Hello,
The guided meditation did not do much for me to be honest with you. I find it very hard to sit down and be comfortable enough to totally let go and let a complete stranger's voice take me to a place of complete relaxation. In reality I think I am a bit of a control freak, which does not allow me to fully relax and be guided to a place unknown. In an exercise such as this I want to know ahead of time what we are doing and what the point of the exercise is. I don't do well by being told to just sit down and listen to this and follow the directions. I can't fully let my self go and make my thoughts stay focused on the task at hand. I find my thoughts constantly wandering to other things and wondering what the purpose of this whole thing is.
I live a very busy lifestyle and I would rather relax by participating in an activity that I find enjoyable such as talking on the phone to a friend, watching TV, reading a book, or taking a walk. The music and meditation method does not seem to work for me on a personal level.
Thanks,
Kelly Kearns
I agree with you. What I had trouble with was having to critique the exercise while I'm supposed to be "getting into it." I was too busy trying to think about how the experience was affecting me so I could explain it in writing. It kinda defeated the purpose of trying to relax. ha. Oh well. Now that we know what is expected maybe we can relax next time.
ReplyDeleteHi Kelly and Karen,
ReplyDeleteGetting into meditation can be tough, I know! I don't know if you've ever read any Eckhart Tolle, but this is the sort of thing he talks about a lot - that it is hard to feel in tune with the divine because we confuse our deeper self with the "little woman in our head" - the constant mental chatter that we think is our identity but really is not. There is a great peace that comes from identifying with the "I am" underneath our thoughts. While I am not saying it is something you "should" do, or should necessarily even want to do, I do think it's worth looking at again, since the rewards are great. The fact that you're taking this course suggests you are looking for what this kind of practice helps you achieve.
So perhaps it might be worth approach another meditation with an open mind, and a different perspective about thoughts. Thoughts happen, but there is more to each of us than thoughts alone. Sometimes it's hard to reconcile spiritual teaching with everyday experience, since we live in the world and our everyday lives are very much in the real world, with chatter all around us, and even inside our heads! ;-) But I have found a tremendous peace in my life from being able to recognize the silent, still feeling of the divine - however you conceive of that - and this cannot be reached through thought. I persevered with meditation and now, every time I do it, I feel powerful feelings of peace and joy. Sounds corny, I know! But worth persevering for.
Have a great rest of your weekend! :-)
Deb