The Power of Meditation

As I sit down each morning for my daily meditation I try to keep an open mind as to receive whatever needs to be received. Some days are more challenging than others. There are times I am disturbed by whatever comes into my mind. Some days I cannot find a comfortable seat and find myself wiggling and opening my eyes to check the time. Other days I feel I could sit there forever feeling such peace and love. Whatever the experience I remind myself this is a journey and stay committed. I have also found that no matter the experience of my meditation I can go about my day with more strength and joy. I have been finding myself feeling more connected others including the ones that have felt separate from me. The other day I experienced the most powerful meditation within my practice yet and I realize if I don't share it, it can easily slip away into the abyss.

I was repeating a mantra in my mind and focusing on the space in between the end of the mantra and the beginning of the mantra. It's a space of nothingness, a space of purity. As I focused on this space repeating the mantra I felt butterflies in my stomach. You know the kind when your excited to go to Disney Land as kid or the kind when your falling in love? It was a feeling of pure joy and love. It started to build and build! I almost couldn't take it. Then, just as I recognized it and named it, it disappeared. For the duration of my mediation I kept trying to get back to that space but couldn't.

Toward the end of the meditation images of people I felt incomplete with or people I felt disconnected to flooded my mind. I found myself getting upset. They were ruining my meditation! Just as I started to focus back to the mantra the bell rang. The time I set aside for mediation was complete. I opened my eyes and contemplated what had just happened.

Then it hit me! Those that I described as ruining my meditation were me! Yes, they were people I know but all representing a piece of me that I have not been complete with. They are all a reflection of me! When I project anger or upset toward them I am projecting it onto pieces of me I don't like or have not forgiven myself for. It became clear there is no one else out there. As a yoga teacher I teach everything is connected. Logically I understand this and have even felt it but this was different. I really got the unity of human beings. When I got "they are me", I filled with compassion and forgiveness for myself. In return, I could feel nothing but love and compassion for them. Just then, the feeling of purity and love I kept trying to get back to in my meditation returned.

By practicing this awareness my world has shifted. However sharing is the key...

If you find it challenging to sit and meditate know you are no different than anyone else. We all are challenged in this practice. It takes work to sit there and be with yourself but it gets easier. I share this experience with you for two reasons.  1. to not lose it myself
2. to encourage you to meditate so that you too can experience this kind of bliss.

Happy meditating and Namaste.