Meditation & Eclectic Spirituality, Volume 5

As a follow-up to Sunburned: A Blog Series About Spirituality that I wrote while doing some research for War & Grace, the final installment in my epic fantasy trilogy Daughter of Light, I've been posting links to articles about meditation (and spirituality) from around the web every Friday. I only have one link in this volume, but it's interesting one.

Enjoy!

Meditation May Not Be Giving You the Creative Spark You Think It Does: In this 4 minute video, Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist, presents the argument that the ability to focus doesn't necessarily relate to creativity; rather we need to extend our mindfulness to "go back in and make meaning out of that experience" that we're experiencing/observing in the external world.

For me, this concept really speaks to the limitation of "single-point focus" as the definition of meditation, and why I personally don't practice it. I prefer my "wabi-sabi" meditation as a dynamic integration of both internal and external states. When I was first exposed to meditation, I thought to do it "correctly" I had to focus on a mantra or your breath or an image. However, that came to feel oppressive, so I quit. However, whenever I sat and allowed myself to wander my body/mind without restraint, my meditation experiences became more powerful and more restorative ... and more inviting.

It took me awhile to outright reject what I understood to be "traditional" meditation practices. Although I don't implement the journalling element of his work, Jason Siff's book Unlearning Meditation helped me wash away whatever residue of meditation instruction remained, so that I could commit to a daily practice that is full and rich with inner and outer resonance, embark on a journey akin to metaphysical whitewater rafting.

I hope as more people experiment with meditation, more open-minded concepts of what meditation is and what it can achieve will flourish.

If you'd like to submit a link for a Friday post, please email me at Heidi _ g @ comcast . net, thanks!

Meditation & Eclectic Spirituality, Volume 4

As a follow-up to Sunburned: A Blog Series About Spirituality that I wrote while doing some research for War & Grace, the final installment in my epic fantasy trilogy Daughter of Light, I'll be posting links to articles about meditation (and spirituality) from around the web every Friday.

Enjoy!

A Case for Meditation in Schools: Aguirre's conclusion to this opinion piece is quite powerful:

When we are able through meditation to take the time to love ourselves, we stop looking to the world for love and find it within. Through self-love and awareness, there is no longer a need to inflict your emotional pain upon others, as it becomes easier to view yourself in others, and realize that hurting others is hurting oneself.

These Meditation Hacks Will Calm You Without Complicating Your Day: The power of hugs and paying attention.

9 ways to make meditation a daily habit: Chock full of pragmatic tips and insights on committing to a daily meditation practice, my top three are: 1. Scale Back When You Need To, it's more important to sit for a few minutes daily than to enforce some arbitrary pre-determined time goal. 2. Remember It's Not Magic, it won't solve your problems, what it will do is connect you with your mind and body in a such a way that expands your power to discern authentic, creative, and effective options. 3. Enjoy the Journey, because once you embark upon it, you might just find it's a fascinating one.

A meditation on meditation: Learning it, hating it, needing it: Chronicles the power of unraveling meditation expectations ...

What I Learned from David Bowie's Meditation Teacher: Meditation comes with a lot of baggage, i.e. ideas of what should/or will happen to us if we do it. A brief share on dropping a suitcase.

What Meditation, Yoga, & Prayer Can Do To The Human Body: The mind and body are one.

Yoga, meditation can reduce healthcare costs by 43%: The mind-body connection and your budget.

If you'd like to submit a link for a Friday post, please email me at Heidi _ g @ comcast . net, thanks!

Meditation & Eclectic Spirituality, Volume 3

As a follow-up to Sunburned: A Blog Series About Spirituality that I wrote while doing some research for War & Grace, the final installment in my epic fantasy trilogy Daughter of Light,  I'll be posting links to articles about meditation (and spirituality) from around the web every Friday.

Enjoy!

Want to reduce anxiety, and increase cognitive ability and memory? Try meditation: Three great points here: The discipline of a meditation practice is to your brain as the discipline of working out is to your body; you must experience meditation in order to comprehend it; getting curious about yourself is an asset to any meditation practice.

Meditation Bar: I'm probably partial, having lived in Austin, TX twice and experienced something of my own "spiritual awakening" there, but this concept of a meditation bar is truly cool!

Why Companies Worldwide are Embracing Meditation: Not just for companies and monasteries, prisons are also realizing benefits by supporting meditation practice.

Clear Your Mind and Get Some Exercise With Walking Meditation: I practiced "walking meditation" daily for about ten years, and am a big fan.

Adult Coloring: the new meditation?: I've practiced this form of "meditation" as well and found it to be really effective. As with walking, the body-mind falls into a gentle, steady rhythm that seems conducive to fresh insights, off-loading stress, and eliciting simple joy. Beware: Some of the newer "adult" coloring books feature patterns that are so intricate and tiny, it's hardly possible to settle into a rhythm that can make this method so effective.

The big chill: Periscope is changing how people meditate: Wow! I've never been on Periscope before, but this article is enticing. I'm going to have to check it out!

Could meditation really help slow the ageing process?: Can "turning one’s attention towards unpleasant physical and mental experiences in a spirit of nonjudgmental acceptance" lengthen your telomeres?

If you'd like to submit a link for a Friday post, please email me at Heidi _ g @ comcast . net, thanks!