Yoga and More
Time tested technologies for health and well being.
Meditation (and Mindfulness)
The debate in one's mind. To smoke now or later, because I
only have a few minutes to fit it in. Or to smoke now or later, because
it is such a far walk to the smoking area. To light up that first
smoke now, because of how well it goes with coffee, or later because I
have not finished coughing. Or to smoke now because I will relax and feel good, or later because I am short of breath.
The flow of thoughts about smoking, wanted and unwanted, intended and
unintended, evoking images of positive, negative, evoking emotions of satisfaction,
fear, excitement, anger, pride, sadness. Take your pick, not from my
list, but from your list. But are these flows of thoughts you, your
essence? Do these flows of thoughts serve you?
The chariot, the horse, and the rider are likened to your body, your mind, and your essence. Your essence may be considered "you" or your spirit. The point is that your mind can serve your essence, as the horse serves the rider. If your essence is too often tangled in thoughts streaming from your mind, the horse runs wild.
Meditation
assists in obtaining an awareness, or understanding, of self, or your
essence, without the wildness of the mind getting in the way. Meditation allows you to
distinguish between your positive, negative and neutral minds, all three of
which serve you in different ways.
Meditation,
or focused thought, sometimes presented as "mindfulness", is about the
techniques to slow that puppy dog mind jumping everywhere, and to discard or release
from the mind the thoughts of nonsense. Your mind may then
serve to you.
Breathing helps ready one for meditation. Breathing is integrated with meditation. Breathing can become an inward healing meditation.
