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I am a mantra meditator. The most helpful book to me in this regard has been Healing Mantras by Thomas Ashley-Farrand. Over the past 15 years or so, I've used four or five different mantras discussed in this book, for different purposes. Right now I'm alternating a Hindu mantra to Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity which I did intensively for about nine months) and a personal affirmation. I will start one and then find myself doing the other so I just go with the flow. If the other wants to come up, I switch to it.
I most prefer to chant my mantras (actually singing them), which enables me to give full attention to the mantra without intruding thoughts. I like to doso with walking, but I'm not able to walk often and when I do, at the Reservoir, behind my senior housing building, I get self-conscious when passing people, so I revert to an inner mantra every time someone passes.
However there are time periods, including the past two weeks, when I don't feel well and don't have the energy or motivation, and it takes a bit of effort to return to my meditation.
But having chanted the Hindu mantra for at least 15 minutes a day for most of a year, I find that I only need to chant or meditate with it now about three or four times in as row (it's fairly long - I can do three in a minute) for my body to feel a rush of positive energy and wellbeing and some connection with my Source.
During the Oct. 16th class meditation I wanted to share the direction my meditation took. My focus object was a ceramic turtle. and the insight I got, which had never occurred to me was that turtles lay their eggs on the beach. I then realized, for the first time, that the beach is a liminal space. where ocean and land, water and earth, meet. I grew up in Southern California and spent much time on the beach as a young child. and have always felt connected to the ocean and miss it not living right there now. it might be interesting some day to visit a beach somewhere. if I can find a quiet deserted non crowded one. if that is even possible. and to sit and contemplate what it being there feels like from the perspective of a liminal space.
I want to mention I have always seen myself as inhabiting the gray areas, the blurred lines , not completely fitting into specific "boxes".
SUFI MORNING PRAYER(received from Sufi Way)
Give praise, my soul, to the light of this day and to the life it gives us — let me not forget or turn away!
Give praise to the warmth of the sun on the hills and on my window, to my body waking and my humming skin, for the length and stretch of my legs and the atoms within!
Praise to the the luminous womb birthing all this, the luminous and how it comes to be, unknown to me!
Beloved of light and space, you that make the now, inexplicable now — praise you and your coming out of nothing, endlessly!
Great luminous mother of time, mother of all, bless us, living and dying, appearing and disappearing, gladness too and the breathing earth around me! All!
My neighbor at his table, the mouse nibbling in the shed, the birds gliding and landing in the branches, and beyond, far across the world the great human cities churning with commerce and friendliness!
Oh praise and bless all the ordinary, trivial moments happening everywhere! Let me not forget!
Ecstasy inside the mountain, quiet and aflame, praise you! Ecstasy of the allurement of things, of gravity, ecstasy of woman and man, of morning light and the evening to come!
Oh praise the goodness of love and of helpful persons everywhere! This day, let me not forget!
Days to Breathe a practice I started in October is days I call
Days to Breathe or sometimes Days for me.
I have a tendency to overschedule to the point most days in a month are booked. often with events either virtual or in person involving people.
this has to stop.
I have more creative energy, slow down mentally, am more focused, my stress is down, not as much chance of a migraine, and more anxiety-free when I have a week with a lot of days tha have nothing pre planned, committed, registered or promised.
I cannot put a lot of unscheduled days into most weeks. because I also love to grow and challenge myself/push my edges a lot/dare myself/need stimulation. so I need the scheduled days too.
I started in October to try if I can to write in and reserve two days each week.
this happened after a mild encounter with COVID in September (just cold like but persistent and reluctant to leave) showed me the need to rest and do self care and not act at 67 (68 in March!!!) as if i were 27.
This week I had two of these days off. yesterday Sunday the 2nd. today Monday the 3rd. important especially a day before working at the polls from 6 am to 9 pm, which stretches my limits and actually goes beyond them. The intense constant contact with people (I am a strong introvert), having to think and respond fast (I am best when I can set my own pace), a lot of conversational flow (I must always consciously mitigate my tendency to talk fast and accidentally start to talk over until I stop myself and apologize and the tireder I get the less energy I have to modify this habit), the amount of input coming in, and inabiility to stop away except briefly in order to decharge.
But I do it because; it is needed. I do get paid and in retirement every bit of money helps. and I get a buzz from having done it successfully. And get an emotional lift from having made a difference.
So there has to be a balance: time on. Time off.
And the time off days so far: have not only made me feel I could breathe. but unexpectedly. made me feel cared for . because I am caring for myself, and awakened my creative flame, curiosity.
The trick is, when I do feel more energy in response to these, to not go in the other direction and overbook.
I wonder sometimes if I overschedule to avoid the strong feelings I get when I am in the creative flow? even positive feelings can be scary. but that is a question for another day.
You all have a great day and week and if you are in the US and have an election, try to vote if you feel so moved.
For me it is counting on inbreathe/and longer count on outbreath. I find it very calming.
Equal in and out I find helpful when trying to wait in a situation where I cannot do anything. Like volunteering at a blood drive and no activity/have to just wait and do nothing. Focusing on breath creates input and stimulation and also grounds in my body but does not distract.