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~I invite you to listen to the audio version shared above, where a guided meditation is provided that follows what is shared below in the text.
If we are traveling on a bumpy, washboarded road, or a road with endless potholes, not only do we have to stay vigilant while we drive, but we also are constantly being unsettled in our seat, not able to rest, relax or think about anything beyond not bumping our head, not veering off the road or damaging our vehicle. This is survival mode. And it is exhausting.
The brain’s energy and blood flow work the same way. They are finite and can only provide so much at any given time. Where we place our attention is where that energy, and thus blood flow, goes, and that means other parts of the brain, parts that we need for creativity, for remaining calm, or feeling happy, receive less attention.
Meditation becomes the steering wheel of how and where we direct our attention, how we direct our mind. And when we are knowledgeable about how the steering wheel works, when we have learned the skill of noticing, stepping back, and continuing to breathe steadily, then we gain the ability to redirect our mind to what would be constructive. Dr. Rick Hanson shares in his book Buddha’s Brain that as a result of learning and applying the practice of meditation, we “become more productive, pay better attention, heal faster, and feel less stressed.” During our daily sessions of meditation, a compact moment of three to five to ten minutes, we are essentially pressure testing our attention in order to strengthen it. It is this purposeful pressure that we apply that changes the brain’s natural survival tendencies. And over time, we change our brain in positive ways that improve the quality of our life.
Let’s begin . . .
~To conclude each meditation session, I encourage you to recite a mantra of your choosing and design. In the Contentment Masterclass, I share my example, which you are welcome to use, tweak, or look to as a template to design your own. Also provided to enrollees of the course is a free trial of the guided meditation app I use.
Click here to listen/read the previous Méditation in the series.
No. 45 — Cleaning the Lens
SIMILAR POSTS YOU MIGHT ENJOY
~Learn more about TSLL’s Contentment Masterclass: Discover the benefits of Meditation, which is included in the detailed syllabus shared here, watch the trailer, and read student reviews.
~Comments will be turned off for Meditation posts as you cultivate a practice guided by what you need and your journey to cultivating inner peace and aligning with your true self.
