Tags
blogging101, Creative Writing, Faith and Writing, Journaling, Quotes, Uncategorized, Writing 101
I was reading my daily devotional this morning (A Year With Rilke) and was struck by something Rilke said.
The tasks that have been entrusted to us are often difficult. Almost everything that matters is difficult, and everything matters. (from Letters to a Young Poet)
`
The thought went through my head, “What matters to you at this time in your life?” That’s something I’ve given a lot of thought since the first of the year. I had said a week or so ago I was going to continue on with my personal theme of Just Breathe for 2017, as I knew I hadn’t gotten it right yet. But the other thing I realized I need to be working on is Mindfulness, Being in the Moment. Plato (the younger) has been shooin’ me in that direction for a couple years now.
In thinking about Being in the Moment, and about what a hard time I’m having with the whole Spiritual aspect of my life, I decided to experiment with something. Spiritual Dragonfly has positively inspired me with her morning rituals, so I set out to create my own. I like meditating. And meditating often leads to spontaneous prayer for me. So after fiddling around with the idea for a few days, this is what I’ve come up with.
First I decided I needed an altar to anchor my spirit while I was engaged. I would have loved to have an pretty altar cloth, but every nice thing I have is too big for the small raffia storage cube, I wanted to use. So I decided to use the beautiful little doily Raili sent me to prettify the space..😀 then I needed to add the elements. A bowl of rocks for Earth. A glass jar of sea shells for Water. An antique cast iron candy 
dish in the shape of a leaf with a bird perched on it to represent Air. And a scented candle for fire.
A couple years ago my son bought me this wooden candle holder with three tealights embedded in pebbles. I’ve used it a lot, buy the tealights by the BAG now. So I added that to represent Body, Soul, and Spirit. I finished up with a small glass cross I’ve had for years because even though my understanding of spiritual matters is changing, it’s still a symbol of my spiritual life that I’m comfortable with. And, of course, I have quiet, meditative music going in the background. AND to heck with that sitting in a lotus position. I just get comfy!!!
`
Then I set to writing my ritual, a series of Breath Prayers. Breathe in four counts for the first line, out four counts for the second, and repeat.
Come Creator of all things
you are welcome here…
Creator of all things
please heal my weary Body…
Creator of all things
please heal my yearning Soul…
Creator of all things
please heal my earthbound Spirit…
You know how it is when you meditate. Your mind is constantly interrupted with wandering thoughts. So the whole point of using the Breath Prayers is to turn each thought into a prayer. For example:
Creator of all things
please help me to be more tolerant…
Creator of all things
please give me wisdom…
So whenever a random thought comes along, I grab it instead of shooing it away as some folks teach you to do when you meditate, I turn it to something positive. Then I go on repeating the ritual.
I worried at first I wouldn’t be able to last the 30 minutes since I normally do 15 or 20 when I DO meditate. So I started setting a timer to see how long I would go. Surprisingly I haven’t needed it. I’ve been over half an hour each time I’ve done it. And when I feel as if I’ve found that peace I’m looking for, I close with:
Creator of all things
thank you for your presence…
Creator of all things
blessed be ye…
Creator of all things
I give you all I have to give…
Creator of all things
please accept the gifts of my heart..
Amen and amen…
So may it be.
I’ve been asking myself for days now why I didn’t do this before. I have NO idea if this qualifies as Mindfulness or Being in the Moment, but it feels very right for me. And I can honestly say taking the phone off the hook and shutting everything else done is so “cocooning.” I noticed another interesting little side affect. My blood sugar drops by about 20 points!
Do any of you guys meditate? Do you have a special place or items you use to create the desired ambiance? If you do, please share them in the comments. I’d love to hear what other folks have done.
`
`
Picture Source:
Breath Prayers — Conversation Revolution
`
Impromptu Promptlings 
Oh my, you are an inspiration. Thanks for this post. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
😀 Thanks, Janet. Just experimenting. But I have to say it feels really natural to me when I do this. I meditated for 40 minutes this morning. There’s something so freeing about taking that phone off the hook and not turning on any electronic gadgets. I don’t feel rushed at all then.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I meditate on sunsets, rocks, trees and seas.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes. I can see you doing that all the time, all DAY, Opher. For an atheist you have a very “spiritual” soul. 😉
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing your meditation ritual with us. It sounds lovely. It’s amazing that your blood sugar drops as a result!
