Dear Friend,
Welcome
I appreciate your interest in Meeting Your Inner Buddha. Have you meditated before? What do you think? Is it a practice that you continue? Meditation has been a practice of mine for the past 36
years.
Meditation Journey
When I met my husband, Thom, he had been meditating daily for several years. I had meditated a little, but I would not have claimed to have a consistent practice. After we were together a few months, one of his first gifts was a purple sitting cushion called a zafu. I thought to myself, “Well, it’s the right color, at least.” It was such a sweet gift, but I had not made a commitment to the process yet.
A couple months later, Thom invited me to a meditation retreat at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre Massachusetts. I had no idea that it was a silent retreat. Could he not tell that I was an extrovert? It took a while for me to understand why people would go to a retreat and not talk to anyone or try to make new friends. It was a bit traumatic. I really liked this guy but taking me away to a place where no one even makes eye contact was a bit much.
The plane ride home was very different. Even though I was questioning his judgment about a place where no one talked to me, I was feeling very Zen. My mind was calm, and my body was without tension. The feelings of calm lasted for several days. This was the beginning of my meditation journey. Whenever I sit in meditation for even a short time, I find my mind to be clearer and my body more relaxed.
Mental Health & Meditations
Meditation is a great practice to support your mental health. Meditation is simply the practice of slowing down, focusing the mind, and trying to create unattached curiosity around the thoughts that travel in and out of our minds. There may be no stated goal, but there sure is a benefit: a sense of concentration, calmness, and peace. These can improve mental health, give clarity, and help us focus.
Types of Meditations
If you are anything like me, you experience stress and anxiety. Meditation is one of the best mindfulness practices to help alleviate intense feelings when they arise when we should be resting and ready.
There are different types of meditation. All meditations are not about sitting in silence while not thinking. There are different types of meditation to fit your personality type. There is the mantra, mindfulness, guided, Qi gong, Tai chi, Yoga, and walks in nature without distraction. Meditation can be formal or informal. The best part is that no version of it is better than the other, and some form will work for you.
Who Benefits from Meditation?
Meditation is good for everyone. Children are being taught to be mindful of their thoughts in schools. Our son Brendan was taught meditation to help regulate his emotions as a child. I’ve used mindfulness and guided meditation to help clients with anger and anxiety issues. I call Mindfulness Painting, meditation with a paintbrush because focusing on the brush and following the movement is an act of mindfulness. Bodywork requires focusing and concentration. Meditation is used in many forms during everyday life.
Interested in an Online Weekly Meditation?
Is anyone interested in attending a regular online meditation group this fall? I’m thinking Tuesday mornings at 10:00 AM on Zoom starting September, 2023. Let me know in the comments or email me at Jody@mindfulnesspainting.com.
Changes for the Summer
I hope you enjoyed it and learned something from my Blog. I will be taking a Summer break and posting only once per month in July & August. I will continue to post weekly until the end of June.
Have a wonderful week. Stay Safe. Be Kind. Be Brave. Love Big.
Creatively yours,
