{"id":4639,"date":"2012-12-07T18:31:01","date_gmt":"2012-12-08T02:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/?p=4639"},"modified":"2012-12-07T23:45:30","modified_gmt":"2012-12-08T07:45:30","slug":"how-meditation-changed-my-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/how-meditation-changed-my-life\/","title":{"rendered":"How Meditation Changed My Life"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>Several years ago, my older sister became extremely ill, subsequently passing away. \u00a0\u00a0She suffered all of her life from complications due to Type 1 Diabetes, which then ended her life after a long struggle with this illness. We were so close; the pain of her passing seemed unbearable and I was overwhelmed with sadness and depression after her passing. \u00a0Working fulltime and married with two young children, I knew I had to get help with my depression.\u00a0 I recognized how unfair it was to my family to allow myself to be consumed by this negative emotion; I was not myself at work either.<\/p>\n

Then one day, when I was at my doctor\u2019s appointment, I must have appeared desperate.\u00a0 He asked if I would consider meditation to help me.\u00a0 I said yes, anything.\u00a0 He loaned me books and tapes on relaxation and meditation.\u00a0 He also showed me how to meditate.\u00a0 I went home, began a routine of meditation in the evening, and used the tapes to guide me into relaxation at bedtime. I would fall asleep peacefully.\u00a0 In the morning, I would get up and meditate for twenty minutes, which before long would get me through my days.<\/p>\n

After a month or so, my doctor introduced me to a Zen Monk who took over teaching me meditation, breathing exercises and teaching me the Buddhist Traditions.\u00a0 I met with the monk to meditate privately for months; I felt I was not ready to be in a group meditation just yet.\u00a0 I went to the Zendo six days a week to meditate, and one evening a week for Study Group. \u00a0I would go away from the Zendo after each session with such peace within me. \u00a0The process of well-being was taking place.<\/p>\n

Next, I learned to chant; this helped deepen my meditation experiences.\u00a0\u00a0 He explained to me that when we meditate, we can then look inside ourselves and there is no hiding. \u00a0Negative emotions and forgotten memories can begin to surface; (this does not happen to everyone).\u00a0 Not always are these pleasant nor easy to deal with.\u00a0 \u00a0Facing what surfaces from within us is the way to work through the negative emotions.<\/p>\n

I continued the arduous practice and each time, I would have emotional pain and begin to cry during meditation.\u00a0 The kind monk, in his soft-spoken voice said to me, \u201cYou can go and walk out the door and not return; however, what is surfacing emotionally will return and no one knows exactly how it will resurface later.\u201d\u00a0 On the other hand, he said, \u201cYou can continue on this path and work through this.\u201d\u00a0 It would not be easy or a quick process, but it would mean progress for my well-being.<\/p>\n

I decided to take a week break from practicing, to clear my head so to speak.\u00a0 Nevertheless, I did return to continue my meditation, this time in a seated group setting, and worked through the emotions that surfaced.\u00a0 It has been many years since those days, and I have continued consistently on my path and have reaped the vast rewards.\u00a0 Meditation allowed me to experience the emotional pain I had been trying to suppress, yet now I am able to deal with it in a healthy way.\u00a0 A few months into my meditation practice, I began to get \u201cmyself\u201d back. \u00a0I felt renewed and on the road to emotional stability.<\/p>\n

The monk invited me to attend a Zazenkai. This is a daylong session, in which the practitioners partake in seated meditation, walking meditation and working meditation.\u00a0 Also included in the daylong session is listening to Dharma talk and other Zen lectures.\u00a0 It may not sound like it, but it is extremely exhausting in a good way. \u00a0I have attended several over the years, each time leaving with a newfound awareness of all that surrounds me.<\/p>\n

Friends and family saw the progress I was making through meditation.\u00a0 Over the years I have sat with people, teaching meditation techniques for those who have requested this of me.\u00a0 The positive results are amazing.\u00a0 One does not have to have huge issues in life to meditate.\u00a0 Living day to day has its own struggles for all of us. \u00a0\u00a0By-products of meditation are, and not limited to, the ability to have a unique calmness during challenging times, restful sleep, to see situations and people in a clear light for what and who they really are, and being mindful.\u00a0 \u00a0With this in mind, one is able to make better choices and decisions on their path through life.<\/p>\n

You do not have to be or become Buddhist; people of all religions meditate. \u00a0One does not have to belong to a Zen center either.\u00a0 Meditation can easily be done alone, in the privacy of your own home, if preferred.\u00a0\u00a0 Here is a website that will cover all meditation postures; choose one that will be comfortable for you.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.chikung-unlimited.com\/Meditation-Positions-2.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Find a quiet time of day where you will have no interruptions for approximately 20 minutes; (in the beginning you may want to only meditate for 10 minutes and work up to 20 minutes). \u00a0Set a timer for 10 or 20 minutes when you begin your seated meditation.\u00a0 Choose the meditation position that is best suited for you, take a few deep breaths and begin to feel the calmness within.\u00a0 Eyes open looking down at the floor or eyes closed, now begin to concentrate on your breathing, counting each breath 1,2,3,4 then begin counting from 1 again.\u00a0 Take a deep breath in and then exhale out; this is 1. Continue each breath until you count to 4, then begin to count from 1 again.\u00a0 This will help to keep you focused and your mind from wondering.\u00a0 Mind wondering, also called \u201cMonkey Mind\u201d, is common during meditation.\u00a0 Acknowledge your thoughts and then continue to count as you breathe.\u00a0 Eventually, you will have less \u201cMonkey Mind\u201d, allowing your meditation to deepen.\u00a0 The more you fight topics that come into your mind, the tougher meditation will be; see it, then let it go.\u00a0 It is best to meditate everyday if possible, especially in the beginning.\u00a0 Meditation will become easier each time.\u00a0 When the timer goes off, this concludes your seated meditation session. You will begin to feel the calmness, and all that goes along with meditating daily. \u00a0I have given you a brief guide to meditation; however, there are numerous books and CD\u2019s online and at your local bookstores, to teach you how to meditate.\u00a0 There are even free videos you can watch as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs more people achieve some degree of mental calm, insight, or the ability to transform negative emotions into positive ones, there will be a natural reinforcement of basic human values and consequently a greater chance for peace and happiness for all.”
\n— The Dalai Lama of Tibet<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Several years ago, my older sister became extremely ill, subsequently passing away. \u00a0\u00a0She suffered all of her life from complications due to Type 1 Diabetes, which then ended her life after a long struggle with this illness. We were so close; the pain of her passing seemed unbearable and I was overwhelmed with sadness and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":765,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,51,80,32],"tags":[123,150,126,170,134,17],"class_list":["post-4639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-enlightenment","category-healing","category-meditation","category-self-improvement","tag-enlightenment","tag-healing","tag-health","tag-meditation","tag-self-improvement","tag-spiritual-2"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":42618,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/765"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4639"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4639\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}