I first heard about meditation when I was about 13-years-old. It was the 70s, and an older twenty-something family friend had started to do “transcendental meditation”. To me that made her closer to The Beatles, so naturally I was mesmerized. To my mother, however, it seemed like some strange form of cultish magic. I couldn’t resist.
But the idea of going to some guy to have him pluck out a mantra selected especially for me didn’t feel right. I sat on pillows repeating the word “om” and never got much, except a sore bum. Eventually I gave up.
My friend however, stuck with it. Twice a day for 20-minutes. Religiously, she would laugh. I did notice she was calmer, and I well, wasn’t.
I left it alone for years, but it niggled in my brain regardless. Yoga drew me back in briefly and I considered creating a small shrine in my bedroom to give me something to focus on. My husband of the day didn’t care for that idea, and once again, my bum got sore.
Finally I was introduced to a completely different concept. That meditation doesn’t have to look like anything in particular – it’s about what it feels like and where it takes my consciousness.
With the idea of finding the perfect form released from my mind, I gave myself permission to discover what was right for me. The result today is that my form of meditation is more like contemplation. I read spiritually uplifting material, sometimes write, and then end with an affirmative prayer. Sometimes I play music, sometimes I sing. Sometimes I release tears of joy, sometimes my breath deepens. Sometimes I get new insights into old ideas. I don’t set a clock, except an internal one which tells me when my consciousness has been elevated to a state (however temporary) of inner balance and peace.
In these pages I’ve written some affirmative prayers that may work for you, or may not. Either way, if you are interested in exploring your deeper spiritual side, I encourage you to develop a personal spiritual practice that will take you there.
Use my words, as your own, if you choose.
