Monday Meditation: The Consequences of Meditation
There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)
Things change. Whether we want them to or not, everything changes. To bring this to the attention of myself and my students, I close every yoga class with these words:
“With every breath we grow. With every breath we change. Every breath is precious. Until your journey brings you back to me, remember to breathe. Namaste.”
It’s my way of saying, “Change is a natural part of our existence. Fighting change causes stress. Embrace the concept of change and you will know less stress.” But how do we “embrace” change? I don’t have a practical answer, but I do have qualified experience because I practice yoga and meditation regularly. One of the consequences of regular meditation practice is the ability to readily embrace change and not be as stressed about it. The more you practice watching things come and go during meditation, the easier it is to watch things come and go in life. We may not wish to see things come and go, but it happens. One of the consequences of meditation is less stress because we understand that everything comes and goes, and it isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
One of my favorite descriptions of the sensations of living as the result of meditation and yoga comes from yogi Mukunda Stiles in his book “Structural Yoga Therapy.”
Symptoms of Inner Peace
1. A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fear
2. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment
3. Loss of interest in judging others
4. Loss of interest in judging yourself
There are other symptoms or consequences of meditation listed by Stiles. Just as everyday is a beginning, so is every meditation practice. It’s a place to start learning to watch things come and go without fear or stress.
Have you noticed any consequences as a result of your meditation practice?
Happy Note: Book signing and hatha yoga demonstration Saturday, June 25 at Borders in Vienna, WV, 2-4 p.m. Will I see you there? Bring your yoga mat!
Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.
And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.
http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer
http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook
http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb
http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.
http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey
Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!
Be well, write well.