Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Posted on
March 17, 2025
The thought that your year-long journey of mindfulness meditation and journaling practice will reveal to you your hidden aptitudes and possibilities thrills me.
You have ten bountiful months remaining to fulfill your goals. External events will not actualize them. Only your inner resolve will bring about the changes you intend. Your intentions may not unfold exactly the way you imagine them but one thing is certain, by the end of the year mindfulness would have helped you grow happier, kinder and wiser.
To grow into a better person the following attitudes toward meditation are essential during your practice:
- Sit as though you have the whole day to meditate.
- Relax, breathe naturally, and let the breath be your teacher. Follow it wherever it leads you. Suspend any opinions and judgements.
- Don’t expect anything. Whatever comes let it come. If good mental images arise that is fine. If bad mental images arise that is fine too.
- Be gentle with yourself. Accept everything about yourself, good and bad. Accept all the feelings that arise whether you hate them or love them. Learn to see everything in the mind as being natural and understandable.
- Question everything. Don’t believe anything that sounds wise and spiritual. Test for yourself. Let the results of your mindfulness meditation and journaling practice be your guide to authenticity and truth.
At first these unfamiliar attitudes may feel forced. But with practice they will feel more natural.
Lorraine
I’m learning to accept all the feelings that arise. Some are uncomfortable to sit with, but accepting them takes the edge off. Sitting in meditation is beginning to feel natural.
Donna Lucas
It is so hard to accept all the feelings, but I know they are impermanent. I take comfort that not everything lasts forever. Hmm… Nothing lasts forever. Mindfulness helps me better accept this temporary life in which joys and sorrows will continue to come and go.
Madhu B. Wangu
Learning to accept ALL the feelings— comfortable as well as uncomfortable and going through them instead going around them is the only way to eventually connect deeply with your Authentic Self,.
Thanks for your comments, Lorraine and Donna!
Jenn Diamond
Dear Madhu, “Don’t expect anything…” this one catches me every once in a while because I’ve had two or three instances of a levitation-feeling while meditating and I crave to experience it again. Even though I know I shouldn’t chase it, I still have to remind myself to simply enjoy each and every meditation session without expectations. Thank you!
Madhu B. Wangu
Love to hear about your experiences, Jenn! May you have many more of these! And yes, please don’t “chase” them.