More to Om About
by Holistic Lifestyles Radio on Apr.11, 2011, under Home
Carol Harblin (CHHC)
Meditating seems to intimidate people and even feel daunting. How do people continue its practice?
How do people begin to meditate?
Don’t think of it as a formal practice. Meditation is when a person needs to find clarity within their thoughts and heart. The art of meditating is actually a place a person can visit so that they can feel peace and contentedness.
You do not have to go anywhere to meditate. You do not have to go to a meditation class or workshop. It is nice to participate in a workshop, but you can also find a corner of your bedroom or your home to sit quietly and find your inner voice.
The first thing people complain about when they first start meditating is that they always have thoughts that distract them from feeling peaceful. We will always have thoughts. We cannot prevent them from entering into our heads, but we can keep them at bay while we meditate.
How?
Repeat a mantra. Sometimes certain words or short phrases help to keep your thoughts centered.
A popular meditation mantra that Deepak Chopra talks about is “So Hum.” At the inhalation you would say to yourself “So” and at the exhalation you would say “Hum” to yourself.
Repetitive short words like this help to ease out those repetitive thoughts and worries that may dominate our minds.
Some people may repeat their kids names, or even the words “In Love and Light.”
When you wake up in the morning, people routinely go to the bathroom and brush their teeth. It just happens because of habit. There are no formalities. That is how meditation can be practiced. After eliminating your bladder in the morning, find a sacred quiet place, sit down, close your eyes, and find your inner voice….your inner calm.
The more you meditate, the more you yearn to do it and the more you want to find the time to seek out that special place in our hearts and minds.