meditation for a busy life

A few weeks ago my sister was telling me how much better she has been doing/feeling because I inspired her to do more meditation. I have to say I was really jealous. I have not been able to do the kind of meditation I have wanted to for too long.  I am a mom, wife, small business owner (well, small business starter really) we just moved to a new town and although I have been able to meet some great people I am still working at building a local "tribe".

So I was really excited when I found a few great resources to make the meditation experience new and exciting for me.  ONe of which is an awesome Yoga Instructor whose class I get to at least once a week (2 times a week if I am not preaching or teaching)  Another great resource was even a free kindle book!  So I have decided to test some of these out - over the next few months leading up to Christmas.  Meditation for the busy world/life.  Granted I am starting out with some knowledge and skills I am not sure if that is going to be a help or a hindrance (e.g. I would like to meditate for at least 40 minutes rather than just 10-20).

What I have learned so far is that 20 is really enough to get some good benefit.  However, if one does too much less then the benefit dramatically decreases.  I started my favorite technique the other day with some breath work.  I have yet to be disappointed with this simple technique.

Place your feet flat on the floor and sit up straight with hands resting on your thighs, palms up (for most meditations I like just being in a comfortable position, but this one works wonders for your posture and diaphragm.  Allow our shoulders to drop away from your ears and begin to breathe in the following pattern. Breathe in for the count of 4, hold for 8 counts and breath out for the count of 10.  (you may find other references give different numbers, so do what works best for you, but I challenge you to hold for longer than your intake of breath and exhale at least twice as long as the intake).  Try this for 5 or 10 minutes and wok our way up to 20 minutes.

This is one of the ones I like to do right before bed - I can breathe away the cares of the day.  How often do I remember to do it?  Not enough (like once every few weeks)  One would think that the results I get are so wonderful of course I would remember, but the reality is, this meditation stuff is still getting going in fits and starts, and although I know how great it is and I see how it changes my life, it it still hard.

For the next week, every night I am doing this specific meditation.

The First Lesson - Breathe

Friedrich Nietzche is credited with saying, "There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophies".  In the past few years of studying Healing Touch www.healingtouchinternational.org and continuing in my work as a pastor and Spiritual Director, I have come to understand a little better the deep profoundness of this statement.

So as this journey continues I continue to find new ways of exploring this mindfulness.  And I continue to find how much more I can learn (isn't that just the way it goes). 

I have been teaching a class recently on listening to our bodies and how that can shape the way we live into who we are created to be.  Each of us with different visions of our future, different gifts and passions and yet so intimately connected to each other and the world around us.  It has been fascinating to learn how each different person grows and changes as they learn to listen to their own intuition and physical responses.

I am still learning to listen and interpret my own responses - it is sometimes harder to see what it right in front of you.  For over a decade, I have been preaching and leading worship services in Christian communities. I love Public Speaking.  I do not love preparing.  Every week that I work on a "sermon" I literally make myself sick.  My body starts to shut down, I get really tired stressed out, for many years I would get migraines.  And yet I totally feel called to the work.

What I have found is that I have not been called to the box/framework of the traditional preaching system.  Let me teach a class and I get really excited.  Why is that that I just can't get my mind in the framework when I prepare a sermon?  Because I am so connected to expectations.  There are some weeks that I can let it go and just be me - those weeks ROCK.  However, and this is not an excuse but a realization, I am human and until I can learn how to be present in who I am created to be (in the image of God) all the time listening to my inner spirit, connected to where God leads me, then my body will step in and cramp up and make me feel like I am physically sitting in a tiny box with very little oxygen.

So my lesson on listening to my body today is breathe - which really is the first lesson in so many body practices isn't it.  Just breathe.

P.S. - a few extra reminders
"I am fearfully and wonderfully made" - Psalm 139:14
"In the image of God"  - Genesis 1:27