Mindfulness & Meditation
What does it mean to meditate? Should meditation be used to be quiet for 20 minutes here or there or should it become part of one’s life? I have come to see that meditation has the potential to wake us up. By taking time to be with our thoughts and not escape them we begin to understand our own mind and begin to wake up from our programs (dream state). As Jiddu Krishnamurti said, “The observer is the observed.” The very nature of looking at thought changes it. Not only that, in stillness the mind quiets. In this quiet place, one has the opportunity to tap into the very essence of reality and come into direct contact with our essence.
Have you ever thought about what it really means to be mindful? From what I have come to understand, mindfulness focuses on being present. In this space of presence, we have the opportunity to come into contact with what is. This helps us see the wonder, mystery and flow in being present. Mindfulness helps us pause and take in the moment to just be.
Meditation helps us dig in and see what illusions we play, while mindfulness helps us see the beauty and wonder in being present. Both are integral to each other. Meditation helps us understand ourselves, quiet the mind, and see reality’s true nature. Mindfulness brings us back to that meditative state of seeing clearly and in being present, connect to all that is around us.
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"You should sit in meditation for 20 min a day. Unless you're too busy; then you should sit one hour." Old Zen saying
"Your vision will become clear only when you look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams, who looks inside, awakes." Carl Jung
”The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms." Thich Naht Hanh
"If every eight year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world in one generation." Dali Lama
"The best way to capture moments is to pay attention." Jon Kabat-Zinn
Garin
