A digest for conscious living
I have never meditated so regularly as I have over the past few weeks. I have now carried out my practice at least once every day for 37 out of the last 41 days. Since I officially began my journey on the 22nd of August, I have only missed 2 days making it 32 out of 34 days of yoga and meditation. Although I have meditated relatively consistently for almost 10 years, I feel that right now my “skill” has become as advanced as it has ever been.
On most days, I am now able to quiet my mind with ease, and I am progressively able to sit in a state of no-thought for longer and longer. I also no longer feel like I need to take a day off overy so often- in fact at this point, I feel like I would like to meditate twice a day! I look forward to every opportunity I have to sit and be quiet.
So what have been the results thus far? Firstly I can honestly say that I can not think of even one negative effect or consequence. I do not feel that I have become less social, or detached from the world around me. On the contrary, I feel much more in touch with whatever and whomever I am interacting with. My wife (who has also been meditating relatively regularly) and I have not had a real fight for many weeks. I have been more productive at work and at home. I have been sleeping better. Physically I feel great- I have not been this fit for a long time. In fact, I think I actually prevented myself from getting sick this week by meditating. I woke up yesterday after not having slept very much at all (my daughter has a cold again) and dragged myself to work without being able to do my practice. I was so tired, I literally considered lying down on the hardwood floor in my office and sleeping. My body started feeling a bit achy and I felt the beginnings of a sore throat creeping up my esophagus. Nevertheless, in the early afternoon, I turned the ringer off on my phone, and did my yoga and my meditation.
At least once (sometimes several times) every time I meditate, there comes a certain point, usually just after the moment when I become aware that I have not had any thoughts for some time, that I experience a release of energy which feels like it coarses up my spine and out the top of my head. It usually is connected to the breath and comes is a cycle of three breaths, bulding up in my body and being released, growing in intensity with each breath. It is an incredibly pleasant feeling, (something akin to some of the physical sensations one has when on MDMA) and usually leaves me feeling rejuvenated, happy and clear. On Friday, I had a particularly intense release of energy, and while it was happening, I actually asked it for healing. I got up from my meditation much more energized that before and went into the evening with a distinctly better outlook. First thing this morning, I meditated deeply again, and had several more energy releases before I got up. By the time my family and I had finished eating breakfast, I was feeling ready to take on the world! I not only played and danced with my daughter until a broke a sweat, I then drove to the woods not too far from our home and went on a long run. I really believe that the energy which was released during my meditation had some sort of amazing healing/energizing effect on me.
In the end, the most important thing for me thus far is that I am very happy. My life situation has not changed much from before I began this consequent journey, but I feel more happy. The more I continue to practice, the happier I become. And I feel very very grateful for being alive.
Goodnight,
Kikta