of possibilities, perhaps even opportunities, that exist outside our typical concentration on daily practicalities.

Category: Practice, Spirit  Leave a Comment