| There was a time when meditation or no | | | | easier for me. Meditation requires a still mind, but |
| meditation was a serious question for me. I come | | | | at the same time meditation stills the mind. |
| from a Protestant background where in my view | | | | Getting the balance right is not so simple when |
| (which is admittedly biased) prayer was a practice | | | | your life is in turmoil or when finding a quiet place |
| of reciting important-sounding words. I struggled | | | | to meditate in a busy household is a challenge. |
| for years with the concept of prayer. It did not | | | | Saying to yourself that you must clear your mind |
| make sense to me that in church other people | | | | of all thoughts so that a meditation can be |
| should pray on my behalf, but then I thought that | | | | successful is like saying to yourself that now is |
| was just me being the rebel again, and I kept | | | | not a good time to think of a yellow elephant. |
| quiet about it. | | | | Guess what picture just popped into your mind? |
| Outside of church I read books about prayer, and | | | | Yes - the same happens when you focus on |
| the prayers of other people. Still, there was this | | | | having no thoughts in your mind. Suddenly all the |
| feeling inside of me that it is not quite right. | | | | thoughts tumble into your mind. |
| Eventually I gave up on figuring out what prayer | | | | This is where guided meditations made a huge |
| is about and just got on with life. | | | | difference to me. Rather than focusing on clearing |
| Of course I had conversations with God in my | | | | my mind, I was able to focus on the guided |
| head, but none of the books that I read described | | | | meditation. As a result I experienced the benefits |
| these conversations as prayer. The conversations | | | | of meditation much sooner. |
| were also quite one-sided, because I told God | | | | Before I got to understand that I create my own |
| what he/she needed to know about my life. | | | | reality and my own future, I experienced fear, |
| Listening to God did not even cross my mind, | | | | anxiety and even depression. These also |
| because at the time I thought "If I cannot see | | | | disappeared with meditation. |
| God, then I also cannot hear God". I intuitively | | | | Probably the biggest surprise for me was to |
| knew that there must be something or someone | | | | discover that while in a meditative state I have |
| out there, but the thought that this someone or | | | | access to images, thoughts and information that |
| something was able to actually speak to me was | | | | made a massive positive difference to my life. |
| too far-fetched for me to accept. | | | | Initially I thought that these images, thoughts and |
| You will agree with me that having a one-sided | | | | bits of information are just my imagination, and I |
| conversation is quite lonely, especially when you | | | | was surprised at how active my imagination was. |
| want reassurance in times of need and | | | | But then I discovered that what I received during |
| encouragement in challenging times. All the time I | | | | meditation somehow had a either a direct or a |
| felt a need to confirm that there is someone on | | | | subtle link to what I experienced when I was not |
| the "other side" that was hearing me. | | | | meditating. I tried to ask questions while I was |
| I kept searching and was introduced to meditation. | | | | "awake", and found that I received very |
| I tried it initially because it was not recommended | | | | interesting answers while I was meditating. |
| in my culture - the church was there to take care | | | | Eventually I realised that meditation is probably a |
| of my religious needs and that should have been | | | | form of prayer - but meditation is about listening |
| enough. However, sometimes the way to get me | | | | rather than about talking. |
| to do something is to put obstacles in my way - | | | | I am still working on this, but I think that prayer is |
| especially if the obstacles are based on fear and | | | | a way of asking, whereas meditation is a way of |
| misconceptions that I can expose. | | | | getting answers. This definition works for me, |
| I found meditation to be quite an interesting | | | | because I get many answers during meditation - |
| experience. It definitely helped me to relax. I | | | | and it works even better when I first ask the |
| always felt calmer and more secure after | | | | questions and then do my meditation. |
| meditating. | | | | Not all the answers come during meditation. I |
| I was surprised when I discovered that meditation | | | | have discovered that there are more coincidences |
| does not mean losing your consciousness. I had | | | | and more synchronicity in my "waking" life, and |
| this perception that when you meditate you | | | | often things just happen around me that make |
| actually leave your body, only to discover that | | | | me feel "yes - there is another answer". |
| during meditation I am still fully in charge of the | | | | The fears, anxieties and depressive feelings have |
| process. I could compare it to driving a familiar | | | | disappeared, and instead I am much more at |
| route every day. I know exactly where to slow | | | | peace with myself, especially during uncertain |
| down, where to turn, how long it will take me to | | | | times. And I believe that I have found a way of |
| get to my destination, and I simply drive. | | | | listening to God. It is quite comforting to know |
| If you show me detail pictures of buildings or | | | | that my communication with God is no longer |
| other landmarks along the route, I might not be | | | | one-sided. |
| able to recognise them, even if I have travelled | | | | I have decided to use my experiences and |
| the same route every day for a year. The | | | | provide guided meditations to other people who |
| reason for this would be that I in fact go into a | | | | may want to try meditation but are not sure how |
| meditative state while driving when the route | | | | to do it. I still benefit even from recording the |
| becomes familiar, and my mind gets occupied with | | | | guided meditations. Every time I do a meditation, I |
| other things like planning my day or having a | | | | feel more in control of my life and my thoughts. |
| conversation with a passenger. | | | | An link to an example of a guided meditation, as |
| The same happens during meditation. This is | | | | well as guidelines on how to practise meditation, is |
| because meditation is an inner journey. I still | | | | available on my purple blog. |
| remain in charge of the route, and I can return to | | | | I wish you a lovely journey, and trust that you |
| "reality" any time I want to. | | | | will benefit from meditation as much as I do. |
| I initially found that guided meditations work much | | | | |