Meditation – Your Sacred Pause
In our daily lives, we are constantly faced with difficult and unpleasant decisions, unsatisfactory work situations, demanding people in our lives, and more month at the end of the money – all resulting in a stressful life.
When this stress is compounded day after day, month after month, and year after year, it definitely wrecks havoc on our bodies, minds and spirits. When we are constantly operating out of a stressful place, it is not possible to be as focused and aware as we need to be; it is not possible to be as creative and intuitive as we can be; and it is definitely not possible to live a life of peace, serenity and optimal calm when you are so stressed.
So, how can you return to this sense of peace, calm, creativity and optimal living? The easiest and most pleasant way I have found is through meditation. There is something about taking a mental time out that not only grounds you but brings you back to the present.
Creativity, serenity and peace are present moment states of being; you won’t find them while regretting about the past or worrying about the future. Taking a sacred pause creates a space to allow you to remember who you really are. In the day to day stresses, we forget who we truly are.
What I hear so often is one of three resistances to meditation:
1. I don’t know how to meditate;
2. I don’t think I am doing it correctly;
3. I don’t have the time to meditate.
I will address these resistances – and that’s all they are. Resistances are excuses your subconscious mind comes up with to keep you doing what is familiar – and that’s being stressed. Yes, at first your subconscious mind will go kicking and screaming to try something new and unfamiliar. But with consistent practice, you and your subconscious mind will develop a rhythm that will become habit.
There is no such thing as not knowing how to meditate; if you know how to breathe and count, then you know how to meditate. It doesn’t have to be upper crust, two-hour Zen meditation. Just sit still and count your breaths up to twenty. This is where to start. Take long, slow, deep breaths while mentally counting to twenty. There, you have just meditated!
When you think you are not doing it right, you are comparing your practice to someone else’s. Just create your own practice! And yes, your thoughts will surface. They must; that is how your mind works. But your mind cannot consciously entertain two thoughts at the same time. That is why mentally counting can eliminate that problem. When you mentally count as you deeply breathe, you mind will not become flooded with all those nasty little thoughts. Part of the problem is we try to empty the mind. Well, the mind cannot be emptied, so stop trying!
Then there is the old favorite: “I don’t have the time!” Well, you have the time for what you make the time for. Keep going at your current pace and when you drop from some physical illness, I’ll bet you will find the time for that! Now, I’m not trying to frighten you, but if you continue at the rate you are going now, something much more frightening than my words will come to pay you an unexpected and most unwanted visit.
You do have the time; but because of your resistances, you believe that you don’t. I share with my clients and students to take sacred pauses during your water moments. Several times a day, you have water moments: you go to the restroom, you flush the toilet, you wash your hands and face, you take a shower, you wash dishes or run your dishwasher, you water your plants, you wash something, or you drink water throughout the day.
At those moments, simply STOP, take three deep breaths and thank the Universe for the gift of the water. This little meditative practice not only slows you down to take a sacred pause, it brings you back to this present moment and it reminds you of the sacredness of one of our most precious resources, and to be grateful! This is a powerful little meditative exercise and it takes no time at all.
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As a Spiritual Animator, Author and Advocate, Carolyn Townes has been teaching, coaching and facilitating workshops for over a decade in the areas of women’s wellness. Founder of Spirit Women Institute, she is dedicated to empowering and encouraging women to lead lives of peace and prosperity, journeying with those going through difficult life transitions.
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