Meditation for the Ills of the Mind

Do you have a meditation practice of sitting still, perhaps cross legged on a pillow, and observing your mind, thoughts and emotions? I’ve been practicing for years, but sometimes I fall out of practice.

I had recently gone through a couple of weeks of feeling anxious and unhappy. I noticed my mind going to recurring unpleasant thoughts that I didn’t want to have. I tried telling myself “cancel” or “gone” but that was only helping marginally. Finally I got around to boosting my daily meditation practice to a couple of times per day. That was cause for a real shift towards feeling happy.

I’ve been trained in Buddhist meditation for many years. I love it, frankly. I’ve been on several long meditation retreats and in my mid twenties traveled to India and lived amongst the cave dwelling swamis in the Himalayas. At that time, an energy burned like a flame within my heart. I know from experience that meditation can do a great deal to transform our lives in a healthy way and re-connect us to our spiritual source. It takes a bit of effort and dedication. It is also a practice that is easy to neglect or forget.

I also get a free daily guided meditation emailed to me from Rich German. It’s a good reminder and helps me get into it each day.

Since I’ve made a re-commitment to meditation. I have been having a lot more fun. I”m happier and drawing more pleasant experiences to me. I think there may be something about this time period, of change and upheaval, that calls for meditation even more. I’m feeling confident these days that I can soak it all in, be with the experience and still find a spacious peaceful state within.

Summer Solstice 2009

The summer solstice will occur here in Arizona at 10:45 PM MST on June 20th. That will be 1:45 AM EDT for the east coast.

The solstice may be a time of bringing in new energies. If you have been held back for some time, this solstice may provide a download of information and stimulate your creativity. The upcoming eclipses in July will only serve to amplify this energy pattern.

The solar eclipse of July 22 will be a total solar eclipse visible in parts of South East Asia and the Pacific.

There will be a Penumbral (partial) Lunar Eclipse on the 7th of July.

The Pursuit of Happiness

It takes real courage these day to pursue happiness. I hear it said that there is little time in the day to pursue real happiness. What has happened to our society that we have become so detached from our true sense of happiness and well-being?

As our world changes, our economic system and generally the way we see the world, the dissatisfaction with the old world becomes more and more apparent. Bankers have become villains and people are disillusioned about their corporate jobs, especially after they don’t have them any longer. What is the answer?

I believe there has been a disconnect in our society for many years and decades. The general population has lost a sense of who they truly are. We’ve been taught from childhood that we have to find jobs, and support our material world, three-dimensional reality. Unfortunately that reality doesn’t seem to fit as well any longer. Something within tells us there is a better way of being.

What is needed is the next step in human evolution. As the new energy lifts the vibrational nature of planet earth, it demands that we seek to actualize our true selves. The internal dissonance has become too painful for many of us. We must discover who we are, and give every effort in becoming who that true person within is. For some of us, there is no turning back. It is time to BE our authentic selves in the world.

It is a spiritual question, this pursuit of happiness. Happiness requires that our internal world exists in harmony with our outer world. It may take some work and self discovery, but I am convinced that the universe is conspiring to allow us to be happy. We just have to learn to trust and let it be. So, define who it is you truly want to be, and begin to practice being you.