What or who are you listening to these days? The media, your friends, family members, general populace? For your own sake and the sanity of those closest to you, the only one you need to get in touch with, is YOU! When was the last time you got in a room by yourself, shut off the lights, got into a comfy chair, perhaps put on some soothing music and lit a candle? When is the last time you closed your eyes and really quieted your mind? What are you waiting for? Time? All you need is about 10 minutes a day, that's all. You say you don't have even 10 minutes? Guess what? You do! Get up 10 minutes earlier or get ready for bed 10 minutes earlier, but you do have at least 10 minutes. It's important to get in touch with that inner voice, you know, the one that whispers from time to time, just checking in, sometimes warning you to not take that road or say that word, or cautions you to love yourself a bit more. Yup, that voice. The one that yearns to talk to you, tell you that it's all going to be alright, the one that guides you to take that chance, that tells you, that you are enough….. as you are,…. right now…. in this moment! That voice of reason, affection, love, grace. This is my reason for..... (yup that word).... MEDITATION!
Meditation is the one thing I look forward to each morning. For me it means getting up at 4:45am, getting in my comfy chair, lighting a candle, putting in my ear buds and listening to soothing gentle music and just being. I spend about 25-30 minutes in deep meditation each day. Sometimes I am visualizing what I want, sometimes just repeating a mantra, or sometimes just sitting in quiet stillness with not a thought coming in, or if one does drift in, I recognize it and let it go, and back out it drifts. It's a practice I took up sporadically a few years ago, but which now is a daily, sanity providing practice that puts a whole lot of life into perspective. It is in this solitude that I listen to my inner voice, my connection to Source, my inspiration, my daily guiding light that calms my 'monkey brain', keeps me focused on my purpose, helps me to see the beauty in my surroundings and yes, keeps me sane in what seems to be an insane world.
If you haven't tried to meditate, give it a chance or take classes. It's really easy and once you get the hang of it, you will find that it provides that grace, peace and joy that we long for in a world that seems to have lost it's way. Namaste.