Imagine a time in human history when the practice of meditation was spontaneous, and where it must have been an integral part of the natural spiritual way of living in a slower paced and nature oriented existence. We were consciously aware of our bodies’ ebb and flow with the seasons of the earth, and paced our thoughts, work, and goals according to those seasonal seeding/rebirth, growth/harvest, and death/hibernation cycles. We knew when to walk fast and when to slow down. Being so entwined within earth’s nature provided us a deep understanding that our natural selves were also an integral part of the whole of nature’s life. Separation from nature, from having our feet off raw soil, wasn’t something people could comprehend. In our current fast-paced, high-tech data driven world, we often feel ourselves separated from the feel of the earth and our natural selves. We live in this amazing place in human evolution where technology helps people come together globally to intimately share information about our rich and diverse cultures, and news and experiences about our day to day lives. Friendships and sharing information can begin between several people on several continents in an afternoon on our laptop computers! It’s extraordinary. Yet, we can pull ourselves apart from our internal rhythmic connection with the earth and the universal energy source. White noise can become the backdrop of modern life. We push too hard for the future, and we’re processing more data than ever, so it becomes essential to balance our lives by seeking out and creating a special oasis in the midst of all the traffic — where we can plug-in to the source of our most natural being through meditation. We now tend to have difficulty recovering our spiritual center of serenity, soak in the delicious silence of inner peace and meet up again with who we really are. Meditation accesses the inner voice inside of us — that’s the intuitive spiritual part of us that is simply an I Am presence. Like taking out the trash, our minds need to also be emptied of background noise and thoughts to connect to the core of who we are. Speaking on meditation, His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, who is the head of state and the spiritual leader of Tibet said, “If a person’s basic state of mind is serene and calm, then it is possible for this inner peace to overwhelm a painful physical experience. One the other hand, if someone is suffering from depression, anxiety, or any form of emotional distress, then even if he or she happens to be enjoying physical comforts, he will not really be able to experience the happiness that these could bring.” Many of us secretly feel anxiety about meditation, having tried and given up because it became frustrating. Perhaps we wanted to hurry the process, wanting immediate results or got intimidated with the variety of books and practices on how to meditate. Eckhart Tolle, one of today’s most popular spiritual teachers and bestselling author of The Power of Now and A New Earth, came to my rescue several years ago. He described mediation as a state of simply being here now — no thoughts of the past or the future. He wrote in his second book, Stillness Speaks, “A true spiritual teacher does not have anything to teach in the conventional sense of the word, does not have anything to give or add to you, such as new information, beliefs, or rules of conduct. The only function of such a teacher is to help you remove that which separates you from the truth.” Here are the basic steps Tolle taught me about remembering how to be my natural, spiritual self through meditation: Basic Steps Of Meditation A quiet place to sit — no interruptions Observe feeling the lungs and diaphragm expand as you inhale gently and deeply a few times Observe feeling the body relax Continue to be consciously awareness of the body by observing, listening, and feeling the body as it relaxes, with the natural rhythm of the breath With eyes closed, move your attention away from the body and begin to inwardly observe, attention gently focused inward — into the present moment Observe, allowing thoughts to float by like clouds – detached from those thoughts and emotions — don’t run after them. The mind is emptying itself. Silence comes. You are now fully in the present. Just be in the silence, observing, watching

Congratulations! You’ve become a mirror. In becoming a mirror, you’ve become a meditator. There is no time limit to get to the silence. In the beginning, it may take 5-10 minutes for pent up thoughts and attached emotions to empty themselves. There’s no race. No test. As we develop a daily practice, only 20—30 minutes a day, we notice that the stream of thoughts lessen and we’re able to move directly into the present point of silent observation. I’ve also added two YouTube links — a fun and humorous one of Eckhart himself, on What is Meditation? and another on Inner-Body Guided Meditation: What Is Meditation? — www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bAXwBbCtHg

Eckhart Tolle’s Inner-Body Meditation — www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaVMZf91d7w Meditation refreshes and renews us. It’s a stress reliever and anxiety destroyer while giving us space to be fully in the present. It directs us to our deepest spiritual self — our most natural self. It empties us to be filled up again with renewed energy, connecting us to an experience of the Universal Source of deepening joy and love. And within that space, the quiet voice of our inner guidance and angels can be heard to help us seek answers and solve our problems. Place meditation as a priority in your mind-body-spirit health regime. Remember, it takes two weeks for something new in our lives to become a habit. You’ll be a meditator in no time! Affirmation for this month — Silence Today, I create a quiet place and leave external noise behind. All thoughts float away. I knock on the door of the Divine, and all I want to do is listen and be renewed in the stillness. Live in beauty and be well – Triza Schultz

To read more blogs by Triza or for more information, please visit http://womanofthewind.blogspot.com/ Copyright © 2010 — All rights reserved. Permission granted by author to copy this article in it’s entirety. More on Meditation at Merlian News>