Reflections on Meditation
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Within the Yoga I teach - both Mat & Chair, I also teach Meditation. Often people have said, "I can't Meditate," or "Meditation is not for me," but I have never really pondered on that idea. I have assumed that if they finally sit in stillness, they will grow to like it.
…and then while exploring Substack a blogging platform, I came across a piece of writing by 'The Therapist who came undone' called ‘Whatever you do , don’t tell me to Meditate’ …and so here are a few of my reflections on why I still think that Meditation is worth exploring.
As I read through the article, I found myself struck by the author's candid honesty about her emotions that rise in the quiet …. and not even while meditating. I loved the sentence “ It rises in the quiet in the spaces between motion, purpose and exhaustion.” I was immediately taken back to my young adulthood in the 1970’s when Sunday nights became a time of rising anxiety - fun of the weekend over, the school week ahead, Sunday dinner finished, nothing on the three TV channels and homework still looming.
In our fast-paced social media world, where distractions are even more abundant and moments of quiet are rare or can be avoided, meditation offers an opportunity to notice the butterflies in our stomach, the random thoughts coming and going, tension in the shoulders. I think of my mind being like a stirred up muddy pond and as I sit quietly ( it doesn’t have to be crossed legged! ) the mud starts to settle and I can see and think more clearly. I try and acknowledge those feelings without judgment, allowing them space to exist. Not always a comfortable experience but if you don’t recognise and acknowledge uncomfortable feelings they will still pop up at random moments - and maybe at a less convenient time!
During my own daily Yoga & Meditation Practice, I delve into my own experiences with finding peace in stillness ( not always easy) and then share some of these practices during the classes I teach. I hope some might resonate with others but all with the intention that stillness can be a place to explore our inner landscapes, find peace and connection and a space for reflection….