Missing Meditation // Meditation Journal
It’s now been over two weeks since I last set aside time for meditation and, though this might be all conjecture, I think I’m starting to feel the effects!
Despite being on a pretty good roll of meditating at least twice a week for a few weeks, I didn’t meditate at all on vacation or since I’ve been back :(
Aside from the pure joy of my trip, I’ve been more stressed and indecisive, and my mind’s been way more erratic and all over the place! It’s true that I’ve been extra busy at work and have had a lot going on personally (nothing bad, though!), but I think I can attribute some of this to my lack of meditation lately.
Needless to say, I’ll be setting aside some time to meditate on Saturday morning, when I can get some peace and quiet :)
I wanna know // Do you meditate? // How’s your life different when you’re missing something?
Namaste,
Tiera
Meditation Journal: Godless Meditation
For a lot of people, meditation is a religious practice.
In fact, when I first started meditation, I actually saw it as a religious thing, and considered it a type of prayer.
But for me, it’s now completely godless.
And maybe it’s because I’m not too familiar with South Asian (or any other Asian) religions, but I don’t know if it’s even possible for me — To connect with the divine through meditation.
I don’t achieve a state of nirvana, my goal is to turn everything off! What I get out of it (peace, calm) is enough for me.
I wanna know, how do you clear your mind? If you practice it, what do you get out of meditation?
Namaste,
Tiera
Meditation Journal: Focus on Your Breath
I’ve been totally slacking on my meditation lately. I went from twice a week to sometimes twice a month :(
After a long day at work, and all the other mental stimulations (distractions), I’ve been finding it harder and harder to relax my mind.
A few months ago, I was working on my beginner’s mantras. But now I’m getting even more basic: Focus on your breath.
It’s probably the best (and simplest) way for me to settle into a meditation. I usually start by counting my breaths and trying to force my body into slower, deeper breaths. Eventually I’ll be thinking of nothing else — And, when it’s real good, I’ll be thinking of nothing at all :)
I wanna know, do you mediate? How do you clear your mind?
Namaste,
Tiera
Reverb 10: Healing
December 19: Healing
What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011?
Spending more time with my mom has worked some healing wonders on me. We didn’t always have the best relationship, and it hurt me for a while. But now, thanks to not having two jobs or school, I’ve been able to spend more time with her (and my brother, who lives with her), and we’re closer than ever! It’s reinforced how much I love my family, and how much they love me <3
I’d like to be healed spiritually this year. I consider myself in the midst of a spiritual crisis, and kind of have been for a while. I was raised semi-Christian (Christian school, church occasionally), then I was baptized Mormon (but am no longer an active member of the church), and I’ve looked into everything from the Universalist-Unitarians to Bahai to Buddhism to the Baptists. At this point, I just don’t know what I believe in, but I do feel a longing to connect to some form of spirituality and some sort of higher power.
I wanna know, what healed you in 2010? And how would you like to be healed in 2011?
Xoxo,
Tiera
Reverb 10: Friendship
December 16: Friendship
How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?
I don’t know if I ever talked about it on the blog (ok, looks like I mentioned it briefly), but I was once a member of a little church you may have heard of: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That’s right, this girl used to be an active Mormon.
Though I love the church and the people, and many of the teachings, I left because… Well, there are a million reasons.
I felt a lot of pressure as a member — To pay my tithes, to read the scriptures and pray daily, follow the Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity, to immerse myself in my ward and stake, develop relationships within the church, and be a missionary of the gospel. I had also done some work in the temple shortly after I was baptized myself, and I felt a strong sense of responsibility to those people.
And while I’m not ready to return to the church (and I don’t know if I’ll ever be, really), I reconnected with a couple of friends — both converts, like I was (meaning we weren’t raised Mormon by our families) — who have kind of re-opened my eyes.
One of them is a long-standing member of the church, who was a real source of support while I was going through the missionary lessons. The other is a long-time friend who was only recently introduced to the church and baptized.
At lunch this summer, I heard for the first time how much they struggled as members of the church. How sometimes they didn’t want to go to church, or partake of the sacrament, or follow the gospel — And sometimes they actually didn’t. And as awful as it may sound, it has been very inspiring to see them struggle.
Once I started struggling within staying true to the gospel, I started feeling really bad about myself and my situation, and it became easier for me to give up and let myself drift away from the church. But my friends have shown me that it’s okay to make mistakes and that it happens all the time, and that if you believe in something it’s worth the fight.
And, really, these are life lessons, not church lessons.
I wanna know, how has a friend changed your life?
Ciao,
Tiera
Imagery via We Heart It
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