Thoughts on meditation

The weekly well-being practice this week is meditation and it is one of my favorites. To be completely transparent, I do not have a well-developed daily or weekly practice. Perhaps the fact that it is so absent in my life is why I look forward to the practice. It is all too regular for me to sit with my noisy thoughts pinging around the inside of my skull and feeling helpless to control them. Sometimes my thoughts are represented by great ideas, yet other times they can be very dark and stress-inducing. Ask Abby she'll tell you her thoughts on my thoughts...or don't it's a scary place in there.

The problem for me is that I find it very difficult to push the distractions aside and find focus or intent. This last Friday, I had the opportunity to listen to Millika Chopra who is the daughter of Deepak Chopra. To some, he is known as the godfather of meditation with in the United States. His daughter has written a series of children's books that are meant to help children effectively learn to work on the mental, physical, and emotional demands of being a child in today's world. After listening to her wonderful presentation, I decided I would read her book titled, "Just Breathe," as part of my meditation practice this week. Even though it is a children's book it is perfect for my purpose of understanding meditation in a healthy and productive way.

One of the common misconceptions surrounding meditation is that it is meant to quiet your mind, put you into a state of ethereal bliss, or help you discover the secrets of the world. These things may happen...but they are not the intention. Your body and mind help you process the information that surrounds you. When that stops happening we are presented with situations that represent times of struggle, strife, feelings of discontent, a general state dissatisfaction. Finding a way to sit with all that information and begin to process it is one way we can take charge of our life. We begin to work with the things that we are directly in control of. The challenge for me is to make space to work through the noise. It is significantly difficult for me, but when I apply myself to the process I find that I become much more purposeful with my efforts. I sleep better because my intentions are that much clearer. My decision-making process is planned and structured. My mindset, my internal compass, is much more closely aligned with my actions. In general, I am just a much happier person.

The practice of meditation is not an easy one. I have had the distinct fortune to receive guidance from a number of great individuals, but despite that guidance I still need help. Tonight I hope to share this opportunity with all of you. Under Madison's guidance, I am sure you'll walk away with some great practice that at the very least will help you meet your commitment to our weekly well-being practice. Hopefully, it will light a fire of interest and desire for you to make more space to work through all the noise that fills our world today.

Let us know you are coming by clicking this link, https://cfnoboundaries.sites.zenplanner.com/event.cfm?eventId=56F394B1-99D2-4C3F-AB24-87770B48C7DA

Do you have a friend that's interested, but is not participating in the Whole Life Challenge?

That's cool because we're cool...have them sign up with you. The cost is $10.

See you tonight.

-J

P.S. Check back tomorrow for details on our new program offering.