I Used to Dread Meditation

Meditation and me. Not always the best of friends… to say the least. When I first encountered meditation, I could barely close my eyes without feeling instantly overwhelmed. It’s taken me, and I’m not kidding, almost two decades to crave it. I asked a beloved teacher once, “I wonder when all my crazy mental habits will subside, so I can really start a meditation practice?” She looked at me and said, “The mental stuff IS the practice.” If one felt peaceful all the time, one wouldn’t need meditation anymore. Meditation is THE tool to help us bring our minds back to their naturally peaceful states. Try this: 1. Sit comfortably 2. Close your eyes or rest your relaxed gaze at a spot nearby 3. Wish to take a break from focusing on all the stories that make your mind swirl 4. Instead, focus on the sensation of the air moving through your nostrils… it will feel cool during the inhale and warm during the exhale 5. Bring your mind back to the cool/warm when it wanders off into stories. Theory goes… the longer your attention is held by the breath, a natural peace arises from within. 6. Identify with any calm you discover. It will give you a new “normal” and a reference point for when stories swirl your mind again. You will feel confident in your capacity to return to calm by repeating steps one through five. 7. Dedicate the energy of your practice to the benefit of others 8. Repeat daily, with faith that if I can do it, you can too. Xo  #SoGladIDidntGiveUp #WishpathYoga #Kadampa#GesheKelsangGyatsoRinpoche #PSMayTheForceBeWithYou