The Power of Meditation

If you have ever had a session with me, than I have most likely recommended for you to start a meditation practice.  I, honestly, believe that fear and judgment are two of our worst enemies and that our mind produces these illusions to prevent us from being who we truly are. The power of presence, the power of calming the egoic mind, is so beneficial that if folks could get to a point where they can observe and differentiate what is real and what is illusion, they could master themselves.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is an amazingly insightful book about presence and the power behind it. To have the ability to be truly present will benefit you, your relationships, and the world in general. Although this book is not about meditation, the practice of meditation is one way to be able to access consciousness or the art of being. It is a practice that trains us to be present and know when it is our egoic mind that is triggering us. I would highly recommend reading this book!

As energetic beings, the power of meditation or prayer and the power of positive thinking elevates our Qi. The power of presence assists us with staying calm and not reacting, it decreases fear, anxiety, and anger. It helps us be our true selves when we aren’t constantly focusing on the past or the future. Or from another perspective, the “why’s” or the “what ifs”. Quieting the mind puts us in a place of consciousness which allows for healing. It allows for us to notice when these fears and illusions step in, it allows us the ability to observe, and then the power to realize what is true for us and what is not.

I am well aware of how difficult it can be for most to be able to meditate. Believe me, I have personally been in the flow, and then out of my routine. I have gone on vacation or had company visit or had a bad week (or couple of weeks) and then realized wow, I am out of balance. I am out of the routine that makes me feel good and wonder why I can’t get myself to do what I know I need to do to be in the flow again. I have dealt with the struggle of keeping my busy mind still. I have felt all of the frustrations associated with meditation yet I have also felt the beauty of the stillness, the connection, and the growth it allows.

There are so many obstacles that the mind creates for us to avoid this practice, “I don’t have time”, “I am too busy”, “I just can’t sit and be still”, “my mind won’t stop”! Whatever the excuse, try to sit with what the real struggle is and ask, are all of these obstacles real or is the egoic mind convincing you of them? I had someone who I highly respect tell me once that with patience, persistence, and perseverance you can accomplish anything. This is the truth, and the reality is that the benefits of where this practice can take you far outweighs any obstacle created by the mind.  
“You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes everyday - unless you're too busy; then you should sit for an hour.” 
― Dr. Sukhraj Dhillon

I have listed some of the techniques I use to meditate along with a few additional suggestions. Hopefully you will find them useful;

Exercise first. Whether it is a cardio workout, yoga, or anything that moves the body. I have found that when I move my body first, I have an easier time relaxing and calming afterwards.

Play light meditational music in the background - YouTube has all sorts of options for nature sounds, meditation music, Tibetan sound bowls, etc. When you are struggling with thoughts sometimes focusing on the music or the sounds of nature really help.

Meditating outside-I have found that being outside and in nature is calming in itself and that when you are actually sitting on the earth and rooting down in her while absorbing all that is around-sounds, feelings, etc. It is a beautiful way to calm and feel connected. Meditating by water is extremely powerful. You can hear it, feel it, and be one with it. This is one of my favorites!

Walking meditation-while hiking or walking just focus on your feet on the earth, the birds singing, the beauty of the trees or whatever is around you, the wind on your face or the rain hitting your skin. Practice being present with your surroundings, not the billion things you need to get done. Remember…presence. 

Chanting or focusing on visuals-there are all sorts of ways to focus on visuals so your mind doesn’t start running amuck or you could envision your chakras opening one by one by color coded sequence, you can envision a white light going through your energetic system and coming out each individual chakra. I have also found that chanting is a powerful way to prevent the mind from bringing in thoughts and a powerful way to set intention.

Envision your happy place, preferably somewhere in nature and be there. What does it look like, feel like, smell like? Sit with it and see where it goes…

Attend a community-based meditation center like The Dharma Center. They offer an invaluable resource that includes a comfortable and welcoming environment, guided group meditations, retreats, classes and a variety of tools and resources for any one who is interested in this practice or, more importantly, anyone who wants to connect within. It is a great place to start!

Insight Timer, PausAble, Headspace, and Evenflow are online mediation sites or apps you can download to help guide you in your practice if you feel like you need that extra assistance. Each one is different from the other so I would suggest reading more about each to see which one of them resonates with you.

One of the most important pieces to keeping up a consistent meditation practice is to be gentle on yourself.
Realize that there is no right or wrong and that the goal is to calm the mind, not to stir up judgment as to whether or not you are doing it the right way. If you have a thought come in or a gazillion, that is ok. Sit with them for a minute, acknowledge them, and peacefully try and let them go. If your practice slows down and you skip some time, that is a natural thing and that is ok, but please don’t give up. This is not an easy practice but is worth the commitment, as once you get to that place, it is worth every bit of the journey!

Written by Jennifer Roe
Jennifer Roe does Akashic Record Reading and Clearing, is a Red Hat Chi Gong Energy Healer, and Spiritual Advisor who has office locations in Durango as well as at Discover Your Spiritual Gifts in Littleton. To learn more about Jennifer and how she can help you, please visit her website at www.thehealingroe.com