Category: Meditation

As we celebrate Earth Day I am focusing on my very favorite walking meditation and planning to return to the labyrinth. Saturday, May 4th will be World Labyrinth Day. Many of you may have walked the lovely labyrinth with me in St. Helena, California at Grace Episcopal Church or at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. If you are unfamiliar with the Labyrinth, you can visit: www.veriditas.org for more information. And/or check out Walking the Sacred Path by Dr. Lauren Artress, the grandmother of the modern day labyrinth. When Lauren Artress first arrived at Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France in 1992 with a few friends, the labyrinth laid in the floor was covered with chairs and had not been utilized for quite some time. Perhaps it was once a pilgrimage … continue reading

I believe this is a good time for all of us to return to our basic self-care routine – or to establish one that feels good: Get up and go to bed near the same time every day. Drink plenty of room temperature water all day long. Prepare and eat nourishing real food every day. Minimize alcohol, sugar, packaged food and the news. Stay as active as possible with walking outside when possible, yoga and pilates inside. Stay in touch with loved ones and friends by phone or internet. Practice relaxation techniques, meditation, prayer or mindfulness daily to help keep your nervous system calm. When you feel anxious or fearful, ask yourself what would feel good and do that – a bath, movement, drink water, … continue reading

Awareness Of the Breath    Often when I’m teaching someone who is new to Meditation, they will say:  “I can’t meditate – I can’t quiet my mind.”  That’s when I love to suggest that thinking of it as AWARENESS PRACTICE and simply focusing on the breath can be so helpful.   Meditation is not something mysterious and mystical.  It is simply a technique and a tool to train our minds to stay in the present moment.  Sitting quietly and focusing on the sensations of the breath can help to quiet the thoughts and calm and body and mind.  Even noticing the breath throughout the day can bring us back to center and release anxiety. Awareness of the Body Sensations A very effective way to improve … continue reading

Awareness Of the Breath  Often when I’m teaching someone who is new to Meditation, they will say:  “I can’t meditate – I can’t quiet my mind.”  That’s when I love to suggest that thinking of it as AWARENESS PRACTICE and simply focusing on the breath can be so helpful. Meditation is not something mysterious and mystical.  It is simply a technique and a tool to train our minds to stay in the present moment.  Sitting quietly and focusing on the sensations of the breath can help to quiet the thoughts and calm and body and mind.  Even noticing the breath throughout the day can bring us back to center and release anxiety.   Awareness of the Body Sensations   A very effective way to improve … continue reading

The test of your success in meditation is not whether you have visions, but rather how you are changing as a person in everyday life – whether you are becoming a happier person.  The goal is to have your whole life become a meditation. Preparing for Meditation Create a comfortable and pleasant place to meditate. Set aside a specific time to meditate – best times are dawn, dusk,noon and midnight – but most importantly – be consistent about when you meditate. Find a comfortable sitting position in a chair, on a cushion or on a meditation bench, so that your spine is long and open. Relaxation – do some yoga postures or stretching exercises. Say a prayer and ask for guidance and support for your … continue reading

Loving Kindness (Metta) Meditation practice. The words are: May I be filled with loving kindness May I be well May I be peaceful and at ease And may I be happy. Repeat this phrase, speaking or chanting, a few times through. Then extend the practice to your loved ones: May you be filled with loving kindness May you be well May you be peaceful and at ease And may you be happy. Bringing to mind your family and friends, as you speak or chant the Metta phrases – wishing them well and happy. Here Comes The Challenging Part An additional, and more challenging, way to practice, is to offer well-wishing to a person or a circumstance that is challenging for you. Bring to mind a … continue reading

First of all, may I say, that I practice all of the techniques and practices that I teach.  I’m not just regurgitating something I read in a book or on-line.  I began to study Meditation in the early 80’s and, for many years, didn’t really have a daily spiritual practice. Then in the late 90’s I trained at The Expanding Light as an Ananda Yoga & Meditation instructor and really began to practice and understand the benefits of daily practice. Routine, environment, energization exercises, yoga postures, breathing practices, mantra and progressive relaxation are all methods to quiet the mind and body and prepare for meditation. If you are struggling with settling down to meditate, finding the time to meditate or quieting your mind when you … continue reading

I’ve had conversations with several folks recently about their challenges with quieting the mind for Meditation.  Ahhhh… Somehow we think it will be easy to center ourselves and be quiet – resting our bodies and minds.  That is not always the case, as you may have noticed. I’ve heard from several of my students that they are able to settle when we practice together in class or in a private session and not so much on their own.  There is a definite benefit to practicing with a group or with a teacher to guide you.  That is how I learned to meditate and that’s why I love to teach and practice with y’all. I thought it might be helpful to remind you of the simple … continue reading