THE TRUTH ABOUT MEDITATION

From the lens of a somewhat unrealistic positivism, meditation can be misunderstood or misinterpreted by some people. This perspective often sees meditation as a tool solely for achieving instant happiness, bliss, or the elimination of all discomfort.

Instead, meditation often involves learning to sit with the uncomfortable or challenging aspects of your inner experience. This aspect of meditation is essential for personal growth, self-awareness, and emotional resilience.

Yesterday I had a particular experience with practice that I wanted to share with you and that relates to this topic.

Cambridge Meditation Group | July 7 2023 | Meditation: Guided Meditation for Being Present and relieving Stress, The Mindful Movement

A LITTLE DISCLAIMER

I don't consider myself more unique or exceptional in my journey with life and meditation, but I aspire to initiate in others reading this an inner dialogue by sharing my experiences. This dialogue can help us collectively invest the time and effort required to cultivate habits that promote long-term well-being. Without this commitment, we may find ourselves giving up the practice out of demotivation and a sense of inadequacy—something I aim to prevent

WHERE IT ALL STARTS

I host a secular meditation session every Friday at the Foundry Cambridge, offering a space free from religious affiliations. In our busy lives, self-care often takes a backseat, making the need for an agenda-free place essential. The Cambridge Meditation Group welcomes you as you are, encouraging a sense of community that extends beyond our meetings, embracing individual experiences without rigid expectations or roles.

IN THE QUEST FOR RELAXED AWARENESS…

September 1, 2023 | Meditation: 30-minute meditation: Full meditation sequence

Each week, I reflect on our community, personal experiences, and loved ones' journeys. This informs my selection of secular meditations during our gatherings, with the goal of fostering individual healing and private practice, ultimately seeking relaxed awareness.

I recently introduced a holistic meditation sequence from Piedmont Healthcare, combining diaphragmatic breathing, spinal breathing, anchoring, and body scanning. Typically, we focus on one aspect per week. After six months of consistent meetings at the Foundry, this comprehensive approach felt fitting.

I rigorously explore these resources before sharing them with our group and practicing them privately. This week, the process remained the same, but the experience was uniquely impactful.

Over the past few years, I've faced personal challenges, including a significant career shift that reshaped my work-life perspective, the illness of close family members, my own battle with long-COVID, and the loss of cherished individuals. It's simply the ebb and flow of life.

What intrigues me is how our shared practice has revealed hidden issues I might not have discovered on my own. This group has provided the time and opportunities for such insights to surface. Below two uncomfortable realizations I experienced during our meditation practice this past Friday.

REPRESSED HOPE

"With every breath smooths away any tension in your face, hand or any areas of discomfort you might feel in your body (...) and begin to notice where your thoughts are going ..."

The instructor said...

The instructor's guidance took an unexpected turn. Instead of following along, my mind wandered to a memory seemingly out of place in my present life.

This memory stirred up a sense of repressed hope. After the memory settled and I attempted to refocus on the instructor's voice, I realized a distinct absence of daydreaming in my present. It was as if a touch of healthy cynicism had morphed into a protective shell of self-doubt when allowed to linger.

As it happens, it's quite common to confront an inner conflict between yearning for something positive, subconsciously attempting to regain control during meditation, and facing a fear that comes to the surface in the silence of the practice. In more Jungian terms: meditation allows us to face our shadow self.

I understand your own struggles and realizations might manifest differently from mine, but the shared inclination to seek a way back into meditation is itself a form of control worth noticing.

The truths that come to seemingly disrupt our practice are exactly what makes it stronger.

For me, trying to quickly regain focus on the instructor's voice was, in essence, a form of self-judgment and control. It's not that aiming for a state of relaxed awareness is wrong—it remains a valid goal in meditation practice. The key is ensuring that we don't deceive ourselves along the way.

This experience revealed my innate tendency to suppress hope, a defense mechanism against life's harsh realities. It dawned on me that I had been denying myself permission to daydream and explore very real possibilities in my daily life.

Now, I aspire to view this reaction as a gentle reminder instead of something that exerts control over me. It serves as a nudge to strive for more and cultivate greater appreciation. While it was unsettling and physically uncomfortable, I share this fragment of my experience in the hope that others won't abandon their meditation practice simply because they don't feel like the Dalai Lama after just 30 minutes of meditation.

The void of distraction, another form of control 

Once I eventually released that memory and the accompanying realization, I began to follow the breathing cues and enjoyed the physical advantages of mindful breathing

"Perhaps you even see the breath as something like a thick and milky white string, if you see the subtle string that's fine but if you don't see it that's also fine. Your experience is your own". She said…

As I progressed, despite feeling more relaxed, I began sensing tension in areas of my body where I hadn't previously noticed I was carrying stress. The feeling accompanying the physical sensations was one of vulnerability. While this could be viewed as a somewhat unsettling distraction, I found it somewhat easier to overcome.

In the end, the experience it offered a glimpse of relaxed awareness—a state characterized by a calm and attentive consciousness, where the mind remains alert and observant, enabling a clear and focused presence in the present moment.

What I mean is that it wasn't particularly enjoyable to realize the source of that seemingly ‘physical’ tension and its connection to non-physical actions I needed to take in my waking life. Nevertheless, it served as yet another lesson within the realm of discomfort, providing a more relatable explanation for the significance of the breathing aspect in meditation.

Final Thoughts... 

It's been 24 hours since my third attempt at this meditation, and I can't say I feel all that better. What I do know is that as long as I heed those moments of awareness in my daily life and continue my practice, things will be alright. Not in the form of a magic fix, but in the sense that I'll become better equipped to face various challenges as time goes on.

I suppose that's the message I want to convey about meditation—it won't always be easy. However, the absence of constant relaxation doesn't diminish its capacity to help soothe your nervous system, lead to realizations pertinent to your unique situation, or promote a healthier life. It's simply a reflection of life itself, and an integral part of the journey.

I look forward to seeing you every Friday at 5 pm at The Foundry Cambridge until November 17, 2023. Come as you are and experience the benefits of secular meditation with us. As we approach winter 2023 and spring 2024, we'll return to our 5:30 pm schedule, marking a wonderful one-year anniversary of our shared meditative journey. Remember, admission is 100% free. Here is our registration link.

Thank you for reading about my experiences, and thank you for being a part of our community.