I have been practicing mindfulness meditation for a number of years. I light a candle, ring a bell and bow to the Buddha statue on my altar. Then I meditate on a cushion on the floor (though not lotus position!). I often listen to guided mindfulness meditations on Calm.com (on my cell phone). Other times, I simply focus on my breath for the allotted time. And sometimes I do a whole Metta (lovingkindness) meditation or a period of Metta before or after mindfulness meditation. Then I say a prayer thanking the Divine for my day. It includes a gratitude list. Finally, I say, “I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha,” bow to Buddha, blow out my candle and ring the bell. That’s my ritual. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s very beautiful. I’ve done many guided meditations over the years, too. I would love to find some kind of timer that sounds like a quiet gong when it goes off. I wonder if anyone makes them.. Seriously. I am interested in the idea of bowing to the north, south, east, and west stuff, too. Haven’t looked into it yet. Thanks so much for sharing, Judie. It’s all so interesting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! medigong is a simple gong timer (that’s all it does) for Android phones. Calm.com has one, as does Insighttimer. I’m sure that one or all should be available for iPhone, too. Have you read Scott Cunningham’s books? He was Wiccan and wrote beautiful rituals for calling in the directions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, I haven’t heard of Cunningham. I’m going to have to check his books out. So Calm.com actually has one. I’ve been on there. I’ll have to check that out as well. Not sure what Insighttimer is but am interested. Thank you so much for all the info, Judie. That’s perfect!
LikeLike
Where do you get the medigong timer? My phone is an Android.
LikeLike
Interesting post Calen…I tried mediation exactly one time…While mediating, I was thinking about all the tasks I needed to do and making mental notes of what order the tasks needed to be done in and I was getting anxious that I hadn’t started the first thing on the list because I was lying down mediating. So I stopped and never went back. But…this may be something I need to do now. Thanks. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve been meditating off and on for ten or fifteen years now. Sometimes more successfully than others. But this time that idea of actually capturing those wandering thoughts and giving them a voice has been a different experience. I hope you do give it a shot. There’s always the bathroom at work for five minutes of quiet! I did that once when I was working for the University of Utah Extension Service in this old, old building where the toity stalls were really narrow. Fell asleep! Woke up about 15 minutes later leaning on the wall. 🙂 Thank God for those narrow walls and that my boss was in the field that day! LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many years ago I created a meditation ‘space’ in the corner of our family room that was walled off. We put it up as an extra bedrooom when my father was staying with us. After he left I took it over. It was filled with my ‘stuff’. I lined the walls with colourful silk scarves, i had candles, crystals, a water feature, flowers, a cross, some crystal birds, cushions, music… and a comfy rocking chair. Like you I don’t do sitting on the floor stuff. I’d never get up again ! I sat there every day, sometimes twice, and disappeared down the rabbit hole of meditation effortlessly just using breath work, intuitive prompts.
Once I got my own ‘office’ space – aka our old master bedroom – it has become my meditation space. It too has crystals, soft colours, the walls, floor, ceiling and furniture are white, there are candles (always candles – I buy t-lights in bulk too) I have a massage bed but seldom use it myself. I usually sit in my comfortable office chair and off I go. The space nowadays is a lot more muted, light and airy – and filled with the scents of the essential oils i use. It’s a haven of peace and tranquillity – when people come in, you can often see them visibly relax. As for Tess- well, she’s the most meditated dog in this city I think. She automatically goes onto her little pink cushion and she’s off – always comes to at the perfect time.
These days mine is a 4 foot long white bench with a purple silk cloth a friend brought me back from the States, an amethyst cave, some chakra LED lights inside a crystal angel (I never turn it off), a few other crystals and angels. Above it hangs my beaded mandala.
It sounds like a lot is going on in there, but it is a large room that doubles as my work space and it isn’t cluttered. I have a beautiful view out of the large window with sliding doors leading on to my private balcony and overlooking our front garden – I can see lots of green. Trees, lime tree, roses, my hanging baskets and flower pots…. the whole is a beautiful space TRH created for me.
I love your altar Calen. Please send me it’s dimensions 🙂
Thank you for the link – appreciate it xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember the pictures of your “office/meditation” space. So light and airy with those windows. At the moment I get to sit on a love seat, but I want to take that out and put a trundle bed in there so the room can actually be a bedroom, too. My cube measurements? The top is 18 x 18 inches and it’s about 17 inches high. Not large.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Soouns like a good plan. Soon I will have two spare bedrooms. Marc and Shalini have left – although half of their stuff is still here, lol. Christopher is planning to move out asap as well – we have a visitor’s bedroom! And I can convert the other to a craft roomYay ! Thanks for the measurement 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m kind of torn about putting a bed in there. I know with the kids moving back to Utah we’ll probably have occasion to need a bed. But part of me is not ok with it. I’ve never had a room to myself until now and I have so many things sitting around that I wouldn’t want the kids into. So I’m not quite sure what I’ll do in the end. Does that sound selfish?
LikeLike
You know I love this!! And you ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Back at cha, girlfriend! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
😘
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great post!
Been meditating for about 2 months, normally on pile of cushions on floor when rest of house are asleep. Have become a lot more calmer. Still find it hard though to switch off busy mind
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s such a major obstacle that keeps people from stickin’ with it. Every book I ever read about stuff going through your mind said to grab the thoughts, put them in a bubble, and let them float away or some such thing. That sure didn’t work for me. Actually capturing them and using them like I’ve been trying to do seems to be a lot more workable for me. I’ve got my fingers crossed! 😀 Thanks so much for stopping by, Lucy. I appreciate your comment so much!
LikeLiked by 1 person