Meditation is Key to Intuitive Development
Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a big advocate of meditation. I do it every day and I firmly believe everyone can benefit from regular meditation – even if it is only for five minute a day. And I believe it is the number one key to intuitive and spiritual development.
When people find out I meditate every day for at least twenty minutes, they often express surprise. Invariably, I then hear them say that they tried and they just couldn’t find a way to calm their minds.
Believe it or not, nearly every time I sit down to meditate, my mind is racing! Just because I do intuitive readings for others, doesn’t mean I don’t get caught up in my own head just like everyone else. It takes time, patience, discipline, and practice to learn to calm my mind. But I do it every single day. Sometimes it happens quickly within a minute or two, and other times it can take quite a while longer. But this technique works nearly every time for me.
So if you’ve ever tried meditation and gave up because you because you couldn’t stop your mind from racing, after a few basics of meditation I will show you a little trick that I use on myself.
Intention to Honor
I like to always remind myself that no matter how busy I am, or what is going on in my life, that meditation is important. Because I have practiced it for so long, I know that without it I become less positive, more irritable, impatient, and far less able to deal effectively with stress. So I know that when I least have time for meditation, that is actually the time I need it the most!
It is important to go into your meditation acknowledging its importance. Feel good about yourself for making time for it. Understand that there is nothing more important for you to do during this time, because everything else depends upon you taking this time to care for yourself.
Without that attitude, I find most people will give up on meditation far too quickly.
Get Comfortable & Breathe
I have a dedicated room that I use for meditation and for readings. If you are lucky enough to have a dedicated space, that’s great. If not, you can still make it work. First, find a comfortable space where you will be completely uninterrupted. Be sure to leave your cell phone off and in another room. If you can’t find a way to be alone, then find some relaxing spa music and put on some headphones. Don’t worry about sitting in particular positions or what to do with your hands. The important thing is to be comfortable and relax.
When I meditate, I always close my eyes. I relax my body and try to deepen my breathing. There are many techniques you can find to use your breath to calm you mind, so that is always a good way to start for the first minute or two.
But often I find that is not enough for me. If I find I am still thinking, worrying, planning, or otherwise using my mind after a moment or two of relaxing here is what I do.
Observe Thoughts
First, I acknowledge the thought is there without dwelling on it. I don’t get angry or upset that it is there. It is important to be gentle with yourself.
So a typical thought might be “I wonder why my best friend didn’t answer my email yesterday.” If I allow this thought to continue, it will lead to ruminating and speculation (“I wonder if she is mad at me?”). But I have taken the first step and acknowledged the thought is there and that awareness itself is very important.
It means you know you were thinking. And the the you (your soul) that knows this, is independent from the you (your mind) that is thinking those thoughts. This is the most basic fundamental concept of deep meditation, especially if you are trying to develop spiritually or intuitively.
Label Your Split Self
Next, I label the aspect of myself that originated the thought.In this case I realize the thought came from the part of me that is “Tim, the best friend”.
So I imagine that this “Tim” is in front of me now. I picture an actual version of myself sitting across from me and acknowledge the thoughts are coming from “him”, not from me. I reach out with loving kindness to “Tim, the best friend” and I let him know that I understand what he is thinking is valid and important. And that I appreciate and respect “Tim, the best friend” and his concerns.
It is important to have compassion and empathy for this part of your self. There is no need to get angry or annoyed that they are intruding on your meditation. Simply acknowledge the version of you that was thinking those thoughts. Whether it is the you that is a best friend, a son/daughter, a worker, a concerned citizen of the world, an artist, a commuter, or anything else – the process is the same.
Picture this thinking version of you outside yourself, label them with their role. And you’re ready for the next step.
Honor of Your Split Selves
The last step I take is to kick that aspect of myself out of my room and shut the door! If you’re not in a room with a door, just picture this in your mind.
Now it is important to be nice about it. So I let “Tim, the best friend” know that I promise with absolute sincerity to address his thoughts and concerns as soon as I’m done meditating. I assure him he will not be forgotten. I remind him that we agreed up front that meditation is important and necessary in order to address his concerns.
So gently picture myself getting up and guiding “Tim, the best friend” out of my room. I kindly ask him to wait for me in the hall until I am done meditating and I shut the door.
Repeat As Necessary
I might next have a thought like “I hope traffic isn’t too bad today.” That’s “Tim, the driver”. He gets the same respectful, gentle treatment. Then I might think “I think I forgot to pick up the tomatoes I need from the grocery store to cook tonight.” OK, “Tim, the cook, I understand that is important. Let me take your hand and guide you into the hall. I promise when I’m done meditating we won’t forget about you.”…
Repeat as necessary. There are times I may have to do this once or twice. And there are times I may have to do it ten times. And that’s okay. It is important not to get frustrated or mad. See this little ritual with some humor. Have a light heart about it.
You may find that once in a while one of those guests you’ve escorted to the hallway somehow sneaks back in the room. Just gently repeat the process as often as needed and you’ll find it may be easier to calm your mind than you imagined.
Because once you’ve kicked those “thinking” parts of you out of the room, it gets really interested when you realize what remains.
If you try this technique, I’d love to hear how it worked for you.
Peace and Light.
Tim Thomas
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