I have been practicing some form of daily meditation for 20 years, and I always recommend it to my Spiritual Direction clients as a critical component of quieting the mind and creating a space within which the "still small voice" of the Divine might be heard.

I've discovered that many people are intimidated by the idea of meditation.

As my daughter Kim mentioned in a previous article, sitting still and attempting to empty the mind can produce frustration and even anxiety as the beginning meditator becomes aware of the mind's steady stream of judgment, worry, rumination and other worthless material.

The "monkey mind" jumps from topic to topic, image to image, with no apparent influence from the conscious self. Unfortunately, this chaotic state is "normal" for many people in western culture who are usually too busy to notice. Observing this process in action for the first time can be quite overwhelming--but it is also the beginning of true change, so it's important to find a way to hang on through the difficult beginning.

Giving the mind a task during meditation is an excellent way to bypass the inner chatter and even induce some calm.

My longest running meditation method involves focusing on a sacred word or phrase. Choose a phrase that arises out of a long-standing tradition. In this way, you enhance the power of your own practice by connecting energetically with the thousands of people throughout the years who have focused on the sacred in this way.

Some examples of sacred words and phrases include: Jesus, Allah, Lord, Ave Maria, She Who Hears the Cries of the World, Rama...Consider your phrase carefully as it will build in power over time. You don't want to keep changing your sacred word or it will not have the long term impact of a well-chosen, oft-returned to mantram.

Take your sacred word into your meditation time. Each time you notice your mind begin to wander (and this will be often, especially at first) come back to your sacred word. Over and over and over.

Do not worry about your mind's tendency to wander away from your intended focus. Noticing that wandering and re-directing it is the whole point of meditation. It's like weight training--you are building a new muscle.

I used to be distressed at how often I had to pull myself back to my center during meditation until I heard someone say that, each time we make that choice to come back, we are saying to the Divine, "I love you." Meditation truly is mind training, training the mind again and again to return to what is essential and true.

My next message will discuss how to expand your use of the mantram into your life moment to moment. Until then, peace to you.

Mary Lou Schneider, Spiritual Director
www.findsforseekers.com

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