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If you've ever wondered why people meditate, here is my personal story of beginning on the path of meditation and spiritual growth. Burned Out on Religion I got burned out on traditional Protestant religion as a teenager. I watched my friends' parents say, "Don't drink, don't dance," because that was the church line. But then those same parents drank, danced, had affairs, and got divorced. It didn't make sense to me that I should follow admonitions from adults who didn't walk their talk. I stopped going to Sunday School and church. In the worst argument I can recall as a teen, my mom, never a church-goer herself, begged me to go back for the sake of my younger sister. I refused, and came very close to running away because Mom just didn't understand. I Believe in People All through college and my early adult years, I was more or less agnostic. I simply didn't have any answers about religion and God. On the other hand, I loved reading Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, and Kahlil Gibran, all very inspirational. When asked about my faith, I answered, "I believe in people." I could see the deep down goodness and loving in people all around me, regardless of their religion or politics. Blind Date Meditation After a short marriage and divorce, I ended up in London. With friends in the world of classical music as well as buddies in my field of social work, I went out to late dinners, concerts and movies most evenings, and visited pubs with Morris dancers many weekends. Eventually, I blind-dated a guy who had been a Transcendental Meditation teacher but had switched to study with another guru from India. When my date talked about meditation, something inside me resonated deeply. Based on his description, I began meditating immediately and took the beginning class a few days later. Relaxation -- I Want More! The introductory class (on a Saturday) suggested meditating twenty minutes twice a day. I faithfully followed instructions, relishing the deep relaxation and peace. We were told that meditation would provide more energy and a need for less sleep. On Monday, however, when I went to work, I appeared so tired and sleepy that my colleagues promptly sent me home. I fell into bed, slept for about 36 hours, and had to stop burning the candle at both ends. I absolutely had to live a more balanced life. It's as if my body experienced the deep relaxation of meditation and said, "More, I want more!" Grandmother? The fellow who introduced me to meditation didn't last long, but the practice of sitting in silence became one of the greatest keys in my life. After several months, I had a few profound experiences during meditation, such as a visit from my deceased grandmother telling me she was about to reincarnate. She looked young, beautiful, vibrant, with lovely dark hair and flashing eyes. I didn't recognize her until she rapidly aged to her grandmotherly look. Back to My Spiritual Roots After a few more months, I began having visions of the Christ, which ultimately led me back to my spiritual roots, but with a more eclectic and much more mystical approach than I'd experienced growing up. It's been over 30 years. I now study with a different teacher (an American) and call my meditation practice Spiritual Exercises. I can't imagine not turning inward for spiritual nourishment. I'm eternally grateful for how the the richness of my inner life continues to unfold. As Necessary As Breathing For me, this path has been about much more than relaxation or even inner peace. Turning within is as necessary as breathing. I continue to surprise myself with bursts of growth and expansion of consciousness -- sometimes triggered by pain, sometimes purely joyful. I can only say, it goes on and on, with no end in sight. Why do I meditate? How could I not.
About the Author: Dr. Ilenya Marrin is a spiritual counselor, inspirational speaker and author of ebooks The Power of Personal Peace: Reducing Stress by Loving Yourself from the Inside Out and 77 Loving Steps for Success. If you want to know a bit more about how to meditate, I invite you to check out my free eight-part article series on this subject at http://www.powerofpersonalpeace.com For stress reduction tips, sign up for my free newsletter, 17 Simple Stress Solutions, at http://www.powerofpersonalpeace.com/optin.htm - Check out my articles on success, less stress, and my Ask Dr. Ilenya advice column at my blog, http://lovingyoursuccess.blogspot.com Article Source: www.BiGGooRoo.com |
